Niina's story: Following a career path abroad, from student to project manager

A new life in Denmark – work, study and integration

I graduated with a Bachelor’s degree in autumn 2012. During my studies, I had felt very uncertain about the employment opportunities ahead of me after graduation: Nokia had gone under, and no major employers had arisen to replace it. The future of the Finnish IT industry seemed very uncertain, and there was tough competition for every graduate position.

I eventually ended up moving to Denmark in search of work and life experience. I put my studies on hold, terminated my rental contract in Tampere, sold most of my property, and moved to Aarhus in Denmark with just a couple of suitcases. I started working in customer service for Skatepro.fi, an online store. I also completed basic marketing studies at the University of Lapland. My goal was to study for a Master’s degree in communications in Denmark.

In summer 2014, I was accepted into Copenhagen Business School. I moved to Copenhagen and started studying communications and marketing. That marked the beginning of a new stage in my life, and I am still here, more than eleven years later.

A career path built through courage and networking

My Master’s studies and integration got my life rolling nicely, and I landed a job in my field the first autumn after moving to Copenhagen. Coincidentally, I ended up as a part-time project coordinator for a small IT start-up.

After graduating, I stepped up to a full-time position in the same company until I decided to try something new and moved to a digital marketing office. I worked at Wunderman for two years as a technical project manager and led digital marketing projects for large international customers. Many good colleagues changed jobs, and so did I. I moved to a small software company where I led deployment projects for health applications.

In Copenhagen, many jobs are filled through networks, and I also got my next job that way. A former colleague from Wunderman invited me for coffee, and we talked about Merkle and the career opportunities it offered. After our meeting, we agreed to open a search for a Senior Project Manager position for me. At the same time, I also had interviews with other companies, but in the end, Merkle won me over: as its good reputation and interesting customer relationships convinced me. Today, at Merkle, I lead strategy projects for international B2B customers and head a five-person project management team.

Challenges, lessons learned and successes along the way

I have lived in Denmark for almost 12 years and worked at five companies in that time. Over the years, there have been many open job that I did not get, as well as job applications that were never answered. Especially at the beginning of my career, my employment opportunities were limited, as I was only able to apply for positions suitable for recent graduates that did not require Danish language skills. There were many other applicants for these jobs.

As a foreigner, I have encountered discrimination and prejudice. Fortunately, Copenhagen has changed over the years. Today, it is a much more international and open place to live and work. Discriminatory comments about foreigners who only come for the social benefits are becoming a thing of the past.

My greatest success has definitely been to integrate in Denmark and build a career in a new country. Learning the Danish language opened new doors in working life. Now I do not hesitate to open my mouth if I am looking for a new job or want to switch to a new position in-house. You never know what opportunities there are.

One of the most important things I have learned in working life is about wage negotiations. I have learned that the first salary offer is rarely final. It is often just the beginning of the discussion and a low number.

I have also realised that it is not worth basing my identity or values on my work. If the company is doing badly, an employee can be dismissed, no matter how good they are. Then it makes no difference whether you have been praised or stayed active on LinkedIn.

We need to work in order to live, buy food and have a roof over our heads, but the meaning of life has to be more than just work. It is important to have other things in life that bring joy, balance and substance. They help you cope and remind you that we are more than just a job title.

Working life is not a straight line – and it does not need to be

I encourage everyone to spread their wings abroad. You can always return to Finland, and you will certainly gain experience.

Working life is not a straight line; it can bring challenges, experiments and changes of direction. I have taken gap years, changed jobs quickly and looked for new responsibilities when the old ones have felt like they do not suit me. I am still not sure what I will be when I grow up, but that is OK. The most important thing is that working life feels like I want it to.

When I was young, I dreamed of working in fashion, and that dream still raises its head from time to time. Today, I enjoy projects where I can work with top-level professionals in my field. My colleagues’ passion for their work also motivates me, although I focus more on managing the big picture than the details.

Work/life balance

Remote work and continuous efficiency enhancement have blurred the line between work and leisure time, so for my own sake, I have learned to set a clear boundary between them. I also do not look at my email and work-related messages when I am not working.

In my free time, I travel, go to gigs, hang out with my friends and spend time with my husband and dog. The dog is a good coach for physical and mental well-being: when I am with my dog, all thoughts of work are quickly forgotten as I see him dive into a ditch and come out with a mouldy piece of pizza in his mouth, for example.

Niina Hakala