Career Boost event brought together international students and companies

Oamk’s Career Boost -event offered international students the opportunity to network with Finnish companies and get practical tips for job search.

This working life event was targeted at international students. Companies gave practical tips on job hunting, and students were able to make new working-life contacts.

The event, held at the Linnanmaa campus, aimed to give students the opportunity to network with companies and fellow students, learn about different job opportunities, and learn more about Finnish working life.

First, the participating companies gave brief presentations about their activities, job and internship opportunities, and the type of employees they are searching for. After the presentations, free discussions started and students could meet representatives of the companies, ask questions, and make contacts.

Event participants, Glory Ifeoma Ozoji, an IT engineering student, and Elamine Benali, a business administration student, looked forward to making new contacts and finding new opportunities.

– During this event, I hope to network, meet people, and get a better understanding of what companies do. I also want to find out what kind of opportunities they have for us Oamk students, Glory Ifeoma Ozoji says.

Elamine Benali sees the event as an important opportunity to make contacts and promote her job search:

– I try to make connections with people and companies here. Networking can help me to get a job offer or even a part-time job. I also want to meet new people.

Both stressed their interest in networking and making new connections.

Concrete job search tips for international students were also discussed during the event. Hannes Seikala from ResCom Oy, Shakeel Mehmet from International House Oulu, and Juuso Niemeläinen from Nokia gave the following important tips:

• Courage: Be active and search for jobs with an open attitude. Don’t be afraid to apply for different types of jobs and approach companies directly.
• Networking: Meet new people and put yourself out there. Friends and acquaintances can be important links to employers. Talk to other international students and immigrants about their job search experiences.
• Diverse work experience. All work experience is valuable, even if it is not directly related to your field – the important thing is to learn workplace skills and demonstrate your competence.
• A well-prepared CV and job application: create a clear and focused CV and application that highlights your skills and experience. Remember to keep your LinkedIn profile also up to date.

Our student Miitta checked the best tips for international students for finding jobs or internships. Check the video!