Mentoring programme helped with job applications and CV

Text: Siiri Welling
Photo: Roosa Huttunen, Jurre van der Mije 

Jurre van der Mije, who came to Finland from the Netherlands to study international business, sought guidance and mentoring for his career choices during his studies. By chance, he saw a news article from Turku University of Applied Sciences that advertised a mentoring programme for alumni activities.  

“I felt I needed help from someone who had once been in the same situation as me and could help. Luckily, I got Roosa as my mentor, who has had similar experiences”, says van der Mije. 

Van der Mije met Roosa Huttunen for the first time at a joint kick-off meeting in autumn 2022. Since then, they have met regularly, about once a week. Huttunen herself graduated from Turku University of Applied Sciences with a degree in industrial engineering and management, and currently works at Valmet Automotive in logistics at the Uusikaupunki plant. She heard about the mentoring programme through an alumni newsletter, and thought she could help another person with their studies or career plans.

“I know something about what it's like to write applications and look for your own direction. I used to work in sales, but it didn't feel quite like my own field. That's why I can relate to Jurre's situation and experiences”, says Huttunen.  

Concrete advice 

Van der Mije is scheduled to graduate at the end of the year. As a foreign student, he was unfamiliar with Finland's job search practices and corporate culture. That is why the duo focused on improving van der Mije's job search, for example refining his CV and application letters. In addition, they discussed about possible companies for van der Mije to apply for a job.  

“Roosa was able to advise me well when looking for a job. In the past, I applied for all kinds of jobs and was unsure if I didn't have the perfect skills for all the tasks right away. Roosa assured me that I didn't need to know everything right away, that I could learn little by little.” 

Be open 

Huttunen and van der Mije recommend the mentoring programme to all students who feel they need help with their career plans. However, according to Van der Mije, the student must be ready to receive criticism and advices. He goes on to say that the mentoring programme may be suitable for both those changing careers and those who already have a CV in order. Through networking, you can get a lot of good tips for the future.  

Both go on to say that it is important for students to be open to different career and course options. 

“I often say that you should never focus too much on just one substance. During your studies, it is good to try as many different things as possible and test your own interests”, says Huttunen.  

“In addition, everyone should study ICT at least to some extent. At least it seems that with that know-how you can get a job almost anywhere”, van der Mije laughs.  

The two will not continue their meetings in the autumn, as the mentoring programme ended in the spring. However, Huttunen is ready to help van der Mije if he needs help.  

“If necessary, I can help him with applications and offer advice as much as I can.”  

A total of 23 couples from health, technology and business, as well as culture and arts participated in the mentoring programme for the academic year 2022–2023. The mentoring programme is implemented annually. The next program will start in October 2023 and continue until April 2024.