The Finnish technology sector is in an exciting phase, says Talita

Talita Tobias Carneiro, originally from Brazil, was drawn to Finland by a mix of dreams and opportunities. When she was eight, her class was doing country presentations, and she was assigned Finland, a country she had barely heard of. But after finding out that Nokia – and the Snake game – were Finnish, her excitement grew and living in the country became a dream to fulfil. 

Fast forward to university. As an undergraduate in electronics engineering, Talita learnt about the possibility of doing a study exchange at Aalto University in Helsinki. She applied, got in and was also selected for a summer internship at Nokia in Tampere. This was in 2014. The following year, Talita returned for another summer internship and, in 2016, was accepted to a master’s degree programme at the Tampere University of Technology, which today is part of Tampere University. This time she came to Finland to stay.

Today, Talita is a technical lead at a global technology company in Tampere, has fallen in love with the city and married her Brazilian husband there. Although Brazil will always be a special place for her, she has made Finland her home. 

Doing a master’s degree in Finland was… an exhilarating experience. But, of course, it depends on what you study – and whether or not you like it. For me, it was full of positive experiences. You will have several opportunities for learning, researching and connecting. You will also have the freedom to choose the type of student life you want. It can be a very lively or quieter time. There are several happenings at the university all year round, especially during the cold winter. 

However, the most surprising thing to me is the strong co-operation and relations between universities and companies. As an example from my area of expertise, the SoC [System-on-Chip] Hub initiative, has stakeholders ranging from the university and big corporations to medium-sized and small companies. Its goal is to strengthen the SOC ecosystem in the region.

How I got my current job is…quite a boring and unsurprising (no excitement here!) story. I heard from colleagues that the company I was interested in had opened several positions for SOC designers. I also knew from a job fair (Yrityspäivät), where I had previously participated, that the company had jobs I was interested in. Since my goal was to work with SOC (at the time, I was a software validation intern), I applied. I was called in for an interview and landed the position.

What I like most about working in Finland… is the work-life balance you can have if you so choose. It is nice to have the freedom to prioritise your personal life. 

Furthermore, Finns are very practical and honest, which are nice qualities to have in your colleagues. It also means meetings are focused and to the point.

The Finnish technology industry is…booming. I can see how much the SOC ecosystem has grown since I started working in the sector in 2017. Multiple companies have opened offices in the Tampere region and in Finland overall, like in Helsinki and the Oulu area.

And this is just in the SOC industry. When we think about software engineering, artificial intelligence, gaming and so on, the technology industry scene here is really exciting at the moment.

The challenges I have encountered and overcome while adjusting to my career here in Finland are… for example, learning the language. You don’t really need to speak Finnish when working in an international company. However, it is a personal goal that I’m still working on. Finnish is a very difficult language to master. 

Overall, the culture is very different [from Brazil] as well. Finns are usually quieter and shyer when compared to Brazilians. Also, Brazilians tend to be indirect when handling negative comments, while Finns are more direct. In the work environment, navigating these differences requires an open mindset.

My favourite thing about Finland is…  I’m biased in talking about this as I’m a big fan of this country. But my favourite thing about Finland is the summer. Yes, you read that right. I love the Finnish summer: the super long nights, the nature coming to life and how lively the people get. 

The amount of light during summer is insane. It fills me with energy for the whole year. Don’t get me wrong, I love the light and the Sun, and the lack thereof is tough for me. So, summers give me the necessary fuel for all the other seasons. To me, it is all about the Sun. Nothing beats a sunny day in Finland.

The organisation that has been most helpful for my professional growth in Finland is… the university I studied in, the Tampere University of Technology [today Tampere University].

Several activities there helped me in my professional life. For example, CV polishing sessions and Yrityspäivät (a job fair for students), which was a nice opportunity to get to know potential employers.

I would advise someone contemplating moving here for work to… grab the opportunity. Invest in your professional network and foster it. In Finland, it is very important that you know the right people. 

Also, make sure you understand Finnish culture, nature and the climate. Talk to people who have moved here (hello Tampere Talent Ambassadors!) and learn about their experience. 

Make at least two lists: one with the things you are looking for (what type of work, what kind of life, etc.) and another with what Finland can offer. If the lists match, bingo, you have found the place!

What I enjoy most about living in Tampere is … the city is absolutely special to me. It has the pleasant feeling of a small city, but you can find everything you need. What got me at first was the Tammerkoski rapids during summer. Such a nice area to stroll on a sunny day. 

The hobbies I have really enjoyed practising in Finland are… to be honest, I never thought about hobbies much before living here. However, I’ve learnt that Finns take hobbies quite seriously, which is an excellent way to achieve a work-life balance. Since moving here, I've got a strong interest in hiking and nature-related sports, like canoeing and fishing.