Understanding Your International Competence
Why is International Competence an Important Working Life Skill?
Finnish working life is becoming rapidly more international, and workplaces are increasingly diverse in almost all fields. This means that you will meet people from different language and cultural backgrounds more often at work. As society becomes more diverse and international cooperation increases, it is important to understand different cultures and to be able to collaborate smoothly with people from various backgrounds.
The increasing diversity of workplaces is not just an inevitable trend but also a strength that can improve both the quality and productivity of working life. From the perspective of organisations, an international environment and diversity offer several advantages:
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New competences: Employees from abroad bring a wide range of skills, and expertise gained abroad can complement special areas that are missing from the domestic labour market.
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International networks: Networks created in international environments are valuable at work and can open new opportunities for companies.
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Cultural understanding: It is easier to join a work community that is used to multicultural interaction, and diverse work communities are able to recognise the needs and strengths of people from different backgrounds, for example as customers, partners, or employees.
According to the Finnish National Agency for Education, international skills belong to everyone’s basic skills and are needed in daily life and at work – whether your career takes you abroad or you stay in Finland. Even those starting their career in their home country need to be able to work with people from different backgrounds. For this reason, international competence is one of the most essential skills for the future for all students, not only for those going on exchange or dreaming about an international career.
What is international competence?
International competence is not a single skill, but rather a combination of knowledge, skills, attitudes, and values that develop through interaction with different cultures and languages, whether in everyday life, studies, or work. Although many employers may not list international experience as an important recruitment criterion, they value the abilities that are often developed through such experience.
Several studies and reports (including OECD, Finnish National Agency for Education & Demos Helsinki, Erasmus Impact Study) have summarised the types of abilities that can be developed through international experiences. These skills are not limited to certain education or countries—they can be gained in many situations, such as student exchange, multinational projects, or living in a new cultural environment.
Key international competences:
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Language skills and the ability to communicate in a multilingual environment
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Intercultural interaction and sensitivity to diversity
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Adaptability and resilience in new situations
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The ability to view matters from different perspectives
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Self-awareness and readiness to reflect on your own background and actions
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Problem-solving skills and decision-making in complex situations
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Creativity, curiosity, and taking initiative
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Perseverance, productivity, and stress tolerance
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Building global networks and cooperation skills
Simply moving to a new culture already brings valuable skills. Every challenge you solve abroad—whether it's making the decision to move, navigating study practices, or adapting to daily life—builds and strengthens important abilities: learning a new language, decision-making, flexibility, creativity, openness, cultural understanding, networking, and resilience. International experiences also often show initiative, courage, and the ability to act in uncertain situations—all skills that are highly valued in many fields.
International competence can open doors to the job market both in Finland and abroad. As a jobseeker, it is important that you identify, describe, and use all of your international competences in job searching and career planning.
The triangle in the image above illustrates the importance of international competence. At the top of the triangle, tolerance is shown as the peak skill gained through international experiences, supported by language skills and cultural knowledge. The triangle is divided into two levels: traditional skills such as language and culture, and extended competences that go even deeper.
At the broad base of the triangle, extended competences like productivity, curiosity, and resilience are highlighted. These qualities, which are especially developed through international experiences, are highly sought after in today’s dynamic and diverse job markets. They show that people with international experience are often more innovative, adaptable, and open-minded – exactly the qualities that Finnish companies need to successfully compete internationally.
According to the OECD (Global competence, PISA 2018), International Competence Includes:
This means being able to recognise phenomena and impacts both in your own environment and in the international context. You can see, for example, how social or economic changes affect different parts of the world, and you are able to connect these perspectives in your own thinking and actions.
This means having an open attitude and a willingness to listen to people who have different backgrounds, experiences, or opinions from your own. It is also about approaching others with empathy and being able to communicate constructively and mediate conflicts in multicultural and diverse situations.
This reflects your motivation to make a positive impact on common issues and to act responsibly, both as an individual and as part of a community. It means striving to promote environmental, economic, and social sustainability, as well as wanting to help build a fairer and better future for everyone.
Recognition of Qualifications Completed Abroad
Recognition of qualifications means an official decision about what kind of eligibility a qualification completed in another country gives you in Finland. Depending on the field, the recognition process is handled by the Finnish National Agency for Education (Opetushallitus), Valvira, or, for some specialised areas, by other authorities.
Certain fields, such as social and health care and education, have strict qualification requirements. For example, if you would like to work as a teacher, in health care jobs, or even in the construction sector in Finland, your previous qualification obtained abroad may need to be recognised.
Layla is a nurse from Sri Lanka pursuing a Master’s Degree in Health Care at Metropolia. She hoped to continue working as a nurse alongside her studies, but discovered that she must obtain the right to practise from Valvira in order to work as a legalised registered nurse in Finland.
Layla followed Valvira’s instructions on how to legalise her nursing qualification in Finland. Valvira will assess whether her education and competence meet Finnish legal requirements. If they do not fully align, Valvira may require her to complete additional studies, practical training, or undergo a competence test. For those who have completed their degree outside the EU/EEA, Valvira will always require supplementary studies and, in most cases, a period of supervised practice. Layla can complete these requirements at a Finnish university of applied sciences, provided that her language proficiency is at the required level (B1)
Layla has also started learning Finnish, as sufficient language proficiency is required in the healthcare sector.
Once Layla meets all requirements, Valvira will grant her the right to practise as a registered nurse in Finland.
Priya has completed a bachelor’s degree in education in India and has worked for several years as an English teacher for primary school-aged children. She moved to Finland and would like to continue as an English teacher here.
Priya has tried to apply for teaching positions, but without much success. During guidance, Priya learns that in Finland there are strict qualification requirements for teaching, and teachers are highly educated. To be qualified, you need a master’s degree, which Priya does not yet have.
At this point, it does not make sense for Priya to start the degree recognition process, because additional studies alone will not give her the qualification in Finland. Instead, it is better for her to start thinking about further studies at a Finnish university. She can get help with planning her study path from Metropolia’s SIMHE services.
Because there are only limited opportunities to work in the education sector in English in Finland, Priya sets her first goal to learn Finnish well. She also decides to study for a vocational qualification as a school assistant and begins to do substitute work in schools. Later, when her language skills have improved, she plans to apply for further studies to pursue a master’s degree and teacher qualification.
If you are wondering whether you need to have your foreign qualification recognised in Finland, read the Finnish National Agency for Education’s Guide to the Recognition of Qualifications.
Note, that if you complete a qualification in your field in Finland, you will gain the required eligibility upon graduation.
Equating the Level of a Foreign Higher Education Degree
In many public sector positions, such as posts with the state and municipalities, the law requires a certain level of higher education degree. If you are applying for such a job with a qualification completed abroad, you must apply for a decision from the Finnish National Agency for Education that equates your qualification to a higher education degree completed in Finland.
Often, Formal Recognition of a Degree is Not Needed
Official recognition of a qualification is often not necessary. In particular, in the private sector, employers usually make their own assessment of whether the applicant has the right competences for the job. In these situations, it is important to be able to describe your skills clearly and to match them to the job requirements.
Please note that qualifications and work experience from abroad may need further explanation for employers. It is important to be able to clearly communicate what kind of competences you have gained and how these skills will benefit the employer.
Further down on this page, you will find more tips on how to highlight the competences you have gained abroad for Finnish employers.
Adil completed a bachelor's degree in information technology in English in Turkey. He moves to Finland and applies for jobs as a software developer at a Finnish IT company.
In IT, employers most often assess the applicant’s skills themselves and do not require official recognition of the degree, unless the job specifically calls for it (for example, certain legally regulated positions). Adil presents his degree certificate, work samples, and work experience directly to the employer, and there is no need for a separate recognition decision from the Finnish National Agency for Education. He gets a position in the software development team because his professional skills and competences were found to be sufficient in the interview.
This is how Adil was able to work in his field without the official recognition of his qualification in Finland.
If you are unsure whether you need recognition or level equating for your foreign qualification in Finland, book an appointment for personal career guidance through Metropolia’s Job Teaser platform.
How Can You Make Your Competences Visible in Finland?
When you are looking for work in Finland with an international background, your degree or previous work experience from your home country does not always show your full skill set to employers. It is helpful to make your competences visible in the Finnish context as well. Even during your studies, you can look for opportunities where you can gain references and concrete proof of your skills in Finland. This can help employers see more clearly what you can offer their organisation.
For example, this can happen through:
where you apply your skills in practice.
Read more about Work Placements.
when you take part in events, workshops, or join professional communities in your field. These activities give you contact with working life and potential referees.
For example, check out these:
Volunteering is a great way to develop your competences, gain Finnish work experience, and make new contacts. The skills you learn and the activeness you show in voluntary work are appreciated by employers as well.
For example, Slush offers volunteering opportunities for international people who want to experience the world’s leading startup event in Helsinki: Slush Volunteering.
The Finnish Red Cross also has many different volunteering options: Red Cross Volunteering.
You can find more volunteer opportunities at Vapaaehtoistyö.fi
Read more about volunteering from the InfoFinland pages.
who can tell employers about your skills and approach to work.
In Finland, using referees during the job search is a common and trustworthy way to confirm your competences and working style. Instead of writing a separate letter of recommendation (as is common in many other countries), referees in Finland are usually people whom the employer can call during the final stage of recruitment and ask: “What kind of employee or student has this person been?”
The referee’s task is to confirm the impression you have given about yourself in your application and interview.
Read more about using referees on the page How to make a good CV.
Mentoring programmes can give you valuable information about the skill requirements, trends, and current topics in your field, as well as important networks. Experienced professionals can also share the know-how they have gained during their careers and help you clarify your career path and professional brand.
Mentoring for international talents and young professionals:
Luckan Integration: FIKA-mentoring programme
Suomen Mentorit – Mentoring in English
City of Espoo: EntryPoint Mentoring
Mentoring for future entrepreneurs:
Federation of Finnish Enterprises: Mentorisi.fi - mentoring programme for entrepreneurs
Metropolia Turbiini Business Incubator: Turbiini mentoring
Mentoring for women:
Auroras Network: Mentoring for women (basic Finnish language skills required)
Family Federation: Mentoring for educated women (intermediate Finnish language skills required)
Also explore:
- The toolkit's Networking page, and the articles The importance of Networking and The Art of Networking – where to start if you don’t know anyone in Finland
- JobTeaser’s recruitment, networking, and field-specific events.
- The toolkit's Job Search Support page
Compare Your Skills to the Job Market and Education in Your Target Country
Comparing your own competences to the job market and educational requirements of your target country helps you recognise your strengths, possible areas for development, and to describe your skills to employers in a convincing and clear way.
- Studying job advertisements: What skills, abilities, or experience are employers looking for? How do your competences match these requirements? Can you give concrete examples of what you have done and how you have learned the skills that employers are seeking? Do you need any additional skills?
- Exploring degree curricula in the target country: What competences are taught in, for example, a Finnish degree for a similar job? Compare the content of your foreign qualification to the content of degrees in Finnish educational institutions. What special skills do you have thanks to your education? Is there anything you should learn more about?
- Take a look at the material International Talent’s Job Search Toolkit for Higher Education Students.The material includes many exercises and questions that help you identify your skills.
Describing Your International Background in Job Applications
All competences you have gained, no matter in which country or circumstances, are valuable. If your previous work experience or education is from outside Finland, it is important first to identify the skills your experiences have given you and the added value your background brings to an employer. When you recognise your strengths and can use your international background as an asset, you stand out from the crowd.
Talking about your international experience and describing what you have learned abroad often requires you to reflect on your own skills. Ask yourself: In which situations have I developed? What value does my competence bring to an employer? How can my different background and my experiences benefit the employer or the work community?
As an international expert or a Finn who has lived abroad, you bring, for example:
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The ability to work in multicultural environments
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Deep understanding of your own cultural background
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The ability to face and live with uncertainty
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Resilience and adaptability
At the same time, you need to understand that experience gained abroad may not always be clear to an employer. It needs to be explained, made concrete, and described in a way that relates directly to the skills required for the job. It is important to communicate your experiences clearly and show how your background and competences will benefit the employer.
Below you will find practical tips, examples, and links to help you identify, describe, and present your skills convincingly—no matter where they were gained.
Think about situations where you have, for example:
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had to adapt to a new environment or way of working
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used your language skills or worked in a multilingual team
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learned to work with people from different cultural backgrounds
A good tool for this: Toolkit for Recognizing International Competences.
- Study job advertisements: what skills are employers looking for?
- Compare your own education and studies with similar Finnish degrees
- Think about which skills you can already show, and what you might still need to develop
Reflect:
- In what situations have you used intercultural competence, language skills, or international contacts?
- Tell what you did, where, when, and what you learned
- Describe the process, not just the end result (e.g. “I learned a new language quickly during my internship”)
- Connect your international experience with your main field
- Combine technical, cultural, and social competences with concrete examples
- Highlight attitudes, such as flexibility, initiative, or the ability to work in uncertainty
Examples:
- “I led a project team in English with members from four different countries. I learned to communicate clearly and to anticipate misunderstandings.”
- “I studied as an exchange student in France. I learned to adapt to new academic practices and to develop my time management in a multinational team.”
- “I was a tutor for new international students. I learned to explain the practices of Finnish study culture in an understandable way and to appreciate different approaches to learning.”
- “In an international project, I learned to manage technical solutions in a globally distributed team, as well as intercultural communication skills.”
Read more about describing your competences.
Sources and Further Reading:
- Maahanmuuttajien merkitys yritys- ja elinkeinotoiminnassa 2025 | Yrittajat.fi
- Mihin kansainvälistä osaamista tarvitaan? | Opetushallitus 2024
- Maahanmuuton vaikutus julkiselle sektorille on positiivinen | Elinkeinoelämän tutkimuslaitos Etla 2024
- Hidden Competences | Demos Helsinki & Finnish National Agency for Education
- OECD, Global competence | PISA 2018
- Moni osaa! -hanke | Työterveyslaitos
- Työelämä ja työt muuttuvat | TTK 2022
- Erasmus Impact Study | CIMO 2014
- Skills recognition, competence development and SIMHE-services| Finnish National Agency for Education (Euroguidance) & Laurea, Metropolia
- Occupations | European Skills, Competences, Qualifications and Occupations (ESCO)
- Kestävä urasuunnittelu voi alkaa myös omasta navasta | Laurea Journal