Survival Kit for Finnish Culture
Understanding the Finnish Mindset - it's not as cold as it seems
Experiences from the language and culture course
“Where’s the clock in the sauna?” asked the German interns doing their internship in Turku. In Germany, a sauna visit is usually recommended to last 15 minutes, and a clock on the wall helps you keep track of the time.
The course offered many experiences — from a walking tour of Turku and tasting Finnish food to the all-time favorite sauna. The interns also had time to discuss the differences between working life in Finland and Germany. In Finland, work culture tends to be a bit more relaxed, and the idea of “good enough” is widely accepted. Hierarchies are flatter, and managers feel closer and less distant.
When asked what they would take home from Finland, the August exchange students said it would be sauna culture and nature. After some initial hesitation, everyone tried the sauna — and almost all of them even jumped into the sea! This month’s sauna diplomas were truly earned with courage — or as we say in Finland, with “sisu”!
Get to know Finnish culture – join the course now!
When you join as an intern through Nova Talent, we highly recommend taking part in our language and culture course. 68 % of the participants rated it 9 or 10 on a 4–10 scale. Fun fact: In Finland, our educational system uses a grading scale from 4 to 10, which is why we like to use this scale.
Our language and culture course makes settling in Finland and working life much easier. The course consists of a wide range of engaging activities, from cooking sessions to city tours and more. By using English, it helps participants communicate confidently in everyday situations, understand Finnish work culture, explore new surroundings, and adapt smoothly to life in Finland.
Training sessions take place on weekday evenings and weekends, making it easy to participate alongside your work schedule. It’s also a wonderful opportunity to meet other interns and experience a real sense of community in a new country!
Here are a few comments from the interns about the course:
What did you especially like during the course?
“That we had a really good team”
“The relaxed atmosphere”
“Trainer is a very nice person”
“Learning about the Finnish culture and people”
