How do you enter the workforce with little work experience?

If you have just graduated or do not have a lot of work experience, remember that finding full-time work is not the only way to enter the workforce. Alternatively, you can work part-time to gain work experience and receive unemployment benefits at the same time. In addition, there are various services available to support your job search: for example, you can seek education and training, participate in employment promoting services or try self-employment.

5 tips for young jobseekers

1. Are you under 25 years of age?
   
   If you do not have vocational qualifications and are under 25 years of age, you must apply for a place of study in the spring in order to receive unemployment benefits.
   
   You can explore your study options in the Studyinfo.fi service or ask TE Services for help.
   
   Rolling admission is available for some vocational education, for example.

2. Do you need education or career coaching?
   
   If it feels difficult to find work, you could benefit from employment promoting services.
   
   Services such as job search training and career coaching are available to young people to support their employment. If you are unemployed, you can also study (in Finnish at elämässä.fi) or participate in a work try-out.
   
   For the duration of an employment promoting service, you will receive basic unemployment allowance or labour market subsidy without means-testing. This means that your own income or your parents’ income will not reduce your labour market subsidy during the employment promoting service.
   
   Read more about the services available to you to support your employment (tyomarkkinatori.fi).

3. Do you work part-time or do temporary jobs?
   
   Even if you work part-time or do temporary jobs, you can receive adjusted unemployment benefit at the same time. Adjusted unemployment benefit means that the amount of your unemployment benefit is reduced in line with your wage or salary.
   
   The more income you get from employment or self-employment, the more your unemployment benefit is reduced. However, working is financially worthwhile, as each euro you earn only reduces the benefit by 50 cents.
   
   In order to receive adjusted unemployment benefit, you must stay registered as a jobseeker with TE Services.
   
   Read about Samu’s experiences of combining part-time work and unemployment benefits (in Finnish at elämässä.fi). 

4. Are you interested in self-employment?
   
   You can receive unemployment benefits for 4 months if you start self-employment while unemployed.
   
   Enterprise Agencies and the Suomi.fi service provide advice on planning business activities.

5. Do you need more support?
   
   For help with matters related to work, education and everyday life, contact a One-Stop Guidance Center (Ohjaamo) or the outreach youth work (in Finnish at entit.fi) in your municipality.
   
   Kela also supports young people in finding their own direction, for example with rehabilitation. Vocational rehabilitation for young persons provides support for finding a suitable field of study, finding work or continuing studies.