Hanken JobShadow gives international students a first hand experience of Finnish working life

Ali is originally from Pakistan and Do from Vietnam, and both took part in the job shadowing toward the end of their studies.

Ali, who graduated this spring with marketing as her major, spent the day at the technology driven marketing agency Accenture Song, a division of the broader parent company Accenture.

“I spent my time with three teams: marketing, service, and the creative team. I learned about their campaigns, workshop planning, and creative processes. It was exciting to see that one of the campaigns I had followed was created by the person I shadowed."

Ali says that the job shadowing is a great way to gain insight into how companies operate in Finland. 

“As an international student, it's difficult to know what employers expect. I also wanted to understand differences in work culture compared to Pakistan. The job shadowing helps connect studies with real-world practice, and I think students should do it already in their first year."

The experience gave Ali valuable new insights into her future plans. 

“I became more open to working in marketing agencies, not just in-house, and I’m also open to research after seeing how important it is in the field.”

Meeting future talents

Anna Wallgren, a management consultant at Accenture and host of the job shadowing day, says the experience was very positive.

“Isra was engaged, active, and asked many good questions throughout the day. We also had several interesting discussions about AI, and the role technology plays in today’s working life.”

According to Wallgren, job shadowing is a very concrete and valuable way to bridge the gap between studies and working life. 

“For us, it’s also a way to meet future talent. It’s rewarding to have someone from the outside follow your work, as it makes you reflect more on what you actually do and why. Students often bring new and fresh perspectives.” 

Wallgren would warmly recommend that other companies take part in this initiative.

“It’s relatively easy to organise, and at the same time it gives a lot back. It’s a win win for both sides.”

From theory to practice

Timo Thang Do spent the job shadowing day at Valmet, a global technology company serving process industries. Do, who has studied supply chain management at Hanken, describes the day as a valuable opportunity. 

“During the day I had interesting discussions with professionals about their career paths, motivations, and roles in for example supply chains and business analytics. I was particularly interested in learning how Valmet integrates sustainability, innovation, AI, and digitalisation into its operations and company culture.”

Do says that the best part of the day was seeing how real business differs from academic theory. 

“I realised which areas I need to develop further, such as enterprise resource planning.”

The day further motivated Do to aim for a career in supply chain and business analytics within a global company. He says that the visit was highly inspiring for him as an international student aspiring to build a professional career in Finland. 

“I would highly recommend this initiative to other students who want to gain industry insights, expand their network, and better understand employer expectations.”

Fresh ideas and critical thinking

At Valmet, Emilia Winqvist, program specialist in talent and development, and Fahad Islam, manager of people analytics, hosted the day.

“We chose to take part in the initiative because Valmet is a global company with a strong presence in Finland, and we recognise the importance of attracting international talent to the Finnish labour market as well,” says Winqvist.

She notes that the students brought excellent questions, ideas and reflections.

“It was a unique opportunity to spend a day with them and hear more about their experiences and what they look for in future employers.”

Fahad Islam agrees, adding that the best part of the day was the chance to reflect on and validate his own ideas from a new perspective.

“It was refreshing to engage with the students as they bring fresh ideas and critical thinking shaped by their academic backgrounds and disciplines.” 

Both Winqvist and Islam would warmly recommend that other companies take part in the job shadowing initiative. 

“It creates value for students by helping them connect with real-world industry practices, while also giving companies an opportunity to gain insights into the emerging ideas and development plans of future experts who may go on to fill critical roles”, says Islam.

The pilot project has received support from the Swedish Cultural Foundation in Finland. A total of eleven Hanken students took part during the spring, and the project will continue this autumn. Learn more about the Hanken JobShadow programme and register your interest here if your organisation would like to participate as a host organisation: Hanken JobShadow.

Text: Jessica Gustafsson
Photo: Gustaf Hafström