Two Jobs Later

After returning from the U.S. in June, I began officially working as a Sustainability Research Trainee at the UPM Research Center in Lappeenranta, where I had started as a language trainee during my intensive Finnish course. Though I continued chatting with my boss in Finnish as much as I could, I gradually spoke less and less Finnish at work, since it was not required anymore. Even though my speaking level ceased to improve, I was still able to practice my listening comprehension by attending various meetings in Finnish, which I saw as a plus. To this day I am not particuarly conversational in Finnish, but I can get the job done when necessary, e.g., reserving the church for our wedding and figuring out how to pick up the keys to our new apartment. When I call somewhere, ask “Puhutko englantia?” (Do you speak English?), and the answer is no, I pull up my bootstraps and attempt the conversation in Finnish, however difficult it may be. If I did this more often, my speaking level would be much higher!

Throughout my trainee period I worked on four distinct projects, ranging from literature reviews about biobased materials to evaluating the recyclability of package labeling methods. As someone interested in bioproducts and sustainability, it was right up my alley. In addition to the work, UPM had a particularly friendly culture, where people always greeted each other in the halls, even multiple times a day. I had not experienced this before and is stereotypically un-Finnish. Twice-daily coffee breaks, lunch (either in the break room or off campus), work events, and afterwork activities offered plenty of opportunities to socialize with colleagues.

Though I received a contract extension for a fifth project through January 2023, my time at UPM would not last. I really wanted to continue but found solace in the fact that the role was temporary in nature and I would have likely been hired if possible (déjà vu to my summer job at Konecranes). But better things were yet to come.

In October I was hired for the Sustainability Trainee role at Deloitte in Helsinki. While it would have been possible to work remotely, it was an easy decision to move to Helsinki:

• After working four months remotely at Konecranes and then mostly in-person at UPM, I knew the value of being at the office.
• I felt that my only work options in Lappeenranta were at the university and UPM, neither which panned out.
• Most of my friends had already moved to the Helsinki area.
• A larger city would offer more opportunities in terms of hobbies and future employment if the trainee job did not continue.
• It is easier to travel within Finland and abroad from Helsinki.

After signing and receiving my new job contract, I immediately applied for Helsinki City apartments, which are subsidized and extremely competitive. So you can imagine my shock when I received an offer three days later! At 58.5 m2, the apartment was nearly 25 m2 bigger than our previous studio, which was beginning to feel cramped for two people and a young, rambunctious dog. The apartment had just been renovated, meaning we would be the first ones living in it. Even though the apartment is a 15-minute bus ride to the nearest Metro station and would take me an hour to commute to work, accepting the apartment offer was a no-brainer.

Unfortunately we got COVID for the first time at the end of November, during my last full week of work and just before moving. Luckily I anticipated something like this happening and had purchased cancellation insurance for the van, as we had planned on taking another trip to make sure we could fit everything. Despite the usual symptoms and not being able to taste for a few days, we recovered quickly; I was well enough to return to work on my last day, during which I gave the final presentation and returned my laptop. A few days later we moved from Lappeenranta to Helsinki with the help of Linnea’s siblings.

I had one month off between jobs – ample time to prepare the new apartment and get used to living in the city before jumping into work. Even though I applied well in advance, unfortunately I did not receive my residence permit in time to make the trip home for Christmas. Instead, my mom and brother came to visit me in Finland in mid-December. Though their trip was cut short by flight delays, we had a lovely time meeting Linnea’s family, siteseeing, and spending time together. Due to Linnea’s mother being sick, we ended up celebrating my first Christmas in Finland at our new apartment, joined by Linnea’s siblings and their partners. Of course it wasn’t the same, but it was definitely still Christmas.

Though I admittedly still miss the work culture and environment at UPM, working at Deloitte for the past year has been interesting. I have had the opportunity to work on various projects, allowing me to gain experience in several different areas and become more familiar with all parts of sustainability. As an added bonus, Deloitte hosts plenty of fun social events, and I have traveled twice with the company – once to Berlin as a business unit and another time for training in Sweden. In July I was promoted to Sustainability Consultant, finally landing my first permanent job in Finland!

Apart from work, moving to Helsinki has had so many other benefits. I began playing softball again – after almost five years – both on a club team and the newly formed national team of Finland. Since most of my friends had already moved from Lappeenranta, I have been able to meet them more frequently. And I could finally start attending Fulbright events again. Living in Helsinki would also make my next big life event much easier.