Hanken JobShadow gives international students an inside look at Finnish working life

Ayesha Ahmed is originally from Pakistan and is now studying for a master’s degree in marketing and management at Hanken in Vaasa. Even though she is already working as an intern at the City of Vaasa, she was glad to gain additional insight into how a private company operates.

“It was truly an insightful day at Wärtsilä! It was a perfect sneak peek into how one of the biggest employers in Vaasa and Finland operates and what the culture is like”, Ahmed says.

During the day she met with teams working with, for example, quality, data analytics, communications and branding. Ahmed says the day opened her mind to new career possibilities, showing her that she doesn’t need to limit herself to marketing roles at a company like Wärtsilä. 

“The day helped me understand what skills I want to build and inspired me to choose courses in data analytics and business intelligence at Hanken.”

Ahmed would definitely recommend that other students take part in the job shadowing as well.

“Yes, 100%. As an international student it is important to grab every opportunity for exposure. Taking part in initiatives like this shows employers that you’re curious and motivated to learn.”

Encouraging other companies to join

Ahmed says that the main reason the day was such a success was her host, Silas Mwangi, a quality engineer at Wärtsilä and a Hanken alum.

“Silas put in so much effort and planned the day really well. He contacted me beforehand, asked what I expected, and what departments or roles interested me. That call was a great icebreaker.”

Mwangi, who was involved in job shadowing for the first time, says that the day exceeded his expectations.

“I got to interact with so many colleagues who I don’t normally work with. I also witnessed the positivity, curiosity and drive of Ayesha, which was very refreshing, and made me appreciate small things I often overlook since I have been in the company for a while. One example is how multicultural our company is.”

Mwangi encourages other companies to join the Hanken JobShadow programme.

“The reason is simple: for students, it offers a glimpse into potential future employers and unique networking opportunities. For companies, it’s a low barrier way to connect with future talent.”

Learning about Nordic governance

Luozhi Chen, originally from China, is studying intellectual property and business law at Hanken in Helsinki. He spent his job shadowing day at Rights & Brands, a global agency promoting art, literature and design brands. Because of confidentiality Chen couldn’t engage with clients directly, but he was able to learn what a licensing company does and how they operate. 

“It was huge for me because I had never had contact with this kind of agency work. I thought it would be like an in house legal department, but it was quite different. I learned that their work is more about value creation. Contracts and legal matters are just instruments. They care a lot about sustainability in the digital world and about partnerships between clients.”

Chen was pleased to receive practical strategic advice throughout the day. 

“One thing was their marketing philosophy: ‘under promise but over deliver’. It was surprising, but it makes sense and builds trust. To me, it goes beyond a professional marketing strategy, but something I try to apply consistently in work, jobseeking, and everyday life.”

Chen, who has a bachelor’s degree in healthcare, didn’t have previous hands on experience with Finnish companies.

“This was a perfect chance to see how Nordic governance works. And of course, the brands like Moomin, which Rights & Brands represents, made me even more interested. I hope we can have more opportunities and events like this. The people at Hanken Career Services are very supportive and help us build stronger connections.”

Gaining new perspectives

Chen also says that one of the highlights of the day was his host, Tuomas Sorjamaa, literary agent and a Hanken alum.

“Tuomas offered me valuable career advice and shared his career path, which showed me some of the possibilities I could pursue in the future.”

Sorjamaa says that the reason Rights & Brands chose to participate in the job shadowing was to give students a view of the Finnish working environment.

“At our workplace, we have people from a wide range of backgrounds, both in terms of country of origin and education. I felt it would be valuable for students to gain a broad understanding of the employment opportunities available in Finland. A large share of jobs are hidden opportunities that never appear in open recruitment.”

According to Sorjamaa, the best thing about the day was gaining a new perspective.

“Students always have questions that might not otherwise come up. Their questions also give a sense of what topics today’s young people are interested in or concerned about — both within the field itself and in their studies and life more generally.”

In the pilot project, which 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 in the autumn. Read more about Hanken JobShadow.

Text: Jessica Gustafsson
Photo: Private and Jessica Gustafsson