DuuniDay 

Before You start: 

It is good to get familiar with the event. DuuniDay will be held 3th of December at Lappeenranta Skinnarila Campus and it is the biggest recruitment event in South Karelia. Around 100 companies come to our campus to find future talents for them. LUT & LAB Career Services are organizing the event. DuuniDay is one of the most effective path for our students to find their career direction. Check our international alumni video who think likewise!

Finland has a very strong summer job tradition which affects the entire recruiting culture (read more about summer jobs or watch a 45 mins webinar Summer Jobs Webinar). Especially DuuniDay is an excellent place to have the discussions about summer jobs as the summer jobs and internships form a strong employment paths later on.  In addition to the knowledge and skills you have developed in your studies, the recruiters wish to see some proof about how you are able to use your knowledge in practice and the skills and competences you have developed outside your studies eg. summer jobs, internships, part time jobs and other possibilities (eg. project works). 

In short, DuuniDay brings the employers to your doorstep to help your job hunting and career planning. Don´t miss the opportunity!

Before DuuniDay

Everything happens fast in DuuniDay as company representatives have plenty of people at their station at the same time. Hence why it is good to be ready to collect the important information and present yourself in a concise and effective manner. Here is a list of few tips to help you be prepared for the event: 

1. Confirm the date, time, and location of the recruitment event and also the rides in case you are joining from other cities . DuuniDay has participant list ( to be updated soon) . 
2. Check that your LinkedIn profile is up to date and be ready to connect with employers right away during the event. In Finland the applicant is expected to be the active part so during the event ask if it is okay to make connection at LinkedIn and do it right away.  If you need help with your LinkedIn profile, you´ll get that from our Find Your Career Moodle course (Job hunting tab -> Create a LinkedIn profile for job hunting)  Tip: create a QR code that leads to your LinkedIn profile that is easier to pass to interested employers in case they ask for your information.
3. Recruiting field is all about marketing your knowledge and skills (read more about skills). This also means that you need to know your skills well in order to offer the right ones in the right situations. Before DuuniDay, think about the technical and transferable skills you have and make a short list for yourself. With the mental list of the most important skills you have, it is easier to answer the recruiters questions as well. If you need help with discovering your skills, check Identify your skills module at Find Your Career Moodle. 
4. After your LinkedIn profile is up to date and you know your skills, prepare a short pitch for the event. There are a lot of people around you and you need to make a good first impression of yourself! If you need help with constructing your pitch, check help and tips from here. The most important thing for you is to form new networks and be clear about what you are searching now and what happens in your future. 
5. Think of questions to ask the presenters, make sure to consider when brainstorming questions that recruitment events such as DuuniDay are all about leaving an impression and not necessary to land a job at the spot. 
6. Research the companies you are most interested in and read about their values , mission and goals. Try to look their social media platforms and get a feeling of where they are headed with their vision. Use this information as a conversation starter and attention grabber.
7. Lastly, make sure that you charge your devices ; your phone, tablet, or laptop in case you need to use them during the event to access materials and take notes.

During DuuniDay: 

Time to relax, enjoy the atmosphere and put your preparations to use

• DuuniDay is all about networking, networking, networking! Did you know that 80% of the Finnish jobs will be decided via networks (eg hidden jobs - those that are not published anywhere). DuuniDay (and similar events) is one of the best places to form networks and get in touch with "real life people" as growing of your networks require some kind of personal contact. 
• Highlight your work experience! It is important to have degrees but even more important is to have also some work experience to show what you actually can do. Check about the Finnish working culture and recruitment process to get the idea how everything works around here. 
• Exchange Contact Information, after speaking with a recruiter or representative, ask for their business card or write down their name, be prepared to provide them with your contact information in case they asked you for it. However, handing a paper version of your CV isn't common here in Finland. 
• Showcase Language Proficiency, as an international student, highlight your language proficiency. Effective communication skills are crucial, and recruiters often value candidates who can articulate ideas clearly. That also goes to Finnish language in case you started learning or have a good command of the language, showing willingness to learn can help show employers your adaptability skills.
• Express Your Unique Perspective, use your international background as a strength. Your diverse experiences and perspectives can contribute to a company's global outlook. Don't hesitate to see that as an asset and your background search about the participant will help you identify which employers are interested in recruiting international talents and/or interested in growing internationally
• Sync with your friends. If you are exploring DuuniDay as a group, try to have a conversation with your friends about the generic questions that might benefit you all as a group and ask them once in a way that satisfy everyone that will help you all use the time you have at the stand effectively and give more time to your individual contribution. 
• Remember that you also add value to the company/employer you are interested in, hence not only emphasis your interest to work and perform certain task but also what you can/will bring to the table.
• Be Genuine and Enthusiastic, let your passion for your field and the companies you're interested in shine through. Authenticity is often memorable.

After DuuniDay

This is is the most important part where you can render all you have learned, collected and interacted with into action that benefits your career plan. After Duuniday usually employers receive a lot of emails and requests. Hence, it is important that you use your efforts and all the information you collected smartly 

• Organize the materials you collected, such as business cards, brochures, and notes. Use the event's map as a mental refresher in case you mentalized some of the information. draw a plan of what are the most important points you want to start actionizing. Did you hear about a potential job opening ? did you want to know more about certain roles in your desired company? were you referred to contact someone about your request?. Start with the points that feel closer to you and speak to your purpose first.
• Connect with the presenters you exchange LinkedIn information with and/or follow the companies. Remember to initiate the connections and remind the person with who you are and where you met as it will increase the chances of the employer recognizing you and accepting your request. . 
• Reflect on the conversations you had with recruiters. Identify key insights, advice, or areas for improvement. For instance, edit your CV, list the skills you noticed are needed but you still need to improve 
• Follow up on job applications If you were advised to apply online or through a specific process, ensure that you follow through with the application. Reference your conversation in your application to show your continued interest
• Research companies further. Now that you know more, dive deeper into the companies you're interested in. Learn about recent news, projects, or initiatives they are involved in but also about personnel and who is working in the division you are interested in. Don't hesitate to connect with them and study their LinkedIn profile specially the task/skills combination which might they help you build your profile and plan your next development step
• Utilize career services, leverage all the services provided by career services for additional support and guidance. Use all the tools offered to you to help you succeeded in your professional development journey. 

If you have anything you wish to know more about DuuniDay or the matters written above, please contact us ([email protected]).

We hope the best of experience to you and many fruitful discussions with the employers! Remember meaningful conversations are the ones that sticks so be yourself <3