Tips for starting your career
Looking for your first job or a summer job? Or have you already got a job and are wondering about the intricacies of employment? We can help you make a smooth transition in a variety of ways. We can advise you on employment questions and job search – without forgetting your income security!
At the beginning of your career, you may have many questions in mind: what kind of work do I want to do, what are my skills, what are my strengths and goals? What are my rights and obligations in the employment relationship? Getting started on a career path that suits you is easier if you get to know yourself and your interests. Understanding the rules of the game and the tools to help you find a job will also help.
On this page, we’ve put together the information you need to get started!
Employment information helps in different situations in working life
An employment contract should always be in writing. It is then easier to show what has been agreed.
How do you know how much you should be paid for a job? What about adjustments or bonuses? What can you do if you don’t get paid?
Working time is the time spent at work and the time that the employee is obliged to be at the employer’s disposal at the workplace. As working life has changed, new forms of working time have emerged.
Employment can end, for example, at the end of a fixed-term contract, by mutual agreement or when the employee resigns.
First job
In working life, you work according to certain principles, laws and conditions. Familiarising yourself and your employer with your rights and obligations is a good way to get your employment relationship off to the best possible start.
Remember these:
- Always make a written employment contract in which you agree on the terms and conditions of employment
- Ask for a proper and adequate orientation for your new job
- Join an unemployment fund to qualify for income support
- Check your pay slip and holiday pay slips
Fixed-term or part-time work
Summer work is usually fixed-term – what does it mean? Part-time work, on the other hand, has its own set of rules that you should learn to understand.
Rights and obligations at work
In the early stages of working life, it is important to understand the rights and obligations of both the employee and the employer in the employment relationship. This lays the foundation for a functioning employment relationship. The Employment Contracts Act defines the general obligations of the employment relationship for both the employer and the employee.
The employee’s obligations include working in accordance with the contract and following the rules of the workplace. Rights include salary, a safe working environment and regulated working and rest periods.
For the employer, the obligations cover fair and equal treatment of employees , ensuring safety at work, payment of wages, guidance and training and compliance with the terms and conditions of employment. The employer has the right to direct work, i.e. the right to manage and supervise work.
Services for YTK Worklife member
Legal help in employment matters
The Lakikaveri is there to help all members of YTK Worklife when there is something in the employment relationship that is bothering them. For example, you can get help from a lawyer to review your employment contract before you sign it. You can also ask about the terms and conditions of your employment relationship or even about pay. You don’t have to be alone with even the most difficult questions!
See instructions in the Lakiruutu
In the Lakiruutu videos, lawyers provide advice and practical guidance on issues that many people are considering in their employment relationship. What is good to know about terms and conditions of employment and how to change them? When can employers have the right to dismiss their employees? How to prepare for change negotiations? You can watch the videos in the Webinars and training section of OMA+.
Take charge of the online trainings
The YTK Worklife Member Benefits Online Training Library offers thousands of Eduhouse training courses to help you with your job search and employment issues – and best of all, free of charge for members!
Note! To view the content, you must be a member of YTK Worklife and registered as a user of the online training library via OMA+(Webinars and trainings).
Collect employment information:
Welcome to work life – a summer worker’s guide
Basics of employment for employees
Employment basics for employees – employment contract
Basics of employment law – rights and obligations of the employee
Improve your job search skills:
Online job search coaching and personalised career guidance
Need help with career planning? Check out our online job search coaching! Get practical advice and tips on job search, how to write a job application and CV, and how to prepare for a job interview. The coaching also includes one hour of one-on-one online career guidance from a professional coach. The coaching includes a tailor-made path for students and/or those just starting out in their careers. The coaching is completely free of charge for YTK Worklife members and is also available in English.
Why should you join the Fund as soon as you get a job?
Job skills and income security are important from the beginning of your career or even during your studies. If you get a job or work even part-time, join the YTK Unemployment Fund now! You get the most benefits when you are a member of both the YTK Fund and YTK Worklife!
Only as a member of the Fund can you receive an earnings-related daily allowance if you become unemployed or are laid off
As a member of the unemployment fund, you will in practice receive more money during unemployment or a lay-off than if you are not a member. The amount of daily allowance paid by the unemployment fund depends on the salary you received before you became unemployed or were laid off. On average, it is more than twice as much as the basic daily allowance or labour market subsidy paid by Kela.
Anyone aged 18 or over who is a member of the unemployment fund and meets the conditions for receiving a daily allowance, such as the working condition, is entitled to a daily allowance. You cannot join the unemployment fund if you are unemployed. It is therefore important to anticipate and join while you are in paid employment, even part-time.
Are you a student but not yet working?
As a YTK Student, you’re always ready for the world of work! Finish your studies smoothly and complete your degree or thesis with practical tips from YTK Tutor’s online coaching experts! As a member, you also get job search coaching, leisure accident insurance, Eduhouse online training and many other benefits and discounts. A YTK Worklife student membership costs just 12 € per year.
Note! If you start studying and are already a member of the unemployment fund, you should not change your membership to student membership, as you will lose the working condition you have already accumulated.
