• News
  • People
  • Long Read
  • Opinion
  • Weekend Wrap
SUBSCRIBE

My Career: From Start to Finnish

For Saurabh, Tampere is a home away from home

Get to know more about Saurabh via LinkedIn and Twitter

saurabh-taware

Saurabh Taware, India. Software engineer

In 2017, Saurabh’s wife moved to Finland to pursue her PhD. Therefore, the next logical step for him was to move there someday. He visited her for two months in summer 2018 while still remotely working for a company in India. He wanted to explore what Finland has to offer and was quite impressed with the facilities and infrastructure.

Saurabh began exploring LinkedIn and other websites for jobs in the technology domain. He edited his CV to conform to the European standard with a detailed description of his skillset and cover letters describing his work experience and suitability for the position. He had a target of applying for at least two positions every day. And it worked.

For Saurabh, the most surprising thing is there is almost no hierarchy in the working environment in Finland. Everyone is approachable despite his or her position in the company. “Generally, it is very difficult to sit down for lunch with CEO of the company,” he states. “Here I do it almost every day.”

  1. My favourite thing about Finland is…
one can breathe here. There is always time in the day for yourself or your family. You will never feel that you are being dragged. Be it anything, career or academics, Finland provides you a wide variety of tailored streams to choose from.

  1. The piece of advice I would give to someone contemplating coming to work in Finland is…
I know Finland is not the first country that pops up in your mind to move to. Nevertheless, make up your mind. Believe in yourself and your skillset. It is cold and dark. But many of your compatriots are already here. The Finnish infrastructure is here to help and take care of you. Work on your personality, try cracking a few jokes and Finns will love you. Once you take a dip in one of the lakes, you will know that it was all worth it.

“There is always time in the day for yourself or your family.”

  1. Working in Finland’s software industry has taught me…
that, first, we do not need to be super aggressive to deliver comprehensive products. Planning before execution is a trick of the trade. Giving time to myself to unwind in nature helps me to develop my own perspective and refreshes the mind and body. Going out with teammates for sauna helps in getting to know them on a personal level, which in turn forges the bond within the team.

  1. The only thing I knew about Finland before coming here
was that it was going to be extreme. It is in a way. From cold and dark winters to lush green summers to vibrant autumns. With many Indians moving to predominantly English-speaking countries, I did not expect that I would be a part of such a flourishing Indian community here. I also knew that around 75 per cent of Finland is forest so I expected many hikes and bike rides, and that turned out to be true. I had never dreamt that I would be a part of a Finnish delegation visiting India. Overall, it has been a great mix of my expectations spiced up by surprises along the way.

  1. What I enjoy most about living in Tampere is…
that it is a home away from home. I live there with my wife. We have a huge community of people from the far stretches of India and the world. We have a great time on weekends with food coming from different kitchens. We enjoy bike rides, barbecue and saunas together. Tampere has its own pace. The University of Tampere is a common intersection in our lives. Various celebrations like Vappu, Independence Day parade etc. add flavour to the usual routine.

Published on 10.02.2020