Being Whole: Beyond CVs and Job Hunting

Being an immigrant in Finland has often felt very clinical. You’re seen first and foremost as a worker – expected to write the perfect CV, network endlessly, chase opportunities, and constantly prove you’re the so called talent companies are looking for. It’s a cycle of showing your worth, always performing, rarely pausing.

But behind every immigrant there is a person – a story. At What The Finland & IE-Experts Project we believe that wellbeing, integration, and employment are not separate paths. They are deeply connected, and we all carry more than our job titles. We are feelings, memories, dreams, and struggles. We don’t need to fake strength when it hurts. We are allowed to be whole – to speak honestly, feel fully, and be heard just as we are.

Right now, we are proud to be training a new group of Integration and Employment Experience Experts – and once again, this course has been a true success. This Wednesday, we had the privilege of hearing the powerful story of Sini Kirvesmäki, a deeply experienced expert by experience. Her honesty moved us all, and what we learned: When we show our scars, others know they can heal too.

Let’s keep building the future where we can show up fully – as humans, not just names on job applications. Not just people trying to fit in, but individuals who truly belong. Seen, heard, and valued beyond our résumés. Let’s keep building the future where no one has to shrink themselves to be accepted, and where being real matters more than being perfect.