Agaisnt all odds, Rabia Khan quickly secured a job in Finland during a one-month visit. One year later, she is retracing her steps to learn the language, make sense of the highly competitive labor market and come to terms with her new environment. She sat down with FTTLG to share her unique story.
When Rabia Khan left a thriving career in bustling Karachi, Pakistan, she knew she wanted to reinvent her life in Finland. In just four weeks during a holiday break, she managed to secure a job offer at a Finnish b2b startup.
“I had this plan of having these interviews and I was on talking terms with a lot of people and because of my graphic skills I didn't have to bear the language barrier. So that is the point where I thought that I should try my luck. I ended up with three interviews and getting a job within that time span.”
Facing harsh realities
However one year later, amid Finland’s faltering economic recovery, Rabia finds herself facing less than rosy employment prospects in the same labour market that she’d previously sailed through. With the startup that hired her falling on hard times, she says it’s not as easy to get an interview, let alone a job.
“So our startup is in a very financially burdened phase where sooner or later I might lose my job. I started looking around for different opportunities because I knew that to land another job it will take 6-7 months or maybe 8 months of time,” she noted.
“But this is a harsh reality Denise that nowadays you don't even lend an interview let alone the job, right? So this is a harsh reality I believe a lot of people can relate to,” she continued.
"This hijab is my pride"
Although she says her foreign name and hijab may be adversely affecting her chances of finding a new position, Rabia remains optimistic that she will accomplish her dream of a settled life in Finland for herself and her family.
“I know for a fact that this is a barrier, this is a barrier, my name especially. So a lot of people recommended me having a fake name. But yeah, that's what people are facing. But I know that this hijab is my pride. It defines who I am.”
At the time of recording in June 2024, Rabia’s husband and son were in Pakistan, while her young daughter was with her in Finland. The marketer said her daughter has been a major factor in helping her to find new friends and build relationships in a place where people tend to keep to themselves and newcomers find it difficult to fit in.
Listen to Rabia’s full story on Season 2 Episode 5 of FTTLG. You can follow and subscribe to Finland: Through the looking glass on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts and Spotify for Podcasters (formerly Anchor.fm). Remember to like, share and rate the show and follow us on Facebook and Instagram.
Audio production was provided by Travis Glossop and the podcast was recorded at Enchanté Café in Helsinki.
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