I switched my job and country – but without leaving NCC
I seized the opportunity, turned my job into an adventure and swapped Finland for Gothenburg. It’s not all been plain sailing – there have been some challenges with the language, culture and colleagues. But I haven’t regretted a single day since I grabbed this unique opportunity.
One day, my manager back home in Finland came up to me and asked: “Konsta, how do you feel about working at NCC in Gothenburg instead?” The manager had returned from a course about the mega projects in Gothenburg and asked this question. I answered “Yes!” right away, but realized I needed to discuss this with my partner as well. Luckily, she was excited about the prospect of coming along with me, so after I’d been interviewed and got the job, we decided to move to Gothenburg.
I’ve now been on the Centralen project in Gothenburg for over six months, and I’m working as a supervisor on framework supplements. It’s an exciting challenge for me. Supplementing the framework involves carrying out work after the concrete has been cast, such as painting walls, installing walkways, elevators and escalators – there are 30 escalators to be installed. This is the area closest to my background in Building, which made the transition easier.
You need courage to switch country
It already struck me when I joined NCC four years ago that we have operations in the other Nordic countries, but I’ve come to realize that exchanges between the countries still seem to be quite limited. I think it’s a shame, because you have a unique opportunity to switch country and try out new tasks, without having to terminate your employment. Switching your country and job can seem a bit crazy, it takes courage and an appetite for adventure. But my partner and I thought “it’s now or never, now while we’re still young”. So far, things have gone well and I’ve had the opportunity to learn a lot of new things.
After three months in the job, I felt comfortable and “settled in”, but it was difficult with the language at the beginning, even though I’d learned Swedish at school in Finland. So, in the first few months I spoke mostly English, but now I can speak Swedish fluently, even though I have a Finnish accent. To practice my language, I play Duolingo every day on the bus to work. In my spare time, I enjoy skateboarding and do some voluntary work in a skateboard hall, which has helped me make a lot of new Swedish friends.
/Konsta-Pietari Koivisto, Supervisor E02 Centralen
No major differences
I think there is a difference between the people in Finland and Sweden – Swedes seem to be happier and friendlier. In addition to the experiences I’m acquiring at work, the best thing about my job at Centralen is all my amazing colleagues. Apart from that, there are some differences in IT systems and the like, and those are the biggest differences compared to working in Finland.
But there’s a big advantage to living in Gothenburg – you can take the train and be in almost any Nordic city in just a few hours! This is fantastic for me and my partner, as we can now explore cities like Stockholm, Oslo and Copenhagen at weekends. In Finland, you often have to fly to visit other cities, which can be a hassle when you have a dog – so in our free time we become tourists.
In a few years, I’d like to try working in Copenhagen too – I’d like to experience all the Nordic Countries!