What I Learned As a Finn Working in Germany
Article by Hannele Maijala
Working in Germany was an adventure. My first job outside of my home country was in Berlin. In 2018, my spouse found a job in Berlin and we moved there together from Finland. It was my first international working experience and it was not too easy to adapt.
At the time, I was finishing my studies at the Finnish University of Applied Sciences remotely and I took a part-time job in a call center. I worked in a Finnish team, but the office was very international. The office dealt with other Nordic countries, other European countries, and other continents. It was lovely to hear all the languages.
The Biggest Challenge of Working in Germany as a Finn
One challenge for me – besides the long commute in Berlin – was definitely dealing with the communication differences between Finland and Germany.
Other Finns might not agree with me but I think that listening is a very valued skill in Finland. Subsequently, when I came to Germany, I wanted to give others space to speak. However, I eventually started to feel that I was expected to talk more, to take up more space in a conversation here in Germany. Even without waiting until someone is finished! It took some time to get used to that.
Social media channels in particular were very interesting and helpful for me personally in the context of German-Finnish business culture. There is a Finnish woman in Germany, Maria Heiskanen-Schüttler, who writes a great blog about these cross-cultural challenges and how to cope with them.
Also, AHK Finland helps to navigate these two business cultures with excellent presentations, training, and content about this topic.
Today I feel that I have new skills in my communication toolbox and that I can adapt to different situations – listening or talking, case by case. Learning to communicate with more versatile tools helps when working with different countries, different company cultures, different company sizes, and different nationalities. My international experience has definitely given me adaptability.
At Nordic Minds, we work with many industries and I love that I get to talk to many different people in various sectors, positions, and countries!
3 Crucial Things That I Learned
Generally, I think an international atmosphere is very refreshing. It pushes you to learn constantly, which can be hard sometimes. But the learning experience itself is very valuable and nourishes the soul.
There are three things in particular that I have learned while working cross-culturally.
Firstly, there might be differences – but there are always similarities, too. When you’re patient enough, you’ll find them. People are generally friendly and their behavior makes sense if you remain empathic and open.
Secondly, although it’s exciting, it can also be hard to be in a completely new environment and culture. Prepare and inform yourself about your future country and also make relevant connections with like-minded people in advance via social and professional platforms. It will make the adjustment a lot easier. Also, this learning process itself is already worth it.
Thirdly: be ready to learn unexpected, interesting things about yourself, too. When you have to adapt constantly, you’ll find out about your core values and priorities. And the clearer you are about yourself, the better you can express your points.
In Finland, I did not appreciate enough that I could always understand everything. Not just the language, but also the culture and the environment. But I believe that my instinct to listen carefully has helped me to learn.
My advice to Finns who (want to) work in Germany: always check the hierarchy and how it needs to be considered carefully each time; it can really vary from situation to situation.
This relates to what I would recommend to Germans working in Finland: consider that the hierarchy is usually very flat. Using titles is not that common. Also, keep in mind that Finns will start to talk and comment only after you'll have finished. If there is no free space, they might not say anything.
Lastly, Finnish People might appear quiet and not easy to befriend or approach. But when you get through the surface, which might take a bit of time, they are incredibly friendly and helpful!
So, wherever you work cross-culturally – whether as a Finn in Germany or vice versa – adaptation is key. And don’t forget to be confident and curious!