When I moved from Nigeria to Kuopio to study at Savonia, I knew I was starting over in many ways. I had an IT background and work experience from home, but Finland, its language and its working culture were completely new to me. I liked the safety, the calm rhythm of everyday life and the way things are organised, but I honestly did not know how I would ever get my first real opportunity here. I was afraid that I might finish my degree without any Finnish experience on my CV.

My path changed when I heard about Talent Hub Eastern Finland and the Future Talents Team. The idea that there were people whose job was to connect international students with local employers felt almost unreal at first. Instead of just sending applications into silence, there was a concrete way to meet companies, work on real assignments and show what I can do. That alone already made Finland feel a little closer.

Through the Future Talents Team I was invited to take part in a development project with Mehustaja, a micro-SME beverage producer in Kuopio. We started with very practical questions about apples, juice, shelves and labels, and step by step I helped map their process, clarify information flows and test a simple digital tool that would make it easier to track products during the peak season. This became the case company for my thesis, where I focused on lightweight digitalisation in micro-SME production. It was my first time inside a Finnish production environment, and it gave me hands-on experience of translating everyday problems into small, concrete improvements.

The same network later opened another important door. I joined Työnavigaattori, the employment service of the Kuopio employment area, as an intern working on AI based tools to support job seekers. There I am on the other side of the table, using my own experience and skills to make the job search path a little clearer for others. It feels meaningful to contribute to something that I would have found very helpful during my first months in Finland.

These experiences have taught me a lot about Finnish working life. I have learned that trust is shown through responsibility, that it is normal to work quite independently and that clear, honest communication matters more than perfect language. Now that I am graduating, Finland no longer feels like a place where I only came to study. It feels like a place where I can stay, contribute and build a long term future. I am grateful to Talent Hub, Savonia and the partners who believed in me and gave me a chance to grow here.

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Writer: Christopher Roberts, BBA-student, Savonia University of Applied Sciences, “Christopher O Roberts” s2312870@edu.savonia.fi

https://www.linkedin.com/in/christopher-roberts-b45b3850/

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