Heikki Korpela (2026), a researcher at the VATT Institute for Economic Research, noted that recent media coverage of the unemployment situation may convey an overly negative picture of the employment outcomes of higher education graduates. When employment is examined from the perspective of earnings, 85.4% of graduates from universities of applied sciences earned more than €1,430 within six months of graduation. Although employment has declined from its peak in 2022 (90.8%), the employment level of graduates from universities of applied sciences can still be considered high according to this indicator (Korpela 2026; Lindholm & Särkkä 2026).
The number of international students in Finland has increased significantly in recent years. It is known that two-thirds of them would like to remain in Finland to work after completing their studies, yet slightly more than half ultimately become employed. However, employment outcomes have improved: in 2018, 42% of graduates were employed in Finland three years after completing their degree, compared to 53% in 2023. The increase in employment, combined with the growth in the number of international students, means that a rising number of international graduates are successfully entering the Finnish labor market (Ministry of Education and Culture and Ministry of Economic Affairs and Employment 2025; Opetushallitus 2025).
Employers’ expectations and reality
Despite this development, international students continue to face several challenges in securing employment. One of the key challenges is that employers already expect field-specific work experience even for entry-level position (Adhikari et al. 2025). In Finland as well, 68% of employers report difficulties in finding skilled labor, even as the number of international students seeking employment in the country continues to increase (ManpowerGroup Finland 2025.) International graduates with degrees from a Finnish higher education institution face difficulties for many reasons, including poor networking, limited Finnish-language proficiency, limited local experience, and limited recognition of their credentials.
The Ministry of Education and Culture and the Ministry of Economic Affairs and Employment have recognized this issue and have sought solutions. Roundtable discussion included representatives of companies, cities, higher education institutions, students, authorities and people who have moved to Finland. Among the proposed solutions were, more tailored language training and the development of broader and new meeting platforms to facilitate connections between international students and SMEs/startups. (Ministry of Education and Culture and Ministry of Economic Affairs and Employment 2025).
Volunteer roles, summer jobs and universities
International students can start volunteering with organizations such as small NGOs and cultural associations, which need help managing their finances and other administrative tasks. From this, international students can gain two things: a Finnish organization’s name on their CV and a Finnish contact who can recommend their work ethic. The skill gap that can be filled in the first job is not only about the technical knowledge, but also cultural understanding, such as teamwork, communication, and workplace norms. Through volunteer roles able to gather this kind of experiential learning.
First Finnish job does not need to be in a field relevant to the degree, such as accounting, finance, or auditing. It just needs to be in Finland.
At present, international students and Finnish-speaking students are studying too much in separate courses, thereby limiting opportunities for mutual interaction and acquaintance. From the perspective of language and cultural learning, expanding collaboration through joint projects could be highly valuable. Another option is providing direct company-based projects in courses, where students can work with a company during the course. The course assignment could also be commissioned by a sports club, a municipal actor, a large public event, or a non-profit organization.
Universities can also provide digital verification badges for skills, since recruiters find it hard to verify the international student’s previous experience in another country.
Career pathways in finance and financial management
Kumari (2026) indicates that international students with experience in Big 4 firms and European recognizable companies were able to find their first job even with a basic level of Finnish. From this experience, they expect trust and confidence in the candidates. The story behind the experience that recruiters expect centers mainly on credential recognition and trust. Volunteer roles, unrelated Finnish work experience, and university verification help to build local trust that Finnish employers look for before giving a first chance.
Authors
Nisansala Kumari graduated as a Bachelor of Business Administration in June 2026 from the LAB University of Applied Sciences.
Tatu Saarinen works as a Senior Lecturer at LAB University of Applied Sciences at the Faculty of Business and Hospitality Management.
References
Adhikari, S., Geromichalos, A., Gursoy, A. & Kospentaris, I. 2025. How much work experience do you need to get your first job? The macroeconomic implications of bias against labor market entrants. Review of Economic Dynamics. Vol. 58. Cited 15 Jun 2026. Available at https://doi.org/10.1016/j.red.2025.101301
Korpela, H. 2026. Vastavalmistuneiden työllistyminen lähes ennallaan. Valtion taloudellinen tutkimuskeskus 22.4.2026. Cited 15 Jun 2026. Available at https://vatt.fi/-/vastavalmistuneiden-tyollistyminen-lahes-ennallaan
Kumari, G. N. 2026. Career Pathways for International Graduates Entering the Finnish Finance, Accounting, and Auditing Workforce: Challenges and Strategies. Bachelor’s thesis. LAB University of Applied Sciences. Cited 4 Aug 2026. Available at https://urn.fi/URN:NBN:fi:amk-2026051813106
Lindholm, L. & Särkkä, N. 2026. Viime vuosina valmistuneiden työllisyydestä on julkisuudessa liian synkkä kuva, sanoo rekisterit penkonut Datahuone. Yle. 5.5.2026. Cited 15 Jun 2026. Available at https://yle.fi/a/74-20223123
ManpowerGroup Finland. 2025. Osaajapula kiristymässä Suomessa. Cited 15 Jun 2026. Available at https://www.manpowergroup.fi/hubfs/Osaajapulatutkimus/2025/ManpowerGroupin%20Osaajapulatutkimus%202025.pdf
Ministry of Economic Affairs and Employment & Ministry of Education and Culture. 2025. Ministers’ roundtable: employment of international students requires more tailored language support and stronger links to working life. Press release. 17.11.2025. Cited 15 Jun 2026. Available at https://valtioneuvosto.fi/-/1410877/ministerien-pyorea-poyta-kansainvalisten-opiskelijoiden-tyollistyminen-vaatii-raataloidympaa-tukea-kielitaidolle-ja-vahvempia-yhteyksia-tyoelamaan?languageId=en_US
Opetushallitus. 2025. Ulkomaalaisten tutkinto-opiskelijoiden työllistyminen Suomessa. Opetushallituksen mediatilaisuus 28.10.2025. Cited 15 Jun 2026. Available at https://www.oph.fi/sites/default/files/documents/Opetushallituksen%20mediatilaisuus%2028.10.2025_%20Ulkomaalaisten%20tutkinto-opiskelijoiden%20ty%C3%B6llistyminen%20Suomessa.pdf
