Internships in Finland are a critical career-building tool for international students. They provide Finnish work experience, professional references, and often lead directly to graduate employment. Most Finnish university programmes include a mandatory internship (harjoittelu) — but even where optional, doing one is strongly recommended.
Where to Find Internship Listings
- Duunitori (duunitori.fi) — Filter by “harjoittelu” (internship). The largest source of Finnish internship listings.
- Tyomarkkinatori (mol.fi) — Government portal, includes internship and trainee positions.
- University career services — LUT, Aalto, and other universities maintain partnership lists with employers who specifically hire their students.
- LinkedIn — Essential for tech, business, and research internships in the Helsinki region.
- Company career pages directly — Many large Finnish companies (Nokia, Kone, Stora Enso, Wolt, Supercell) run structured internship programmes posted only on their own sites.
Timing
Finnish internship recruitment for summer positions typically runs January through March. Autumn internships recruit from May through August. Apply early — Finnish companies fill popular roles quickly.
What Finnish Employers Look For
- Relevant coursework or academic background in the field
- A concise, one-page CV in the Finnish style
- Any previous work experience, even in unrelated fields
- Basic Finnish is a plus but not required for most English-language internships
Internship Pay
Paid internships are standard in Finland. Most internships in professional fields pay 1200-2200 euros per month. Some university-arranged placements are unpaid — check before applying.
An internship at a Finnish company is the fastest route to permanent employment after graduation. Many Finnish graduates receive job offers from their internship employer before they have even finished their degree.
