Vaasa International Talents

🎉 Happy Holidays & Happy New Year from Vaasa International Talents Programme! 🎉 As we wrap up another exciting year, we want to extend our gratitude to everyone who has been a part of community. Wishing you all a joyful holiday season. We look forward to more exiting experiences and opportunities together in the coming year. 🎄✨ Here's to a happy 2025! ✨🎄 #VaasaInternationalTalents #univaasa #vamk #noviaUAS #aboakademiuniversity #hanken

As we wrap up the first half of the Vaasa International Talents programme Round 5 we want to take a moment to highlight the progress made by the programme participants! 🙌 Over the past months, in Module 1, participants have learned about: ✅ Gaining insights into Finnish work life and society 🤝 ✅ Improving job application materials 📄to create standout CVs and cover letters ✅ Refining communications strategies and personal branding 💡by effectively showcasing skills, strengths, and communicating to others in our applications, work life and LinkedIn platform. ✅ Building professional confidence 💪—developing key competencies and honing strengths. We are happy to see all the dedication, growth, and community spirit shown by all participants so far! 🚀 As Module 1 concludes, we look forward to the next chapter of their journey in Module 2 with new topics and new opportunities. Stay tuned for updates! #VaasaInternationalTalents #univaasa #vamk #noviaUAS #aboakademiuniversity #hanken

🌍 Navigating Working Life in Finland: Know Your Rights and Obligations As part of our programme, participants recently attended a webinar on employees’ rights and obligations in Finnish working life, organized by Talent Coastline. The session offered insights into the rules and practices essential for navigating the Finnish labor market and emphasized the importance of understanding workplace regulations. 💼💡 During the webinar, participants learned about employees’ rights and responsibilities, the significance of clear employment contracts, the role of training periods, and how to identify and address workplace issues such as employment exploitation and forced labor. The session also provided practical guidance on what steps to take when suspecting or facing unfair practices, empowering attendees with tools to safeguard their rights. The discussions encouraged participants to share their own experiences and questions, creating a rich and meaningful dialogue. This power of collaboration and knowledge-sharing in this topics was highlighted so as to foster a fair, transparent, and inclusive work environments. 🌱 👉 What do you think is the most important thing for international professionals to know about their rights and obligations in Finland? Share your thoughts in the comments below! Dela dina tankar nedan! Jaa ajatuksesi alle! 👇  #VaasaInternationalTalents #univaasa #vamk #noviaUAS #aboakademiuniversity #hanken

Yesterday, we had our fifth session of the programme and last face-to-face session before the holiday break, and the focus this time was Applying for a Job in Finland! 🎯🇫🇮 We were happy to welcome back Johanna Kakkuri, who walk through the application process our programme participants, giving valuable insights on how to craft standout CVs, compelling cover letters, and effectively navigating the follow-up process after application. Her tips were practical, actionable, and helpful to our participants who want to make their job applications shine.📝✨ We also had the pleasure of hearing from Sayem Araf, an alumnus from Round 4 of the programme. Sayem shared his personal journey through the application process and emphasized key lessons he learned along the way, many of which he credited to his experience with the Vaasa International Talents programme. His reflections on the challenges and triumphs inspired our participants to approach their own job searches with confidence and perseverance. 🌟💼 The session left everyone with a toolkit of strategies to tackle job applications. Whether it’s tailoring a CV, writing an impactful cover letter, or following up with employers, we’re all more prepared to put our best foot forward. 🚀✨ And the most important learning was: 💡🔑 Standing out starts with confident applications! 💡🔑 Erotu joukosta itsevarmoilla hakemuksilla! 💡🔑 Att sticka ut börjar med självsäkra ansökningar! #VaasaInternationalTalents #univaasa #vamk #noviaUAS #aboakademiuniversity #hanken  

🌌 Struggling with short days and long nights? We’ve got you covered! 🌟 The dark winter in Finland, or kaamos, can be tough—especially for newcomers. ❄️ With limited daylight, it’s easy to feel effects of social withdrawal, cravings, or sleep challenges. 💤 That’s why we, Vaasa International Talents, are teaming up with the City of Vaasa to bring you a session: 🎙️ How to Manage the Dark Season 🗓️ 28th of November ⏰ 17:00–18:30 We’re excited to have our alumni, Arunima Samarasinghe and Collins O. Ajagbe, share their personal tips and experiences on navigating the dark season. 🌟 Let’s share tips, insights, and support each other together. 🌠 ✨ Everyone is welcome!

Yesterday we had our fourth session! This time, the topic was LinkedIn and Portfolio. 🌍✨ Charlotta Wendelin kicked things off with an inspiring talk on how to use LinkedIn to build standout profiles, network effectively, and showcase your skills and achievements in a professional manner. She also touched upon the use of a portfolio as a tool to showcase your previous work and interest outside a conventional CV. The room was full with questions as participants worked to improve their LinkedIn presence. 💡📱 Next, we heard from Reza Jalalian, a Vaasa International Talents alumnus, who shared how he secured a job in a short period of time using LinkedIn. Reza openly shared the mistakes he made along the way and highlighted the importance of consistency in his journey. 🌟💼 This session equipped everyone with tools to enhance their online professional presence and this way chase their career goals with confidence. 🚀✨ 🔗💻 Creating LinkedIn profiles and portfolios that truly showcase our potential! 🔗💻 Luodaan LinkedIn-profiileja ja portfolioita, jotka todella heijastavat potentiaaliamme! 🔗💻 Skapa LinkedIn-profiler och portföljer som verkligen visar vår potential! #VaasaInternationalTalents #univaasa #vamk #noviaUAS #aboakademiuniversity #hanken Arbetsforum Åbo Akademi

Third Session of the Vaasa International Talents Programme ✨🌍 In our third session, we dove into a journey of self-discovery and understanding with the theme "Find Your Own Focus". First, Jan Kraufvelin an engaging presentation on personality styles using a lively mini-theater setup 🎭 to show how different personality types can interact in the workplace. With humor and insight, he highlighted ways to communicate effectively with people of different personalities—helping each of us reflect on our own predominant styles 🗣️✨. Melina Hermann then brought an inspiring perspective by discussing multipotentiality—the idea of having multiple interests and talents. She shared how understanding and embracing this concept has enriched her personal and professional life, encouraging all of us to explore our varied talents and see them as strengths 🌟💼. Our participants walked away inspired, with new tools to better understand themselves and communicate with others. It was a session filled with insight, reflection, and motivation! To finding our focus and using it to fuel our growth! 🚀✨ Oman fokuksemme löytämiseen ja sen käyttämiseen kasvumme polttoaineena! 🚀✨ Till att hitta vårt fokus och använda det för att driva vår tillväxt! 🚀✨ #VaasaInternationalTalents #univaasa #vamk #noviaUAS #aboakademiuniversity #hanken Arbetsforum Åbo Akademi

🌟 Commitment Matters! 🌟 Did you know? When you register for an event, you're not just reserving a spot—you’re committing to be part of something exciting and impactful! 🌍✨ Your presence brings fresh perspectives, creates connections, and inspires engaging conversations. That’s why following through on your sign-up is so important—it helps make each event valuable and relevant for everyone involved. 🙌 ⏰ Can’t Make It? Let the organizers know! Everyone understands that things come up and plans can change. If you can’t attend, a quick heads-up helps to stay organized and opens up your spot for other eager participants. Running late? Same deal! A little communication goes a long way to keep things running smoothly. 👍 Strengthening our commitment, one event at a time! 👥💥 #VaasaInternationalTalents #univaasa #vamk #noviaUAS #aboakademiuniversity #hanken

🌍✨ Second Session of the Vaasa International Talents Programme ✨🌍 In our second session, we took a look into the working life culture in Finland. We were joined by our good friend of the programme, Johanna Kakkuri, and an alumnus Mustafizur Rahman from Round 3, who shared their valuable insights and experiences. Johanna highlighted what makes Finnish workplaces unique, such as being comfortable with silences, having a flat hierarchy, open communication between employees, and the trust placed in individuals.🤝💬 Mustafizur shared his journey of fitting into the Finnish work environment, including making his first Finnish friend at work. He also gave us a peek into his typical day and shared tips that helped him land a job in Vaasa and grow within his company. 👫💼 Our students were highly motivated and had a million questions that Johanna and Mustafizur answered gladly. A big thanks to them for their awesome and inspiring session! 🙌🌟 Stay tuned for more updates from the Vaasa International Talents Programme!  Pysy kuulolla saadaksesi lisää päivityksiä Vaasa International Talents -ohjelmasta!  Håll utkik efter fler uppdateringar från Vaasa International Talents-programmet! #VaasaInternationalTalents #univaasa #vamk #noviaUAS #aboakademiuniversity #hanken

🌍 First Session of the Vaasa International Talents Programme Yesterday’s session took us on an engaging journey through Finnish culture, led by Francis Oyeyiola, who shared how Finland’s history has shaped the country’s values and character. With an interactive and fun approach 🎉, Francis highlighted how understanding a country’s past can be an invaluable tool for understanding and adapting to its culture 🌱. He also emphasized the importance of learning the local languages, noting that even a basic grasp of Finnish can make a big difference in building connections. Francis reassured us that it’s perfectly fine to mix in English while trying a few sentences in Finnish—it’s the effort that truly matters! 💬✨ A special thank you goes to Khin Phyu Cyn Kyi as well, who shared her inspiring journey of resilience and adaptation in Finland. Her story reminded us of the importance of recognizing our own potential 🌟 and using it to create new opportunities, even far from home. She also touched on the different phases we go through when adjusting to a new country, underscoring that it’s all part of the journey. 🌏💪 Thank you, Francis and Khin, for a truly insightful and encouraging session! Kiitos! Tack!🙌 #VaasaInternationalTalents #univaasa #vamk #noviaUAS #aboakademiuniversity #hanken