Being a software engineer in Finland, Helsinki

I am writing this to help for those who want to move to Finland or curious about how is it like to work as a software engineer in Finland :) I’ve been living here for nearly 7 years and I won’t lie that I love everything here, but it is quite okay to live here as an expat. Most of the Finns speak English well. The thing is that Finns are not so social, but once they open their mind then you can stay as friends for quite long time, but it just takes more time than other nation friends. In winter here, depression hits many people here especially if you’re not used to it. As a Korean myself I am used to coldness so it is okay, but darkness is something that I still cannot get used to it even after living here more than 5+ years. Basically dark period already starts around end of October to roughly March-April, and this is lasting indeed half of the year! As for my profession, I think job market for software engineer is not so easy if you’re looking for a entry or junior positions. Helsinki of course has more English speaking job openings than other cities in Finland, but still the job openings are quite limited to big corporations to English speakers. As for work life balance, it is great. Nobody usually pushes you to work overtime or it is not common at all to work in the evenings or on the weekends (but of course this does not mean that there is nobody who works overtime, there are workaholics everywhere 🤣😃) You would like here if you like slow-paced, relaxing family life. I feel like time flows slower here and people are more relaxed especially compared to my hometown, back in Seoul where there are 10 million+ people. But if you’re passionate and look for constant challenges and opportunities and want a dynamic environment, Finland may not be for you. Finland is indeed a happiest country in the world (now 5 years in a row!) but it does not mean that it is a happiest country for everyone in the world.