Working in Finland is perhaps the best choice for our compatriots who want to find a job abroad. This northern European country needs hardworking foreigners, since there is a shortage of workers in many areas of the national economy. This is due to the decline in the country's indigenous population: mortality exceeds the birth rate, and natural growth is provided exclusively by migrants. But is it possible to work in Finland without knowing the language and qualifications? What are the working conditions and what vacancies can you apply for? Let's start with the benefits.
Pros of employment in Finland
Perhaps the main plus of employment for Russians and Ukrainians is Finland's stay in the EU, which means European wages even for unskilled labor. What can I say, even Europeans - citizens of Poland, Hungary, Romania - go to the Finns to work. However, the benefits are not limited to one salary.
- The Finnish labor market offers both seasonal and permanent employment options for foreigners with or without work experience.
- Local labor legislation in some cases allows you to work without a residence permit.
- In the case of permanent employment, a foreigner can legalize in Finland, and if he has sufficient income, he can also move his family there.
- The law allows foreigners to work and study at a university in parallel.
- Finnish recruiting agencies as well as the local employment center are eager to cooperate with foreigners.
- The attitude towards labor migrants in the country is much better than, for example, in Poland or the Baltic states.
In general, the Finnish labor market is considered much more civilized in comparison with the same Eastern Europe, so the chances of encountering fraudsters are much lower.
Popular Finnish Jobs
The demand for high-paying and prestigious vacancies is high among the Finns themselves. However, Ukrainians, Belarusians and even citizens of Uzbekistan are glad to see in Finland in working positions, where the level of required qualifications, and, consequently, earnings are not so high.
The Finnish labor market is characterized by regional imbalances, but in general the needs of employers can be assessed. Let's briefly consider the promising industries for our compatriots:
- construction - there is a great demand for bricklayers, electricians, concrete workers, finishers, plasterers, plumbers, pipelayers and even auxiliary workers;
- industry - a high demand for carpenters and joiners, distributors and welders, mechanical engineers, metalworkers;
- agriculture - for seasonal work in greenhouses, for example, in Imatra, pickers of berries, vegetables and mushrooms are required especially in summer;
- public catering - bakers, confectioners, cooks and waiters are included in the price;
- medicine - there is a high demand for nurses, orderlies, nurses, pharmaceutical workers, therapists and dentists.
Working conditions
Most of the rights and obligations are spelled out in the employment contract. For those who are officially employed, the length of the working day is regulated by the Law No. 605/1996 of 09.08.1996 "On Working Hours". According to it, an 8-hour work day and a 40-hour work week are considered standard.
Overtime work, if it is not provided for by the labor contract, employees are involved with their consent and for additional remuneration, but not more than 52 hours per week.
Seasonal workers are usually provided with housing and food, while girls with small children are provided with a shorter working day. In some cases, the work schedule may be sliding.
The employer is obliged to provide employees with all the necessary means of work, from work clothes to tools. Those who come for seasonal work conclude an agreement not with the company in which they work, but with an intermediary - for them employers are hiring organizations. Read more about working conditions here.
Qualification requirements vary by industry. For graduates, recognition of their diplomas is required. Find out more about this here.
How to look for a job
You should start looking for a job in Finland before you leave. We recommend looking for offers from direct employers - this will avoid meeting with scammers. Before you start looking for a job, learn more about the local culture and traditions, determine the field of activity. Pre-familiarize yourself with regional needs using the Professional Barometer.
The first thing to do is register as unemployed on the website of the State Employment Service. You can find out which recruiting agencies work with Russian-speaking job seekers by calling 0295 020 715. Pay attention to the tips for finding a job for foreigners published by the employment service. Check out the Turku.fi website, which often acts as an intermediary between employers and job seekers from abroad. With self-selection of vacancies, the following job search sites can help you:
- https://www.valtiolle.fi/fi-FI
- http://www.kuntarekry.fi/
- http://www.monster.fi/
- http://www.metsalehti.fi/Metsalehti/Tyopaikat/
- http://www.ams.ax/
- http://www.careerjet.fi/
- http://www.uraopas.fi/
and many others.
Documents and permits
To work legally in Finland, an immigrant must have a residence permit. Only holders of a work visa have a work permit without a residence permit.
A residence permit is not required for those who plan to work by invitation or contract for less than 90 days and their activities will be related to the work of an interpreter, teacher, expert, sports judge, artist, coach, athlete, support worker, driver-carrier or seafarer ...
Previously, even before arrival, a foreign employee must receive an invitation from the employer - it will act as a cover letter for requesting a visa or residence permit.
Before traveling, check the validity of your passport - it must be valid for the entire duration of your employment contract.
To obtain a residence permit, you must submit to the embassy:
- passport with color copy;
- completed OLEL_PK questionnaire in Finnish, Swedish or English;
- signed employment contract;
- application from the employer;
- certificate of payment of taxes and insurance premiums by the employer;
- health certificates and other documents.
Salary level
As in other countries of the world, the level of salaries in Finland can vary significantly depending on the age group of employees (the more years, the more experience and the higher the salary), the level of their qualifications, the area of employment and even the region. In the south of the country, for example, in Kotka, there is an order of magnitude less work than in Joensuu, and therefore salaries there are slightly lower.
But regional differences are generally not so significant. According to the Statistical Office, the average salary of employees in the country is 2.5 thousand euros minus taxes. Doctors earn the most: without deducting taxes, their salary is 7.8 thousand euros.
However, about 63% of the working population in Finland has a salary below 2.5 thousand euros. In most cases, our compatriots can apply for it.
Even with knowledge of English, they will only be able to work in positions such as:
- nannies and nurses - 1750 euros;
- berry pickers - 1700-2000 euros;
- laundry workers - 1900 euros;
- waiters - 1950 euros;
- furniture assemblers - 2200 euros;
- forest cutters - 2300 euros;
- drivers - 2250 euros;
- programmers - 2,400 euros;
- welders, turners, builders, warehouse workers - 2500-2600 euros;
- miners, drillers, miners - 2600-2800 euros, etc.
Common questions
If, after reading the article, readers still have questions, you will probably find the answers to them below.
Where can you work in Finland without knowing the language?
To get a decent and, most importantly, permanent job in the country, knowledge of the language is one of the mandatory requirements. Since Finland has two official languages, either Finnish or Swedish will do.
Without knowing the language, you can get only seasonal work (picking berries, clearing snow, etc.) or work, job duties for which do not require communication with visitors, direct employers or Finnish colleagues.
This can be logging, fishing, working as a technical staff or, for example, in a company with a Russian-speaking management.
What are the consequences of illegal employment in Finland?
We strongly advise against hiring a job without legal employment, signing an employment contract and registering with the migration service. Those who decide to work illegally run the risk of:
- become victims of scammers and not receive payment for the work performed;
- violation of other labor rights - we are talking about the threat of exploitation, non-payment of overtime, non-payment of part of the salary, lack of guarantees in case of illness, etc.;
- imposition of a fine in case of illegal employment;
- detention, arrest and deportation in case of illegal employment while staying illegally in the country.
How to avoid being hooked by scammers offering jobs in Finland?
Indeed, the international recruiting market is full of all kinds of scammers, and Finland is no exception. Many are afraid of unscrupulous employers, but in the case of the Finns, it is recruiting agencies that should be more afraid. Therefore, we advise you to look for a job without intermediaries.
If you decide to cooperate with an agency, first of all, pay attention to:
- Offering illegal employment - this violates Finnish law and entails many of the risks that we mentioned above.
- The requirement to pay a fee. Indeed, obtaining a residence permit for employment costs money - 450-520 euros, plus insurance and other expenses. However, the employment costs must be borne directly by the employer.
- The type of contract to be concluded. According to Finnish law, in seasonal work, the intermediary agency acts as the employer, and it is with this agency that an employment contract must be concluded.
- The presence of registration in Finland as an intermediary - you should not contact a company offering work in a country where it does not have a representative office.
- Office, website, reviews - all this is the face of a recruiting agency. And if you are thinking about cooperation, do not be lazy to inquire about it.
Finally
Summarizing what has been said, we can unequivocally state that work in Finland is perhaps the most attractive place for employment of citizens of the CIS countries abroad. Despite the difficult language, unfamiliar culture and strict rules, the Finns are ready to provide decent work, high salaries and acceptable working conditions. Among the required specialists, there are vacancies for blue-collar occupations, and for highly qualified specialists, as well as for service personnel. And if there is a good job, then there will be no problems with legalization: the Finns will gladly issue a residence permit / permanent residence, and subsequently citizenship.
