Tips for job search

Job search is not just about writing CVs and applications and preparing for job interviews. It’s also about knowing and understanding the different stages in the job search process – even before you are in the situation where you actually start applying for jobs.  

Job search can be a lengthy and sometimes even competitive process. Finding interesting job opportunities and standing out from the crowd is much easier when you have done proper groundwork. Start by examining your skills and competences, strengths, motivation, interests, and goals. Don’t forget to do your research also on the sector, field of work and employers you are interested in. Putting in the time and effort for these will pay off later. 

It is important that you are aware of your skills and competence. When you yourself know what you’re good at, it’s easier to explain it to others, too. Learn how to describe your competence as concretely as possible to potential employers. Besides being aware of what you can do, think also of what you want to do. You can explore your thoughts and dreams for the future with these career planning questions: What are your hopes for the future? What interests you – which topics or questions, or what sort of work? How and where do you want to make an impact? What skills would you like to use and develop? What do you want to learn? And when you’ve found a job opportunity that interests you: How well does this job reflect your future hopes, strengths and values? 

Remember also that job search – typical channels, application documents, interview etc. – might have different practices in different countries. For instance, in Finland, the importance of networks is crucial and thus, investing in networking since the start of your studies is essential. Also, as a student, it is good to know that the search for summer jobs begins around November-December and a university traineeship is often done as a summer job.

Job-search plan 

Draft a plan for your job-search process to help manage the time and effort required. Choose a way that best works for you, whether it be an excel sheet, a dedicated calendar, or whatever inspires you. Make sure to schedule time in your calendar. Job search is easier when you are well-rested and refreshed, so it can be a good idea to dedicate days for concentrating on your job search, and others for doing something altogether different. 

Include these stages in your plan:  

1. Identifying your skills and strengths: What are your core skills? What has been the focus of your studies? What knowledge and skills have you acquired from your previous work experience, hobbies, volunteer work, activities in organisations, or any other experience? 

2. Exploring your interests: What themes, topics, roles, or tasks interest you in general? What topics interest you in your studies? What kind of organisations and ways of working interest you in general? What would be the ideal location of your workplace? In what kind of team or work community would you like to work? How much flexibility do you need in terms of, say, working hours and remote and on-site work?  

3. Examining interesting career opportunities: Which jobs or organisations specifically interest you? Where are the people, who work with the sort of things that interest you? Make a list of your most interesting options, and search for more information on them from various sources (e.g., by conducting information interviews or using LinkedIn).  

4. Describing your skills and expertise: Should your CV and your LinkedIn profile, if you have one, be updated? Are your other professional profiles on social media (e.g., Twitter) up to date? Review them, make any necessary changes, and ask for feedback from others.  

5. Comparing your skills and strengths with employer needs: What do employers wish to know about you? What skills are needed for the jobs that interest you? What do employers emphasise in job ads? What can you offer employers? How can you help? Practise speaking about your competence and career aspirations with other people. Do they understand, what you’re good at, or what your skills can be used for? 

6. Exploring job search channels and networks: What job board websites do you follow? Do you use social media in job search and career ideas? Have you sent open applications? Studies have shown that some 70% to 80% of open positions in Finland are ‘hidden’, meaning they are not publicly advertised. Your active efforts play a key role in finding such jobs: you can access the hidden jobs market by sending open applications and building up and utilising your own networks, starting already at the beginning of your studies. Do not hesitate to approach interesting employers even if they are not currently advertising vacancies. Follow them and interesting professionals in your field on social media and start getting connected. Applying to a mentoring programme is also a good way to build networks. 

7. A job in Finland as an international student? Investing in language skills: Learning Finnish will definitely pay off. Requirements of Finnish and sometimes also Swedish vary from one sector and job to another, but certainly skills in local languages will open more doors for you, both in job search, but also in work communities and in your free time, into the Finnish culture and society. Utilise for example the Language Personal Study Plan and the Finnish courses at the University.

8. A job in Finland as an international student? Checking your right to work: Already before you start your search, check the Finnish Immigration Service website to see what kinds of regulations apply to your right to work in Finland during and after your studies. As an international jobseeker, it is good for you to know also that Finnish employers have a special Work in Finland advice service to help in the processes and bureaucracy of hiring international professionals.

Be sure to reflect how your process and plan work for you. Ask for feedback and don’t be afraid to ask for help, if you get stuck. Sometimes looking for a job can seem to take for ever, even if you’re working hard and doing all the seemingly right things. Sometimes it takes some adjusting in our plan and activities, or it can just depend on eventually finding the sweet spot of where your competence and ambitions meet the needs of an employer.

Remember, job search is an on-going process: sometimes more active and at times less active. You can, for example, keep an open eye for interesting job opportunities all the time. And when opportunity knocks, you can be prepared.

The Job Seeking Guide published by Career Services offers tips for identifying your skills and goals, creating networks, drawing up documents for job seeking, and preparing for job interviews.

Find support for job seeking! Remember that, as a student and recent graduate (up to one year after graduation), you can turn to the university Career Services. Explore our services here. Also make good use of peer support. Why not put up a job search group with fellow jobseekers, go through Career Services’ materials together, and give each other support and feedback? Looking for jobs and crystallising career goals doesn’t have to be a lonely task. 

Being aware of your skills and strengths and being able to describe them is important at all stages of job search. When you know what you can do and what your strengths are, you will find it much easier to explore your options and look for interesting job opportunities.

You also need the ability to describe your skills and strengths to communicate them comprehensibly to others, for example, when writing your job application or talking about yourself in a job interview. This means for example utilising concrete expressions and giving examples of succeeding in certain previous duties and tasks – either from previous work experiences, studies or even hobbies. Being able to reflect on your skills and strengths, the way they’re developing and how you want to grow as an expert, is a crucial career skill. It’s a skill you can learn, and once you get the hang of it, you’ll have good use of it all through your life. 

The 'Tools for planning your career and future' section includes assignments that help you explore your skills and strengths and practise describing them. You can find the section here.

You can obtain information about various job opportunities and career options, for example, by reading alumni stories, conducting information interviews and reviewing information on graduate employment. You can also explore the LinkedIn profiles of University of Helsinki graduates using the alumni tool on LinkedIn. For information on the placement of UH graduates, see the page Graduate employment. Most importantly, you should consider the topics and issues with which you wish to work, as this is the best way to identify suitable job opportunities.  

The page Tools for planning your career and future provides tips and instructions that may be helpful when exploring interesting career opportunities. The page includes a section What kind of job opportunities do I have? where you can find, for example, instructions for using LinkedIn’s alumni tool and tips for conducting an information interview.

We recommend that you create professional networks on LinkedIn, Facebook and other social media during your studies to ensure people know about your skills and strengths. Social media profiles also help you project a professional image. You should always create your professional profile truthfully and keep it up to date.

Your profile is based on your skills, motivation, strengths and experiences, among other things. You should also Google yourself at regular intervals to see what material about you can be found online. Remember that it takes time to establish networks throughout your studies and professional life. Networks do not take care of themselves – you must maintain and expand them over time. 

You can also find a wide range of job ads on social media. You can search for them using hashtags such as #rekry, #duuni, #avointyöpaikka, #työpaikat, #jobs, #career, #jobhunt, #hiring, #recruitment and #jobopening.

LinkedIn 

Of all social media platforms, LinkedIn is used the most in job search. Your LinkedIn profile is a resource similar to your CV that you can use to highlight your personality, goals and experience. Networking in LinkedIn is easy. It is important to add a presentation to the About section of your profile, giving the reader a clear idea of your skills and interests. 

Through LinkedIn, you can contact and start to follow interesting people, employers and groups, including ones you have not met before. You can also keep yourself up to date on where professionals in your field have found employment and contact them through LinkedIn. Step by step you can also start contributing: taking part in discussions, sharing your thoughts, engaging your connections. Start networking today! 

Highlighting your skills and making contacts will help your job search, especially towards the end of your studies. At the beginning of your studies, you can start building your profile by describing what it is you study. You can also add your experience in organisations and volunteer work to your profile and include links to online content you have created.

X (formerly known as Twitter)

On X, you can follow employers, recruitment services, people in your field and news. You can also use X to invite people to visit your blog or watch your video CV. On X, just as on LinkedIn, you can also build your professional profile by contributing to discussions.

Blogs and SlideShare 

You can use blogs and SlideShare to highlight your expertise. Use X and other media to invite people to read your blog, and embed a SlideShare link to your LinkedIn profile, for instance. You should also include in your CV links to your social media profiles that provide recruiters with more information about you and your skills.

Facebook 

On Facebook, you can follow employers, recruitment companies and communities in your field, and participate in discussions. Although Facebook has not been considered the ideal place for job search, there are various professional Facebook groups in which job tips are shared. In addition, it is a lively platform for professional discussions and dialogue – and hence learning and networking.

When actively looking for a job, it may be a good idea to use several channels at the same time. The Available jobs and traineeships page lists job board websites you should follow. Also scan job ads on LinkedIn and set up job alerts using suitable search terms.  

And have you told your networks that you are looking for a job? The power of networks is certainly worth harnessing, for you may hear about jobs that would otherwise be difficult to find. There are a great many such ‘hidden’ jobs: not all open positions can be found on job boards or LinkedIn or via other social media channels.

You can start by compiling a list of interesting employers and looking for information on them from various channels. Remember that even if you do not find suitable job ads, you can always take the initiative and approach interesting employers with open job applications or by otherwise contacting them. Read more about open applications below.  

A curriculum vitae (CV) is your business card: it is often the first document recruiters read and creates a first impression of you as a candidate. If your CV fails to convince the reader, they may not even read your cover letter. So, make sure that your CV makes a positive first impression and clearly presents your skills, motivation and interests. Whether you are responding to a job ad or writing an open application, tailor your CV and cover letter to the prospective job. 

If you are submitting an open application, find out what requirements or needs the employer may have and what you should highlight in your CV and cover letter. You need not meet all the requirements. However, if you are missing some essential skills that you would like to have, consider how you can develop such skills. Perhaps you can register for a project or course in your free time to develop the relevant skills even before taking up the potential job, thus demonstrating your motivation to the employer.

Please note! An academic CV, or the curriculum vitae of a researcher, differs from the non-academic CV described below, for example, in that an academic CV must list all of the candidate’s academic merits, teaching experience and publications. For instructions on how to draw up an academic CV, please see the website of the Finnish Advisory Board on Research Integrity TENK.

Content and structure 

Your CV should include the following: 

• Date: This indicates to the reader that they are reading an up-to-date version of your CV. 
• Your contact details: Ensure that your required contact details are up to date and can be found easily in your CV. Your name, phone number and email address suffice, but you could also add a link to your LinkedIn profile. If your CV lacks room for everything you deem of interest to the recruiter, you can mention separately that further information can be found in your LinkedIn profile. You can also add a link to your website, blog, video CV or other online material that the reader may find interesting. You can add such links to the other sections of your CV as well: for example, your blog may serve as a work sample, or your Instagram profile may demonstrate your entrepreneurship.  
• Profile text: It is important that your CV begins with a concise summary of you and your skills, strengths and goals, and that this summary is relevant for the prospective job. If you are applying for, say, a teaching position, you can emphasise matters related to teaching, whereas your focus should be on other qualifications if applying for an administrative job. A well-written profile text provides key information about you in approximately four or five sentences, acting as a lens through which the reader can interpret the rest of your CV. Choose your words carefully! See the example structure for a profile text from the assignment Write an effective profile text (pdf).
• Education: List your degrees and education chronologically, mentioning your most recent degree first. If you have not yet finished your studies, mention your target degree (e.g., Bachelor of Science or Master of Arts). You can provide slightly more information about your studies or degree if you consider it crucial for the prospective job or wish to highlight a specific aspect of your studies. For example, mention some courses or study modules you have completed, describe the work and study methods you have used in your studies (such as project-based or group work) or refer to the topics of your theses or final projects. 
• Work experience: You can list your work experience chronologically (the most recent experience first) or by using descriptive headings (such as ‘Teaching experience’, ‘Relevant work experience’ or ‘Other work experience’). It is crucial to highlight the skills you have acquired through work. Simply listing duties is not enough. Read more about describing your skills here. We also recommend checking out the assignment Verbalise your skills with the STAR model (pdf), which will help you put your skills into words.
• Language skills: Language skills should be listed by skill level, for example: native language – excellent or very good – good – basic or satisfactory – elementary. Alternatively, you can use the European Framework of Reference for Languages (CEFR levels A1–C2). It may be useful to describe your oral and written skills separately. You should also mention elementary language skills or very limited language studies to indicate your willingness to learn new things. If you have used a language in a work setting, you can mention it in this section or in the description of the position in question. 
• IT skills, other skills: Reflect on the general and field-specific software and IT systems you have used in studies, hobbies or jobs, and consider which are worth mentioning when applying for a specific position. Here you can also mention other useful technical skills, such as those related to research methods, image processing or social media. 
• Elected positions, volunteer activities: Because what you do in your valuable free time says a lot about you, you should mention elected positions and volunteer activities in your CV. Clearly highlight the diverse skills you have developed in this area: What have you had the opportunity to do? What were your responsibilities? What skills and strengths did you develop? 
• Hobbies: You need not mention hobbies in your CV, but they may tell the reader something essential about you and your strengths. If you mention a hobby, also state what skills and strengths it has developed. 
• Referees: You should mention one to three referees and their contact details in your CV. For the sake of clarity, you should indicate your connection to each referee (e.g., a former supervisor or colleague, a friend from a student organisation, a teacher, or a thesis supervisor). Make sure in advance that the persons in question are willing to act as your referees, especially if it has been a while since you last asked them to do so. It is also good that your referees know you are looking for a job, as they are part of your network and may be able inform you about open positions. 
• Photo: In Finland, it is up to you to choose whether to include your photo in your CV. If you decide to do so, please ensure the photo is appropriate and fit for purpose. If applying for a job abroad, find out about relevant practices in the target country: adding a photo to a CV is not recommended in all countries.

Layout of the CV 

The recommended maximum length of a CV is two pages. You should not cram all content onto one page; you can continue on another page. However, make sure that the most relevant information (your contact details, profile text, education background and, possibly, at least part of your work experience) appears on the first page. 

It is important to present information chronologically in your CV: always list your most recent education, work experience or other experience first. You can also use headings to list content. For example, if your most recent work experience is not the most relevant for the prospective job, you can list your most important work experience first under a separate heading (e.g., ‘Relevant work experience’) and then list other work experience under another heading (e.g., ‘Other work experience’). It is important that the most relevant information for the prospective job is given first in your CV so the reader can find it easily. Clear headings make it easier to read your CV and find key information. You can edit and add your own headings, as necessary. 

Visual CVs are currently popular. Your CV need not look like a traditional black-and-white document. Do not hesitate to break up text into columns and use colours and other effects. You can find plenty of examples and free templates online. You can try creating a visual CV, for example, on the www.canva.com website.

However, what matters most is the content and readability of your CV, so make sure your skills are clearly presented. Visual elements, such as unsuitable font size or colour, must not make your CV difficult to read. Also check the text for typos. Always save and send your CV in PDF format, naming the file, for example, as follows: ‘CV First name Last name’. 

Many experiences, achievements and feedback are quickly forgotten whether they are important or trivial. To help you remember them, you can create a ‘meta-CV’ in which you compile such information and descriptions related to your studies or later life. A meta-CV is an informal information resource that can be of significant benefit when you write and tailor your CV for a particular purpose. Please note that a meta-CV is intended for you alone, and has no restrictions on format or size, unlike a CV sent to a potential employer. See the assignment Create a meta-CV and document your journey on becoming an expert (pdf) for more information.

Cover letters are also known as application or motivation letters. Their main purposes are to highlight your motivation, skills and strengths, and demonstrate your suitability for the position. A cover letter can include examples of your skills and concrete examples of how you have enhanced them. Your cover letter should give an overview of you, whereas your CV provides detailed information on your education and work experience.  

Using the three-part structure presented below may help you write a cover letter. The maximum length of a cover letter is one page.  

First part of the cover letter: Why? 

Carefully consider how to begin your cover letter – you want to catch the reader’s attention with the opening sentence. You can use your imagination and creativity. The letter need not (and perhaps should not) begin with a sentence such as: “I am a 23-year-old geography student.” 

A good cover letter immediately gives the reader a clear idea of why you are interested in the position. Often, the first question in the reader’s mind is ‘why’: “Why are you applying for this job? Why are you interested in this position? Why would you like to work for our organisation?” Consequently, it is important that you tailor your application for each position to highlight your motivation and interest in the specific post. 

Find out what the organisation considers important and try to link it to your profile throughout your cover letter. Good sources of background information include the organisation’s value and mission statements and strategic plan, which can often be found online. You can also find information on current, important issues on the organisation’s social media channels.  

Second part of the cover letter: What? 

When you have described your motivation and interests, it is time to convince the reader with your skills and strengths. Another question the reader ponders is ‘what’: “What skills do you have? What will you bring to our work community if you are appointed? What have you done during your career?” Consider which skills and strengths are the most important for the prospective job. Read the job ad carefully because it usually sets out the most important requirements.

If you apply for a job with an open application, use various means and channels to find out what skills are key for the prospective job. For example, you can search for similar job ads from other organisations, look for the LinkedIn profiles of people in equivalent positions, or interview those working in similar roles. 

Highlight your skills with concrete and concise examples: you can mention studies, duties, projects, volunteer work or elected positions that have enhanced your skills. However, concentrate on the skills most relevant for the position and keep your cover letter concise and fairly brief. Explain how your skills and strengths will benefit the employer, what needs you can meet with your skills, and how you can apply your skills in your future duties.

Third part of the cover letter: Who? 

You can bring out your own personality especially at the end of the cover letter, for the reader is also wondering: “Who are you?” You can answer this question by describing your work methods, strengths and, for example, how you work on your own and with others. You can also refer to feedback you have received.  

At the end of your cover letter, propose the next step: state that you are interested in meeting and discussing matters further. Also remember to add your contact details.

Layout of the cover letter 

You can use the same visual layout for your cover letter and your CV. Your cover letter must clearly indicate your contact details, the date, the name of the recipient organisation and the position applied for. You can also mention the name of the individual recipient, if you know it. 

For more tips on writing a cover letter, please see our Job Seeking Guide.

Ask for feedback on your cover letter and CV 

Before sending your cover letter and CV, you should ask someone, such as a friend, fellow student or family member, to read the documents; another pair of eyes is always useful to spot typos, errors or omissions. You can also request feedback from the Career Services’ drop-in support for job search.  

Questions to the feedback provider: 

• What first impression do my cover letter and CV make? 
• Do they convey my motivation clearly? 
• Do they convey my skills clearly? 
• What are the most important skills highlighted in my cover letter and CV? 
• How does the text reflect my personality?

You can stand out from other candidates by creating a video CV. This way the recruiter can see your personality and listen to you talk about yourself in your own words. However, in addition to a video CV, you should also send a traditional CV and cover letter. Alternatively, you can add a link to your video CV under your contact details in your traditional CV and cover letter. 

Before recording your video CV, plan what you wish to say and focus on what matters. Keep the video short, preferably no longer than about one minute. The structure of a video CV can comply with the structure of an ‘elevator pitch’. 

• Introduce yourself: your name and ‘title’ (e.g., ‘a well-rounded future X professional’ or ‘an Nth year student of X at the University of Helsinki’) 
• Describe your goals 
• My core skills are... (1 or 2 sentences) 
• I can also/My other skills/My interests (1 or 2 sentences) 
• I have X years of experience in A and B 
• My strengths include (1 or 2 sentences) 
• I have received positive feedback on X (1 or 2 sentences) 
• End politely and ask to be contacted. In the editing stage, you can add your contact details at the end of the video. 

Pay attention to the following: 

• Lighting: Can you be seen clearly? Sit facing a light source and keep the light bright but not glaring.
• Camera angle: Make sure you are looking into the camera at an appropriate level. The best camera angle is usually at eye level.
• Framing: Is the framing appropriate (not too close, not too wide)? What do you want the viewer to see in the background? Is the background clean and tidy?
• Sound: Test sound quality and, if necessary, use the microphone on your headphones.
• Eye contact and body language: Try to keep looking at the camera at all times. Do not read from notes. Remember to smile!

An invitation to a job interview means you have been shortlisted as a potential candidate. An interview is a valuable opportunity for the recruiter to learn more about your skills and motivation and assess your suitability for the work community and role. It is also a good opportunity for you to obtain more information on the position and organisation and ask questions.  

Prepare for the interview carefully. Find out as much as you can about the employer and the job, and re-read the job ad, if any. You can find information about the employer from its website and social media channels, such as LinkedIn. Do a Google search to find out what the organisation has published and how it has been discussed in public most recently.  

If you are invited to an interview, you should ask who will interview you and what kind of interview it will be. It is easier to prepare for an interview when you know what to expect. Sometimes, there may be more than one interviewer, or you may be interviewed together with other candidates. A job interview may also include various problem-solving tasks, a work sample or assignments connected to an aptitude test. Prepare for unexpected situations, such as being interviewed in different languages, depending on how you have described your language skills in your CV.

Tips for preparing for an interview:

• Prepare to introduce yourself briefly, or to give an ‘elevator pitch’ (see the section ‘Video CV’).

• Prepare to answer the most common interview questions.

• Be on time! Check travel timetables and routes in advance. For remote interviews, make sure you have access to a quiet space and that your devices and connections work. Also make sure you have the interviewer’s phone number so that the interview can continue if you have network connectivity issues. 

• Prepare to describe your salary expectations. To help you do so, find out more about the collective agreement applying to the organisation or see the salary comparison pages on the Duunitori (duunitori.fi/palkat), Palkkadata (palkkadata.fi) or Oikotie (oikotie.fi/palkkavertailu) websites. Trade unions in Finland collect extensive data on their members’ salaries and compensation. If you are a member of a trade union, you can contact your union for advice on pay and remuneration, and for salary negotiations. Most unions also give out annual recommendations for summer job, trainee and internship salaries, and recommendations for recently graduated students. This information is open for anyone to use. You can find your relevant trade union at Affiliates - Akava. 

• Make sure your CV, cover letter, transcript of studies, degree certificate and employment certificates are readily available if you are asked to present them during or after the interview. 

• Dress appropriately for the job interview. You can visit the employer’s website or social media channels for references to the organisation’s dress code. 

• Prepare to ask questions during or at the end of the interview. Consider in advance what you would like to know about the organisational culture, your future colleagues, orientation and induction, and a typical day in the position in question.  

• After the interview, it is polite to send a message to the interviewer, thanking them for the meeting. If the interview increased your interest in the prospective job, mention this too. In addition, you can ask questions to clarify any points you are unsure about. 

• Do not hesitate to ask for feedback after the interview. Particularly if you are not selected for the position, you should ask the interviewer for feedback on your performance during the interview and for information on what the employer emphasised in selecting the appointee. Feedback can help you in your future job interviews.

You should always conclude a written employment contract, even if it is for a summer job or another short fixed-term job, and request a copy of the contract. A written contract ensures that both parties understand what is expected from each of them. If problems arise, a written contract makes it easy to prove what the parties have agreed on.  

You can find more information about employment contracts on the website of the Occupational Safety and Health Administration in Finland. 

The Finnish-language guide ‘Valppaana työelämässä’, published by Akava, the Confederation of Unions for Professional and Managerial Staff in Finland, also explains what you should and must take into account when signing an employment contract.