FAMILIA
  • Etusivu
  • Home
  • TOIMINTAA JA TUKEA
    • Vertaisryhmät
    • Vanhempainvalmennus
    • Neuvonta ja tuki
    • Tapahtumat
    • Vapaaehtoistoiminta
    • Kokemusasiantuntijat
    • Kerhot ja työpajat
    • Tuetut lomat ja leirit
    • Belingual -kielikerhot >
      • Kielikerhot
    • Munduo - kahden kulttuurin nuorille
  • ACTIVITIES AND SUPPORT
    • Peer Groups
    • Duo Family Training
    • Advice and support
    • Events
    • Volunteering
    • Experts by Experience
    • Clubs and workshops
    • Subsidised vacations and camps
    • Belingual Language Clubs >
      • Clubs
    • Munduo - For Intercultural Youth
  • TIETOA
    • Tietoa kahden kulttuurin perheistä >
      • Kahden kulttuurin perheet Suomessa
    • Uutiskirjeet
    • Blogi
    • Vaikuttamistyö >
      • Kuntavaaliteesit 2025
      • Aluevaaliteesit 2025
      • Alue-ja kuntavaalit 2025
      • Perhevapaat kahden kulttuurin perheissä
      • Oman äidinkielen opetus
      • Antirasistinen vaikuttamistyö
      • Mitä kaksikielisyys merkitsee sinulle
      • Hallitusohjelmatavoitteet 2023-2027
      • Kuntapoliittiset tavoitteet 2021–2025
    • Suomi+ podcast
    • Nettikurssit ja oppaat >
      • Kuinka puhua rasismista ja syrjinnästä -opas
    • Kokonainen minä lastenkirja
    • Ammattilaisille
    • Rinnallasi-materiaalipankki
    • Puolison polku - työllistyminen, kotoutuminen ja hyvinvointi
    • Menneet hankkeet
  • INFORMATION
    • Intercultural families in Finland
    • Newsletter
    • Blog >
      • Familia: 35 years
    • Advocacy >
      • Municipal elections 2025 objectives
      • County elections 2025 objectives
      • Local Elections 2025
      • Family leave in intercultural families
      • Mother tongue instruction
      • Anti-racism Advocacy
      • Government program objectives
      • Municipal politics objectives 2021-2025
    • Suomi+ podcast
    • Online courses and guides >
      • Tools for Speaking about Racism and Discrimination Guide
    • Kokonainen minä children's book
    • Professionals
    • Past Projects
  • SUOMEN KIELI
  • FINNISH LANGUAGE
  • JOIN US
    • Become a member
    • Open Positions
    • Internship & Work Try-Out
  • FAMILIA
    • Contact information
    • Privacy notice
    • Accessibility statement
  • TULE MUKAAN
    • Liity jäseneksi
    • Avoimet työpaikat
    • Tule harjoitteluun & työkokeiluun
  • FAMILIA
    • Yhteystiedot
    • Rekisteriseloste
    • Saavutettavuusseloste

Blog

Starting a new career as an immigrant in an intercultural family

28/4/2023

0 Comments

 
International Workers' Day is meant to celebrate the fellowship between all workers, in Finland and worldwide. For this day, I would like to share my recent personal experience with attempting to change my career. I hope that my experience, and the tools I used to go through it, will strengthen and empower fellow workers, particularly from intercultural families, who struggle with their own work situations.

​Throughout my life, I always wanted to be an academic researcher. Already when I finished elementary school, at the age of 12, I asked to write in the yearbook that my dream is to research history and foreign cultures. As soon as I could, I started my academic studies, first in Israel, then a Master’s in Helsinki and a PhD in Turku.
My main reason to move to Finland, and definitely later to Turku, was to progress my aspiration of becoming an academic researcher. But life sometimes has its own plans, and on my first day at Åbo Akademi University I met a fellow PhD student who, a year and a half after, became my wife. Less than 2 years after that, still during my PhD studies, we got our Finnish-Israeli son, and became a happy (albeit occasionally tired) intercultural family.

This was a fantastic process, but there was only one problem with it: during it, I understood that I don't want to be an academic researcher anymore, at least not for the time being. There many reasons to it, some related to me, some related to the university, and some related even to Finland as a whole. But regardless of the reason, it does not change the outcome, that I need to change the professional direction at which I aimed for a long time.

As most people know, changing a career is not easy. Even more so, it is pretty difficult to change a career when you are an immigrant, with limited knowledge of the local language, society, and labor market. Ultimately, it sounds almost like a mission impossible when you try to do it in my condition: a rather recently wedded, to a person from a completely different culture, less than a year after your first son was born, when you anyway have insufficient support as your own family is in a different country.
But I believe that there are ways to make it work. Although I’m still at the beginning of the process of changing my career, I have already learned some lessons which I would like to share. I believe that these lessons are valid for many people, and in many life situations, but obviously and specifically for immigrants trying to change their careers in Finland.
​
The first lesson, maybe obvious, almost a cliché but still very true, is the need for patience. A lot of patience with yourself and your environment is required when figuring out whether you need a career change, what new professional direction suits your wishes and strengths, and obviously in promoting these changes by leaving the old job and looking for a new one. On the practical and emotional levels, all the above-mentioned necessitate slow, painstaking work, compassion, and resilience.
​Patience and empathy are required not only from you, but also from those closest to you, particularly your partner if you have one. And from personal experience, if your partner is from a different culture than yours, additional effort is needed in communicating your professional change, to make your partner a real, supportive partner of the process. Discussing with a partner from a different culture about any topic, including professional development, demands extra attention to formulations, for clarification of your and your partner's cultural norms, and even just for bridging knowledge gaps regarding the local labor market and the specific profession. Particularly, if your partner is local, they might know local resources that can be of help to you, beyond the limits of the specific professional domain. 
Picture
As most people know, changing a career is not easy. Even more so, it is pretty difficult to change a career when you are an immigrant, with limited knowledge of the local language, society, and labor market.
This leads to the last lesson, which is the need to seek help. Assistance for an immigrant in Finland looking to change a career can be found from various sources regarding different aspects, and one should absolutely not be shy about using them. For example, consultation about the practicalities of a career change and applying for jobs in the new profession can be found in your local Employment and Economic Development Office (TE Office), in your profession's trade union, as well as in different organizations.
We in Familia also have our "Duo Job hunting group". We also occasionally offer work try-outs, meant for people who for example aim to change their career and look for a meaningful work experience in the field in Finland. For example, these days we are looking for an office secretary for a work try-out.

If, like me, you are looking for a job while having a small child at home, you can also seek assistance in child care. Such help is offered sometimes by your municipality in Finland, and organizations like The Mannerheim League for Child Welfare (MLL). Also, even if as an immigrant you don't have a lot of family or friends in Finland, be bold in asking for help from those you have, they would love to help more often than not.
​
Lastly, seek mental support, always and especially during big life and career changes. Even if you are a bit low on finances due to unemployment, there are usually free or affordable mental services offered by your municipality, organizations, or KELA psychotherapy for professional rehabilitation if needed. Receiving these, however, might take a bit of time so again, patience and resilience are needed. But you can do it, and I can do it, change our career and do something we enjoy! Trust the process!

Ran Blumgrund

0 Comments



Leave a Reply.

    blogi - blog

    ​Ajatuksia ja kokemuksia elämästä kahden kulttuurin keskellä.

    Reflections and experiences from the life of intercultural families.

    kategoriat

    All
    2018
    2019
    2020
    2021
    2022
    2023
    2024
    Antirasismi
    Avioliitto
    Belingual
    English
    Isovanhemmuus
    Kahden Kulttuurin Lapsi
    Kahden Kulttuurin Liitot
    Kahden Kulttuurin Suomalaiset
    Kaksikielisyys
    Kotoutuminen
    Kulttuuri Ja Tavat
    Maahanmuutto
    Mielenterveys
    Parisuhde
    Poliittinen
    Representaatio
    Ristiriidat
    Sukulaiset
    Työllistyminen
    Vanhemmuus
    Vapaaehtoisuus

    osallistu

    Toivotamme sinut lämpimästi tervetulleeksi osallistumaan blogiyhteisöömme: lue, kommentoi ja kirjoita!

    Kirjoittajina voivat toimia kaikki kahden kulttuurin arkea elävät ja aiheesta kiinnostuneet. Kynnystä kirjoittamiselle ei tule nostaa liian korkealle ja kirjoittaa voi joko omalla nimellä tai nimimerkillä. ​

    Blogissa esitetyt näkökannat ja mielipiteet ovat kirjoittajien omia, eivätkä edusta Familian kantaa.

    ​Kahden kulttuurin arki on itsessään kiinnostavaa ja siitä kirjoittaminen voi avata myös itselle uusia näkökulmia!

    ​Blogikirjoituksia voi tarjota sähköpostitse (info@ familiary.fi)  tai yhteydenottolomakkeen kautta. Lopullisen valinnan julkaistavista jutuista tekee Familian henkilökunta. 
    ​Tervetuloa mukaan!

    participate!

    We warmly welcome you to participate in our blog community: read, comment, and write!

    Anyone who lives and works in the world of intercultural families and is interested in the topic is welcome to contribute. The threshold for writing should not be too high, and you can write either under your own name or under a pseudonym. 


    Keep in mind that the views and opinions expressed in the blog are those of the authors and do not represent the position of Familia.

    The everyday life of intercultural families is interesting and writing about it can also open new perspectives for you! Your story matters and helps to raise awareness about the opportunities and challenges within intercultural families.

    Blog contributions can be submitted by e-mail (info@ familiary.fi) or via our contact form. Final selection and edition of the stories to be published will be conducted by our staff. 
    Welcome to join us!

    RSS Feed

Toimisto / OFFICE 

Haapaniemenkatu 7-9 B,
​10. kerros / 10th floor
​00530 Helsinki
Suomi-Finland

Puhelin / PHONE

+358 44 773 8628 
​
(Ma-Pe 9.00-15.00 | Mon-Fri 9 a.m. to 3 p.m.)

aukioloajat / Opening times

Toimistomme ovat avoinna vierailijoille. Suosittelemme kuitenkin ystävällisesti soittamaan etukäteen ja sopimaan henkilökohtaisen tapaamisen.

Our offices are open to visitors. We kindly suggest calling in advance to book an appointment and meet us in person. ​

VAT-numero / VAT-Number

​1056329-6

Familia ry logo
Familia on johtava kahden kulttuurin perheiden asiantuntija ja edunvalvoja 
​Familia is the leading expert and advocate of intercultural families
Picture
© Familia 2024
  • Etusivu
  • Home
  • TOIMINTAA JA TUKEA
    • Vertaisryhmät
    • Vanhempainvalmennus
    • Neuvonta ja tuki
    • Tapahtumat
    • Vapaaehtoistoiminta
    • Kokemusasiantuntijat
    • Kerhot ja työpajat
    • Tuetut lomat ja leirit
    • Belingual -kielikerhot >
      • Kielikerhot
    • Munduo - kahden kulttuurin nuorille
  • ACTIVITIES AND SUPPORT
    • Peer Groups
    • Duo Family Training
    • Advice and support
    • Events
    • Volunteering
    • Experts by Experience
    • Clubs and workshops
    • Subsidised vacations and camps
    • Belingual Language Clubs >
      • Clubs
    • Munduo - For Intercultural Youth
  • TIETOA
    • Tietoa kahden kulttuurin perheistä >
      • Kahden kulttuurin perheet Suomessa
    • Uutiskirjeet
    • Blogi
    • Vaikuttamistyö >
      • Kuntavaaliteesit 2025
      • Aluevaaliteesit 2025
      • Alue-ja kuntavaalit 2025
      • Perhevapaat kahden kulttuurin perheissä
      • Oman äidinkielen opetus
      • Antirasistinen vaikuttamistyö
      • Mitä kaksikielisyys merkitsee sinulle
      • Hallitusohjelmatavoitteet 2023-2027
      • Kuntapoliittiset tavoitteet 2021–2025
    • Suomi+ podcast
    • Nettikurssit ja oppaat >
      • Kuinka puhua rasismista ja syrjinnästä -opas
    • Kokonainen minä lastenkirja
    • Ammattilaisille
    • Rinnallasi-materiaalipankki
    • Puolison polku - työllistyminen, kotoutuminen ja hyvinvointi
    • Menneet hankkeet
  • INFORMATION
    • Intercultural families in Finland
    • Newsletter
    • Blog >
      • Familia: 35 years
    • Advocacy >
      • Municipal elections 2025 objectives
      • County elections 2025 objectives
      • Local Elections 2025
      • Family leave in intercultural families
      • Mother tongue instruction
      • Anti-racism Advocacy
      • Government program objectives
      • Municipal politics objectives 2021-2025
    • Suomi+ podcast
    • Online courses and guides >
      • Tools for Speaking about Racism and Discrimination Guide
    • Kokonainen minä children's book
    • Professionals
    • Past Projects
  • SUOMEN KIELI
  • FINNISH LANGUAGE
  • JOIN US
    • Become a member
    • Open Positions
    • Internship & Work Try-Out
  • FAMILIA
    • Contact information
    • Privacy notice
    • Accessibility statement
  • TULE MUKAAN
    • Liity jäseneksi
    • Avoimet työpaikat
    • Tule harjoitteluun & työkokeiluun
  • FAMILIA
    • Yhteystiedot
    • Rekisteriseloste
    • Saavutettavuusseloste