Outlandish

It’s a common joke in Finland that people who graduate from Universities graduate to be unemployed. Unfortunately more often than not this is very true. In my case as well as many other cases. I had a job when I was nearing graduation but in the end if I wanted to graduate by Christmas 2012 I had to finish my thesis and in order to do that I had to sacrifice a lot more time to the research and writing. So I quit a job as a sales assistant in a clothing store. Thankfully I already hated the job a lot, so quitting it wasn’t a big shock, moreover it was a positive thing. So, I graduated and after New Year had gone by I found myself “standing on nothing”. At that moment it didn’t much matter because I still had plans. And money left in my savings account to realize these plans, like going to Paris for a long weekend. But after the trip the harsh reality started setting in when I had to start applying for all sorts of jobless benefits and proving to all kinds of entities that I ...

This challenge has been going around in Facebook for a while already but I’m jumping on board only now. It’s been funny and interesting to read people’s first work experiences, it has given a little window to see how they have ended up where they are now, what sort of path have they traveled. And there have been some very surprising ones also, that I would never have imagined that some of my friends would have done as work. Somehow this has (as far as I know) been concentrated on the Western world and especially young people living in Nordic countries. It is a fact that in Nordic countries people start working and move out of their parents’ place much younger than in other parts of Europe. So quite many of my friends can’t even list as many jobs as seven because their first work experience is from after they graduated University.  But I sure can! #1 Library assistant My first ever job was a one-month-long summer job for the City of Turku. I was 13 so legal...

Crossroads... I'm there again and it's time to decide whether to go right or left. Or more accurately, which I prefer, South or North.  Last week I applied for a job in Tallinn and another in our team (a promotion if you will). And I stupidly thought that the decision would be made easy when one of them I either didn't get or my salary requests were not met. But no. I got the job in Tallinn and here I was told that even though I didn't get the promotion my skills are needed. I could not decide so I listed some pros and cons. Bratislava is a sunny, warm city in the middle of Central Europe. Easy and cheap access to all big European capitals. People are nice, open and helpful. I have the most amazing team in a big company, which usually equals multiple opportunities for developing professionally.A big company has ensured the fact that I have forged friendships that I would never have even dreamt of. I have been able to arrange activities and events ...

Another funny thing came into light again this week where Finns and Eastern-Europeans differ a lot. OK, I can't say this applies to most Slovaks but definitely to most of my team here. Holidays.  In Finland we work for the sole reason of having a long, lazy summer vacation. I started here last summer and people were being   told  to use their vacation days from 2013... I can't imagine how that is even possible?! And still, before Christmas people were really being told that you   absolutely HAVE to   take days off. I mean, if people here really aren't that eager to have days off I volunteer to help them by taking those days from them! But anyway, we had a funny incident in a grocery store this week with my neighbour/colleague: we were queuing behind an elderly woman talking in English, of course. When the woman got to the counter she started talking to the salesperson about us. My neighbour translated to me: according to the woman it is so important...

I was so hoping that this winter I would completely avoid the snow and ice-covered pavements just because I am not spending the winter months in Finland. But no... unfortunately the white shite reaches these levels every year as well. Although not in such quantities as in Northern Europe, thankfully. I've never been one of those people who run to the window smiling like crazy when the first snow falls. OK, fine, snow makes nature look beautiful but practically it makes life extremely difficult. Either there's too much of it or if there's not so much, all roads are covered in this uneven, trambled mixture of snow and ice: definite death to ankles and knees. Having gone through couple winters in the UK I must take my hat off for how this yearly phenomenon was received here. Nobody went to panic, shops, schools and offices were still open like normally, no major setbacks in traffic (as far as I know) and no people running around like headless chicken shouting ...

  Big changes here and there but still life just goes on. My team was transferred under another company the previous Monday. Luckily my parents were visiting so I deliberately took the Monday off. Turns out that despite the huge change, the work, the systems, everything still stays the same. I also had a job interview, which I have decided to decline (never imagined that a day would come when I would say 'no' to a new job). After a long and hard deliberation I decided that giving up the team that I have now is just not worth it. There were other reasons as well, obviously, but the truth is that my current team is a brilliant one and it means a lot to me. The weather here is still hovering around 15 degrees (except during the weekend when my parents were here, of course...) but still I managed to catch a flu, probably from one of my colleagues. It's been going on for a week now. Every morning my throat feels like there's someone going around with a chainsaw and ...

Even with everything (eventually) going pear-shaped at work I got involved in the Fun Team. It is uncertain whether me being involved in organizing activities for another firm is permitted or not but whatever the case I will be involved in it. Just try and stop me. I like administrative work, I always have. Demanding work that requires me to use my imagination as well as doing all the routine tasks every day. Multitasking I love. I was just about to get comfortable with the stableness and the safe, simple work that I have: very routine, same responsibilities, same tasks, same everything everyday. And it's good, for a change I like that there is no risk of making enormous mistakes or having to take responsibility for much. On Sunday I gathered my notebook and headed to Gorila.sk café for lunch and for some brain storming. I need an inspiring surrounding when planning events and happenings and ways of marketing them, and where I live now... I can't find a less-inspiri...

Wasn't it Bridget Jones who said that ones one part of your life is going right another part of it falls spectacularly into pieces. I have realized this to be very true multiple times in my relatively short life. But I have also realized that no matter how bad things are life has a way of working out just fine in the end.  Me moving here has been one of the happiest things that has happened to me for yeeeears. Things have been coming my way and the latest "big win" was me getting a flat of my own in the centre really close to work with a very reasonable price. But this Monday was a bit of a reality check. Without going too much into detail global businesses are ever changing and moving operations around with the speed of light. When signing a contract here I knew there were certain risks involved working for such a huge company, but I never could've imagined that in just three months I would have to worry about whether I will still have a job after Christmas or n...

Yesterday came  the call. I recognized the number on my phone and prepared for another kick in the face; that's it, another job slipping through my fingers. Then I hear a voice at the other end of the line saying "I would like to welcome you to our team and congratulate you..." for which I just had to go "stop, stop, STOOP!" I had to double check. But yes, I got kicked in the face but for a change with the most wonderful news: I got the job!! I'm moving to Bratislava, Slovakia!!  In the first interview I was asked why I had applied for a job in Slovakia. I hadn't expected the call, let alone that question, and honestly all I knew about Slovakia was that once upon a time it was a part of Czechoslovakia... not much to go by. But I did my research and came to the conclusion that it is just as lovely a country as all other Central European countries. Not that I've ever been in any of them.  But I'm going! Not clear on when exactly, but I a...