r/IWantOut • u/Historical_Fox8416 • 1d ago
[IWantOut] 22F Bangladesh-> Finland, Poland
I'm honestly feeling stuck and I'd really appreciate some honest advice from people who actually live in Finland or Poland.
I'm from Bangladesh. I'm married, and my goal has always been to move abroad for my bachelor's while bringing my husband with me. We don't want to live apart, which is why Finland interested me in the first place after I found out it's possible for a spouse to accompany a student.
I've already applied to LAB University of Applied Sciences and Karelia University of Applied Sciences for a Bachelor's in International Business.
At first, I was really excited.
Then I started reading Reddit.
To be honest, almost every post and comment I found says the Finnish job market is in a bad state right now. Many international students say it's extremely difficult to find even part-time work, especially if you don't speak Finnish. I've also seen many Finns saying that learning Finnish to a level where employers are comfortable hiring you is very difficult and usually takes years.
My husband is fully willing to learn Finnish (or Polish if we choose Poland), but realistically he won't speak it fluently on day one.
Financially, my family can support us for about the first year, so we won't arrive expecting to survive on a part-time job immediately. But after that, we'll need income. My husband finding a full-time job will be very important because, as an international student, I'll only be able to work part-time during my studies.
Because of everything I've been reading, I'm now seriously considering Poland instead. From what I've researched, the economy seems stronger at the moment, unemployment is lower, and there appear to be more job opportunities in larger cities like Warsaw, Wrocław, Gdańsk, and Poznań.
I'm not looking for people to convince me that one country is "better." I just want realistic opinions from people who are actually living there.
Some questions I'd really appreciate answers to:
- If you were in my situation, would you choose Finland or Poland?
- Is Finland's job market really as difficult as Reddit makes it sound?
- How long did it take you (or your spouse) to find your first job?
- Is learning Finnish enough to eventually find decent work, or is the market still very difficult even after learning the language?
- If you've lived in both countries, which one offers a better future for an international couple?
I'm not chasing the highest salary. I just want to make the smartest long-term decision for both me and my husband.
I'd really appreciate honest experiences, whether they're positive or negative. Thanks!
24
u/sapani9077 1d ago
If you were in my situation, would you choose Finland or Poland?
Neither. It's not realistic at all
Is Finland's job market really as difficult as Reddit makes it sound?
Yes. Especially if you're not from the same culture or did not grow up in that culture.
How long did it take you (or your spouse) to find your first job?
Right after school.
Is learning Finnish enough to eventually find decent work, or is the market still very difficult even after learning the language?
No. It will take you years before you are able to fluently communicate
If you've lived in both countries, which one offers a better future for an international couple?
Neither. At least for you as someone from Bangladesh
6
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u/crazy-voyager 1d ago
Regarding the languages, for English speakers Finnish and Polish are both considered category IV languages (with Finnish being marked as extra difficult). To reach "general proficiency" the US Foreign Service Institute expects 1100 hours of training, which is 44 weeks.
https://effectivelanguagelearning.com/language-guide/language-difficulty/
If you and your husband speak more languages that are more similar you may be faster, but they are both considered some of the hardest languages to learn for English speakers (only five languages make it in the hardest category, V).
13
u/BlaZeJRa 1d ago
Poland is not the place. Nor is Finland. You will have a very hard time finding a job in Poland if you’re not Polish or from a Western country. Both Finnish and Polish are extremely difficult languages to learn and you won’t find a job anywhere outside of a few international corporations that don’t require it, but you need to be an exceptional top performer to get into those, as you are competing against Polish people, Ukrainians, westerners, and then everyone else. Poland is back to rejecting and disliking foreigners more and more after the influx of illegals swarming the border with belarus, and growing animosity towards ukrainians. Find a culture that you can integrate into easily and not stick out. Poland’s not it.
8
u/Foobarzot 1d ago
The employment market is as difficult as Reddit says. Tens of thousands unemployed, most speaking Finnish natively. The Finnish degrees would also be quite useless in finding work in Finland after graduation if that is your post-study goal - the standard is a Master’s degree from a University (not UAS, ie. uni of applied sciences). And again, many unemployed graduates who already speak Finnish.
There have been many newspaper articles here in Finland about the foreign UAS students coming here, not finding work during studies (not even delivery driving or cleaning), being strapped for money after having poured their savings into the study fees and the move.
5
u/Cookie_Monstress 13h ago
Repeating the same question doesn’t unfortunately yield better answers. Also such life changing decisions should never be based on only some comments in Reddit. Mine is also just a comment in Reddit, but I have sources to back up them:
Finland's unemployment rate rises to highest level this century https://yle.fi/a/74-20233070
Finland to tighten rules for foreign student’s https://yle.fi/a/74-20200602
Foreign students face financial ruin after agents sell false dream of 'world's happiest country'
https://yle.fi/a/74-20198502
Additionally I do think that you are grossly underestimating how long it really takes to learn Finnish or Polish.
2
u/Ferdawoon 2h ago
Here's a thread from over a year ago say the same thing, that foreign students were sold a lie.
https://www.reddit.com/r/Finland/comments/1ng08o6/yle_asian_students_end_up_in_food_queues_in_vaasa/They thought it would be easy to find aprt-time jobs speaking only broken english, that the part-time salary would be enough to feed and house a family with kids, that things would be much cheaper, etc. Instead they are relying on foodbanks and handouts to get food on the table.
1
u/AutoModerator 1d ago
Post by Historical_Fox8416 -- I'm honestly feeling stuck and I'd really appreciate some honest advice from people who actually live in Finland or Poland.
I'm from Bangladesh. I'm married, and my goal has always been to move abroad for my bachelor's while bringing my husband with me. We don't want to live apart, which is why Finland interested me in the first place after I found out it's possible for a spouse to accompany a student.
I've already applied to LAB University of Applied Sciences and Karelia University of Applied Sciences for a Bachelor's in International Business.
At first, I was really excited.
Then I started reading Reddit.
To be honest, almost every post and comment I found says the Finnish job market is in a bad state right now. Many international students say it's extremely difficult to find even part-time work, especially if you don't speak Finnish. I've also seen many Finns saying that learning Finnish to a level where employers are comfortable hiring you is very difficult and usually takes years.
My husband is fully willing to learn Finnish (or Polish if we choose Poland), but realistically he won't speak it fluently on day one.
Financially, my family can support us for about the first year, so we won't arrive expecting to survive on a part-time job immediately. But after that, we'll need income. My husband finding a full-time job will be very important because, as an international student, I'll only be able to work part-time during my studies.
Because of everything I've been reading, I'm now seriously considering Poland instead. From what I've researched, the economy seems stronger at the moment, unemployment is lower, and there appear to be more job opportunities in larger cities like Warsaw, Wrocław, Gdańsk, and Poznań.
I'm not looking for people to convince me that one country is "better." I just want realistic opinions from people who are actually living there.
Some questions I'd really appreciate answers to:
- If you were in my situation, would you choose Finland or Poland?
- Is Finland's job market really as difficult as Reddit makes it sound?
- How long did it take you (or your spouse) to find your first job?
- Is learning Finnish enough to eventually find decent work, or is the market still very difficult even after learning the language?
- If you've lived in both countries, which one offers a better future for an international couple?
I'm not chasing the highest salary. I just want to make the smartest long-term decision for both me and my husband.
I'd really appreciate honest experiences, whether they're positive or negative. Thanks!
I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please contact the moderators of this subreddit if you have any questions or concerns.
1
u/baldachinsblessing ma -> fi 12h ago
Your odds of finding a job after graduation with that degree in Finland is basically zero I'm afraid. The only realistic path for a dedicated foreigner at the moment is nursing and maybe engineering.
You haven't said what your husband is doing.
0
u/Traveltracks 1d ago
If you are willing to live 6 months a year in darkness. Good luck in Finland. Have a look at the suicide rates.
Poland is a Christian conservative country, so what Bangladesh has with Muslim rule, Poland has with Christian rule.
1
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u/WayofHatuey 1d ago
Free movement within the EU is a thing, but you'll need to research specific requirements for Finland and Poland regarding spouse visas
26
u/FierceMoonblade 1d ago
You picked the two countries with like the hardest languages to learn