Sudipta Chatterjee has built her career through perseverance

Education export specialist Sudipta Chatterjee moved from India to Finland 18 years ago and knew immediately she had come to the right country. She wants to encourage other international talents to pursue their dreams in Finland.

Sudipta Chatterjee realized on the very day she arrived in Finland that this was a good place to live and build a life. She understands well why Finland is so often ranked the happiest country in the world. However, Sudipta believes that contentment might be a better word to describe the uniqueness Finland offers.

“ Happiness comes through contentment. People here are satisfied with their lives.”

Sudipta works at Savonia University of Applied Sciences as an education export specialist and is enthusiastic about the new opportunities being created for international talents. She coordinates cooperation with key partners in South Asia.

“My supervisor and colleagues support me, and Finns in general have given me tremendous support and a safe space to grow, express my opinions, and be myself. I have never experienced anything unpleasant related to being a foreigner,” Sudipta says.

Sudipta is responsible for Savonia’s education exports, particularly the diploma programmes (Pathway Diploma Programmes) in South Asia. The programme serves as a “gateway” for international students to pursue degree studies.

Sudipta works with people with her whole heart

Sudipta works with people with great passion and commitment. She wants to develop services that help international professionals. When she arrived in Finland 18 years ago, she planned to make use of her teacher training. However, the Finnish school system turned out to be very different from schools in India.

“It was a shock to me that teachers in Finland were not obeyed in the same way as in India. I decided to study for a Bachelor of Business Administration (BBA) degree at Savonia, and after that I also completed a Master’s degree in Business Administration at the University of Eastern Finland,” Sudipta explains.

Sudipta has also completed the National Certificate of Language Proficiency (YKI) test, which is required when applying for Finnish citizenship. She took the test after studying Finnish for only one year and encourages other immigrants to do the same. She was granted Finnish citizenship after completing the test, about 15 years ago.

“The YKI test is not impossible at all, even though it may feel that way at first,” Sudipta encourages.

Perseverance paid off in job hunting

Sudipta has also worked at Savonia as a project planner before her current position. Her career has included roles as a sales and marketing coordinator as well as a sales and marketing manager in previous workplaces. She secured these positions by being persistent and determined during the job application process. She had heard that if employers did not respond, it meant you were not selected.

“I didn’t give up. I kept messaging them again and again, saying I could come and discuss things further, and that’s how I got the jobs. For one position, I practically sold myself. They didn’t even have a recruitment process going on, and at first they hesitated, but I got an interview. Again, I heard nothing—so I eventually walked in with a PowerPoint presentation and showed them what they were missing and how I could help. That’s how they ended up hiring me,” Sudipta laughs.

The doors to Savonia opened for a second time when Sudipta heard that the institution was planning to expand into the Indian market, and a former colleague was simultaneously going on study leave. Sudipta first helped students in student services before moving into international education exports.

Sudipta feels she has become Finnish

When she arrived in Finland, Sudipta was amazed at how few people there were and how smoothly things like dealing with authorities worked. Tasks were completed in ten minutes without queuing, and no one needed to be bribed to speed things up. In India, competition is intense and the population is large.

“One funny thing happened when winter was approaching. Everyone warned me about it, so I asked a friend when summer would come. He replied, ‘When the snow melts.’ I was happy when the first snow melted and thought, ‘Well, that wasn’t such a bad winter—summer must be coming now.’ My friend laughed and said summer doesn’t come that quickly. Eventually, winter became extremely cold, with temperatures dropping to minus 35 degrees,” Sudipta recalls.

In addition to her salaried work in Finland, Sudipta has taught Bollywood dance at an adult education centre and done a lot of volunteer work. She no longer teaches dance, but still dances for her own enjoyment. These days, her free time is spent walking and ice swimming with her husband. She also helps her 12-year-old son a great deal with his schoolwork.

“I notice how Finnish I’ve become when I visit India. My clothing has become less colorful, and my friends ask why I’m so quiet. I even try to wait for my turn to speak there, even though the local custom is that everyone talks over each other.”

You need a bit of Finnish sisu

Sudipta has many valuable tips for foreigners moving to Finland. For example, women should not stay at home even if they move to Finland because of their spouse’s job. It’s important to look for work, start studying, or at least make time for personal hobbies.

“Before moving, it’s also good to find out which fields are hiring, because employment is so challenging nowadays. You should also develop your skills to stay competitive. Immigrants don’t only compete with Finns, but also with other immigrants. Learning Finnish is highly recommended, as it makes life easier and opens doors to jobs,” Sudipta reminds.

According to her, you also need a bit of Finnish sisu—you must not give up. Finland is a good country to live in. If you lack skills or a job, you should actively work toward them.

“We do the same in our own countries. Don’t lose hope. It’s also important to do volunteer work and help others instead of just waiting for others to help you. Don’t beg for jobs—clearly show why you should be hired. No one cares what you can do until you show how you can help them and be useful. This applies to both immigrants and Finns alike,” Sudipta concludes.

Volunteering is also an excellent way to meet new people and build networks that can open doors to job opportunities—this is how Sudipta herself got her first job at Savonia. In general, it’s worth keeping your eyes open and your mind open to see how many good things Finland has to offer, she points out. It can feel discouraging not to have a job, but enjoy what you do have.

“Little by little, you’ll notice how much good there is around you.”

Text: Minna Akiola
Photos: Sudipta Chatterjee