Mentoring is a two-way relationship which supports learning and helps individuals develop their potential. At its best, it can go beyond traditional career advice and offer new insights both to the mentee and the mentor. Finlay Hare and Hannele Ranta share their mentoring journey and what they have learned from it. 

Finlay Hare is a talented cellist from Jersey, Great Britain who did his master’s degree in classical music at the University of Bergen in Norway. After graduation, he moved to Kuopio with his Finnish wife. He is currently working as a substitute cellist at Joensuu City Orchestra and performs as a duet with his wife in the company called Musiikkia maaseudulla. To broaden and diversify his skills alongside music, he is now in his second year of studies for a Bachelor of Engineering, Information Technology (IoT) at Savonia.

Hannele Ranta is a development engineer at SP Stainless. Now, she is on study leave doing her master’s in technology focusing on innovative management. Also, she acts as chairman of the board of Kuopio Nuorkauppakamari.

Hannele and Finlay started their collaborative path in January as a part of the mentoring programme offered by the Talent Hub Eastern Finland project. They have met a few times and discussed the skills required in the Finnish job market.

“Hannele has helped me with CV writing and read my cover letter. In a one-to-one session, we did a mind map to see what my skills are in general and what I can do”, Finlay says.

For Finlay, the reasoning behind the participation in this kind of activity is straightforward. It helps him figure out what sort of things he should focus on to get employment after graduation and use his time wisely in school.

“This is the first step before actually getting a job – being proactive, increasing your chances to nail it in the interview, and getting some advice.”

Hannele stepped into the role of mentor to bring some perspective into students’ thinking of their prospects and to help them navigate the complexities of career development.

“Another, more practical reason was to speak more English. My speaking skills are better now than when we started”, Hannele mentions.

Going beyond traditional career advice

For Finlay, the mentoring experience transcends conventional professional advisory. It serves as a sounding board for aspirations and frustrations alike, fostering a sense of purpose and clarity amidst the unfamiliar terrain of the IT field and future job prospects.

“Studying a new subject as large as IT is challenging and the path forwards to employment feels sometimes unclear, so it’s nice to have someone to talk to.”

For Hannele, being a mentor functions as an eye-opener on the universal challenges faced by students transitioning into working life.

“Both Finnish and international students have the same concerns and insecurities. Mentoring provides an opportunity to understand their situation and have an insight into the future workforce.”

Together, they envision a broader impact for mentoring initiatives, advocating for inclusive programmes that bridge cultural divides and foster collaborative learning among students of diverse backgrounds.

“It is surprising how little you can speak Finnish and meet Finns during your studies. Mixing locals and internationals more into the same groups would help”, Finlay sums up.

Become a mentor for international students

Nearly 2,000 international students complete their degrees in higher education institutions in Eastern Finland, most of whom (about 80%) would like to stay and find employment in the area. The challenge is that students do not have enough connections to working life in Eastern Finland during their studies. Employment after graduation is difficult, especially for university graduates, and up to half of them move away from the area.

The mentoring programme implemented in cooperation with Talent Hub Eastern Finland aims to respond to this challenge by intensifying the work-life connections of international higher education students. The group mentoring programme brings together employers, experts from different fields and international students.

You as a working life professional can help us solve the problem – we need your expertise. Share your experience with future talent and become a mentor!

Mentoring provides the mentor with

• up-to-date information on higher education and the future workforce
• expansion of the professional network
• development of coaching and interaction skills
• new perspectives and the opportunity to learn about different cultures
• the opportunity to structure and mirror one’s skills and experience

Learn more about the possibilities of mentoring and participate in an introduction webinar on 8 May:

Join the meeting now