Finland is a country with just a bit more than 5,5 million inhabitants. We usually think of hockey when Finland is mentioned. However, this country has much more things to offer. Why should you consider "Suomi" when looking for work abroad? In today's post, we summarized several reasons:
1. FINLAND IS THE HAPPIEST COUNTRY IN THE WORLD
In 2022, for the fifth time in a row, Finland became the happiest country of the 156 countries considered. Among others, Finland leads in such indexes as - gross domestic product, life expectancy, social support, and the almost complete absence of corruption.
Finland's previous achievements in international rankings also show that this award is not accidental. "Suomi" has also ranked as one of the countries with the highest quality of life and one of the most peaceful states.
2. ... AND THE SAFEST
As locals say, Finland is one of a few countries where if you lose your wallet or mobile phone, there is a good chance that you will get it back. This was confirmed by an experiment in which 11 out of 12 intentionally lost wallets in Helsinki were returned to their original owner.
In this Nordic country, people simply do not worry about walking alone in the city or parks at night or using public transport regardless of the daytime/ nighttime hours.
Security in Finland is also at a very high level. According to the 2019 Travel Risk Map (the map evaluates countries according to the amount of health risk, general safety, and road safety), Finland shows the lowest overall level of threat. Finland also has one of the lowest levels of organized crime. Within Europe, Finland also reports the highest level of confidence in police forces.
3. NATURE, NATURE, NATURE...
Finland is undoubtedly associated with beautiful and untouched nature in many places. It is not surprising, that this country is sometimes called the land of thousands of lakes. In fact, however, it could well be called a country of thousands of hectares of trees: it has the largest number of forests per m² of all European countries. More than 70% of Finland's territory is occupied by forests, birch trees, and oaks, as well as mushrooms and berries (even those not found elsewhere). The forested area in Finland is larger than the total area of Italy or the United Kingdom.
As for the lakes, Finland boasts over 188 thousand lakes. Of all the countries in the world, Finland has the most water in relation to the land area. It has also one of the cleanest waters. The lakes are also home to thousands of fish. Finns love fishing, so no wonder fishing is one of the most popular leisure activities.
With rich natural resources comes very clean air, which is in today’s increasingly polluted world a true rarity.
4. AURORA BOREALIS
Finland is one of the few countries that offer the opportunity to observe one of the most beautiful atmospheric phenomena: the Aurora Borealis. The northern part of Finland near the Arctic Circle offers a unique opportunity to see this heavenly theater. However, aurora can also be seen from the south, including the capital Helsinki.
5. RELAX IN SAUNA
Going to the sauna is something unique in the Finnish culture - there is no other nation that would love the sauna as much as the Finns. There are approximately 3 million saunas for the entire Finnish population (5.5 million people). This traditional way of relaxation is accessible not only to locals - in almost every Finnish city public saunas can be found. In addition, if you combine a sauna visit with a visit to a classic Finnish cabin by a lake, authentic relaxation is guaranteed.
6. LONG SKI SEASON
The ski season in Finland can last up to half a year, from the end of October to May. Downhill skiing is not hampered by short days: the slopes are lit. If you prefer cross-country skiing, especially Lapland (north of Finland) offers hundreds of kilometers of quality cross-country trails.
7. WORKING CONDITIONS
Finland has very favorable working conditions. Indeed, this Nordic country ranks among the top in Europe in terms of working conditions for employees. The concept of 'work-life balance' is extremely strong in Finland, regardless of industry or job position. In short, Finnish employers value and respect their employee's leisure time and treat it with the same importance as working time.
Equality and willingness to help colleagues are important values for Finns. Compared to other countries, occupational safety, informal work relationships, and high employee independence are a priority in the Finnish work culture. In other words, superiors respect their subordinates as independent individuals and allow them to express their views, participate in decision-making or bring ideas to improve the business.
8. WAGES
Finland, unlike other countries, has not introduced the concept of a minimum wage. Instead, the remuneration is determined on the basis of a collective agreement. In practice, this means that financial remuneration in specific sectors should be somewhat higher than in countries that have minimum wage rooted in their law.
Moreover, the basic salary level is topped with bonuses. Their amount depends on the specific position and the particular industry.
Finland has many amazing things to offer both to locals and foreigners. If you're thinking about moving to Finland, feel free to send us your CV! Barona employees will be happy to assist you with the job search and help you change your life 😊.
Sources:
https://www.visitfinland.com/article/greatest-things-about-finland/
https://www.edunation.co/studyinfinland/blog/5-reasons-love-finland-finnish-work-culture/
https://www.telegraph.co.uk/travel/destinations/europe/finland/articles/reasons-to-visit-finland/
