A smooth dive into the Finnish way of living
Turku feels like home to Iranian-born Software Developer Soroosh Taefi. He praises the relocation process of his company Vaadin, which helped him to settle into a new job and everyday life in Finland.
You moved from Iran to Turku, Finland with your wife Shiva. How was it to settle in here?
I find Turku very welcoming. People are willing to help, and I feel very comfortable about asking people for advice, both at workplace and everywhere in the city.
You work as a Software Developer for Vaadin. What do you do there?
Vaadin is a web app development platform for Java. I help with maintaining and improving it. Through the platform, we help thousands of software professionals around the world.We handle many technical and security aspects, so they can focus more on solving their business specific challenges.
What are you passionate about in your work?
In software development, there are no pre-existing recipes to do many things, and you must be on a problem-solving mode every day. Vaadin framework is open source, and it is important for me to be a part of such a movement in software engineering.
You had a friend from Iran already working for Vaadin. How did that affect on your decision to move to Finland?
It was a very important factor. It created peace of mind for me to have somebody around that I already knew. I could ask him about everything related to work and everyday life in Finland. He was also an important emotional support.
How did Vaadin’s relocation package help you to settle in Finland?
The company helped with paperwork and paid the expenses of coming here and settling in for the first month. They assigned a colleague as “a buddy”, who helped me to settle in. They also have this “cookbook of local services” that helps when you need a doctor’s appointment or stuff like that.
Why is it important for companies to put an effort into the relocation process of an international talent?
I think it’s very important that the companies have a welcoming attitude towards newcomers and that they help them to settle in. A good relocation package gives you a sense of security. You can then decide more easily to just risk it and see what happens in a new country.
Why do you want to stay in Finland?
Because the country is peaceful and because work-life-balance is valued in Finnish companies. At the end of the day, it is the small things that make you happy in life: the opportunity to walk around nature when going to work, no hassle with traffic, a peaceful neighbourhood to live in. Turku feels like home to us.
What do you see in the future?
Software development is changing quickly and profoundly. Software developers don’t only have to learn new things, they must be able to change their whole mindset of how to think about their work. I am really excited to see what comes next. Who knows what the future holds?
Relocating to the Turku region
- Read up on the basics you need to know before moving to Turku and Southwest Finland
- For international newcomers to the region, check out the services provided by International House Turku
Photos and text: Heidi Pelander
The title photo: taken at ´Wäino Aaltonen Museum of Art, exhibition by Anu Tuomi: Colour Vibrations