My Career: From Start to Finnish
Malaysian entrepreneur Anita emphasises networking here
Anita Navaratnam, Malaysia. Health data analytics entrepreneur
Anita first came to Finland on a junior executive scholarship programme but stayed on longer as she was offered jobs in different companiesafter the programme ended. She hasover 15 years of international business management experience in various industries such as telecommunication, digital health, design and finance, and is now an entrepreneur. Apart from Helsinki, Anita has lived and worked in the US, Copenhagen, Singapore and Malaysia.
1. What I find surprising about working in Finland is…
the willingness of Finns to genuinely help you to connect to their networks for both social and business aspects. As Finland is a small country, connections to others can be easily found among friends and business partners.
2. If I could change one thing about Finnish working life it would be…
to get smaller companies in Finland to work together to create stronger business alliances to enable them to participate in larger-scale projects. This would help these companies to both strengthen their collective offering and quickly scale up their business globally.
3. My favourite thing about Finland is…
the ability to find peace and silence anywhere (even in the middle of the city) to collect your thoughts. There is always a park, waterfront or forest nearby to help you to find that meditative moment anywhere.
4. How I became an entrepreneur is …
a good example of the importance of networks in Finland. I have worked for several companies here before becoming an entrepreneur. My corporate jobs were gained through active networking. My network has been a tremendous help in helping me start my own company as well as giving continuous support in my business.
5. The piece of advice I would give to someone contemplating coming to work in Finland is…
that Finland is a great place to learn new skills and participate in various activities through hobby clubs. Participate in a hobby or activity that you have never done before like sailing, orienteering or mushroom picking – which is a perfect way to meet new people and to learn something new.