Setting career goals

There are many different tests and tools available to support your career planning. They can help you consider your career options, but to make the most of these tools you need to know yourself at least a little. No test can do the self-reflection for you. Having a skills profile makes answering tests easier. You might also discover new skills while doing the tests – remember to update your skills profile afterwards!

Below, you will find examples of various career tests. Click the headings for more information.

• Try Hyria’s digital tool to assess and develop your career planning skills
• Career skills app (in English)
• Duunitori’s career test:
• A Real Me career test
• Studentum career test
• Ossi tool for recognising your strengths and skills
• NYT Duunikone
• Artificial Intelligence in Job Search

It is often helpful to reflect on your career direction together with someone else. An outsider may find it easier to see opportunities and options you might overlook. You can bring your skills profile to these discussions – it helps others quickly understand the type of person you are. Fruitful discussions can happen with a career coach, study counsellor, teacher, or mentor – but your conversation partner does not have to be a career guidance professional. It’s also valuable to discuss your career ideas with friends, colleagues, and fellow students.

Below are some examples of where you can find different types of discussion support:

• Career guidance
• Mentoring programmes
• Networking with professionals

Get to know the roles and tasks in different fields. Increasing your knowledge will help you recognise which subjects or sectors you want to learn more about and which ones you are interested in. At the same time, you can compare the skills required in your field to your own set of skills. Reading career stories and talking with experts will give you insight into what the work is really like and whether it matches your strengths. You can also use artificial intelligence when exploring different career options.

• Työmarkkinatori’s professional information pages are meant for anyone interested in working life—for example, to support career and degree planning. On these pages, you will find descriptions of jobs and sectors, and you can read interviews and career stories of people working in different professions.
• Duunitori’s career guide explains what professionals do in various fields, what studies can lead you into those careers, what is required and expected in each role, and typical salaries.
• At Ammattikorkeakouluun.fi you can browse degree programs at universities of applied sciences by sector.
• Yliopistovalinnat.fi provides centralised information on university degree programmes across Finland.
• Töissä.fi shows you where graduates from universities and universities of applied sciences are employed.
• You can also explore university and university of applied sciences websites for information about where their degrees can lead and examples of career prospects.

By learning about the local labour market, you can better understand which sectors have the most open positions. This helps you assess your employment prospects and competition in different fields. In areas where competition is tough, you’ll need to pay extra attention to your job search skills and active networking.

Understanding your region’s job market and employment trends can also help you focus your job search on areas and fields where demand for workers is highest. This can influence your choices about what kind of job you want to do, and where you want to live and work.

The sources below provide information on overall employment in Finland and job prospects in different sectors:

• Labour force Barometer offers information on employment trends in various sectors. The “labour availability and matching report” allows you to explore how job markets are developing for different sectors and occupations, even at the regional level.
• The Labour Market Forecast provides an overview of employment trends in Finland. This forecast is compiled by the Ministry of Economic Affairs and Employment.
• The Employment Bulletin is a monthly report prepared by the Ministry of Economic Affairs and Employment on the general employment situation in Finland.
• It’s also a good idea to check the websites of professional unions in the fields you are interested in. Unions gather up-to-date information about employment and training needs in their sector.

Read what our students and alumni say about studying at Metropolia.

LinkedIn offers the chance to explore the career paths of professionals in different fields. You can also learn about the education, job roles, and skills required in various careers. 

You’ll find career stories on the Työmarkkinatori website and at toissa.fi.

A musician who loves playing (passion) and is good at it (skills), and feels they bring joy to others (world needs), but does not earn enough from it (money), might find the work meaningful and enjoyable, but ongoing financial stress can cause insecurity about the future.

A young person follows in their parents’ footsteps in the family business or field, is good at it and is paid well (skills and money), and the job benefits the community (world needs), but they do not enjoy or feel passionate about the work. Everyday life can feel routine or even meaningless.

If you are well paid and skilled in your job, but the work itself feels pointless or does not match your values (the world does not “need” it from your perspective), the job can start to feel futile and it is hard to stay motivated.

These examples show that it is rare to find a career that combines all four Ikigai areas, but aiming for their balance can help you make better, more meaningful career choices for yourself.

In career planning, it is important not only to consider your own Ikigai, but also how it fits with a potential employer’s or organisation’s Ikigai. Organisations often have their own values, principles, and mission – in other words, their own Ikigai. When your Ikigai and the employer’s Ikigai match, you are more likely to find shared motivation, commitment, and long-term wellbeing at work.

Examples of what this can look like in practice:

• Shared values:
  If, for example, ecological sustainability is important to you and you are passionate about fighting climate change (your Ikigai: making an impact on the world sustainably), you might feel a strong sense of purpose working for a company whose business is based on environmental responsibility.
• Making use of your strengths:
  If your strengths are in communication and helping people, and you work for an organisation whose Ikigai is improving clients’ lives, you can use your talents and feel your work is valuable both to you and to others.
• Growth opportunities:
  If continuous learning and development matter to you, choose a workplace that truly offers chances to learn, build your career, or experiment with new ideas. For example, in a start-up, employees are often given freedom and responsibility to implement their ideas, which matches the Ikigai of many motivated by innovation.
• Broader social impact:
  For some, Ikigai may be linked to making a difference in society or promoting social justice. In that case, you might find your purpose in working for an NGO or a public sector role where your actions clearly benefit society.

Some practical ways to assess compatibility:

• Read the organisation’s values and mission carefully, go through their website and look for staff stories about company culture.
• Reflect on whether you see your own values and sources of motivation in their communications.
• At a job interview, you can ask: “What is the most important mission of this organisation, and what motivates you?”
• Find out how the company supports staff development or participation in common goals.

When your Ikigai matches your organisation’s Ikigai, you get more from your work than just a salary – you have a chance to grow, succeed, and contribute to a shared goal that really matters to you.

Sometimes you may end up in a job where the tasks and company culture do not match your own values, hopes, or goals. This can lead to inner conflicts, loss of motivation, or an increased risk of burnout. For example, if you value teamwork but end up in a highly independent and competitive workplace, you might start to feel out of place.

Knowing your own Ikigai gives you a compass to guide your way. It can support both your career choices and your active job search: view job adverts through the “Ikigai lens”. Does this role let you use your strengths? Do the employer’s values match yours? In this way, you increase your chances of finding a job that is meaningful, motivating and right for you.