Among other matters, Ekaterina Miettinen spoke about the importance of punctionality, being on time for example, in the Finnish society.A hundred students, from Karelia University of Applied Sciences and UEF, were present at the Big Part event organized by Joensuu Entrepreneurship Society. Three speakers came to tell their experiences and inform students on international business possibilities. According to all the speakers, a good knowledge about the culture of the country where you want to do business is the main point when dealing internationally.
Joonas Karvinen, Ekaterina Miettinen and Jussi Hurskainen all deal with international business at different level in their everyday work and try to connect the international business to Joensuu. Karvinen deals with culture in international business, and also how to prepare yourself to international quests.
“When you work for an international business, you have to deal with different culture and prepare yourself,” according to Karvinen.
In order to not fail a deal, one needs to know what are the cultural differences concerning the power level for example, or the importance the society gives to family.
“Russian people care a lot about your level of power. If you deal with Russians, it’s common to rent a kind of luxurious car the time of the deal for example, to have the same power level than your interlocutor,” says Karvinen.
Before dealing with someone from a foreign country, there is a need to prepare for the meeting and be well-informed on the culture of the other country.
Big Part event gives concrete opportunities for international students looking for work in Finland and abroad.
“I learned that there are many employers and organisations looking for students, but they cannot always find them easily. This is something JoES focuses on: supporting students and connecting them with businesses,” according to Simo Kettunen, board member of JoES and project manager of Big Part.
Thats why Miettinen, a multi-talented Russian expert in international business and the Russian market, living in Finland for 15 years, started her own project in Joensuu TalentHub.
This project encourages businesses in Joensuu to gain new knowledge and skills by hiring international interns. According to her, what is expected when you apply for a job in Finland is often know the basics in the Finnish language, be able to work in a team and take responsibility.
“Punctuality is something very important in the Finnish society. If someone wants to apply for a job, they need to be on time every day, and it starts from the university,” says Miettinen.
In her presentation, she said that when you apply for job abroad, knowing the culture of the new country is important. Hurskainen, CEO since 2003 of his international company Arcusys, added that to start your own business dealing with international business, “you must persist, never give up and always learn from your previous experiences and try to improve your business.”
He reflects how a local business of two men grew into a successful global player. Today, besides Europe Hurskainen has extended his company to Germany, Russia, UK and USA.
Päivitys 23.5: Jutussa mainittu Arcusys on 17. toukokuuta 2018 vaihtanut nimekseen Valamis.