Coming from Sri Lanka, the past 6 years of my life have truly been a rollercoaster. After completing my bachelor’s degree in Software Engineering in 2019, I wasn’t sure what the future held for me in the IT industry. Like many fresh graduates, I stepped into the corporate world with curiosity and a little fear.
I started my career as an Associate Software Engineer and worked as a front-end engineer at one of the leading companies in Sri Lanka. While working in web development, I was introduced to test automation and Quality Assurance activities. That’s when I realized something important. I was far more interested in quality and testing than development itself.
That realization led to one of the best decisions of my life. I decided to switch my career path and restarted as an Associate Quality Engineer.
Even today, I believe that decision shaped the person I am. Quality Engineering aligned perfectly with the way I think, analyze, and solve problems. Within just 1.5 years, I became a Quality Engineering Lead, leading and mentoring a team of 7 Quality Engineers.
Soon after, another unexpected opportunity opened. On the suggestion of a product manager I worked with, I completed the CSM (Certified Scrum Master) certification. At first, it felt like just another learning opportunity. But once I completed it, something changed.
I became curious and started seeing the bigger picture. I grew an interest in Product Management. I shared this interest with my mentor without any expectations. I didn’t imagine it would lead anywhere so quickly. But life had other plans. When a Product Manager position opened at the client company, I was directly hired by our client in the United States.
Once again, I found myself in a new role, learning, growing, and pushing my limits.
Yet, Another Change Was About to Happen
If there’s one thing that defines my journey, it’s change.
I’ve never been afraid to question my comfort zone. After gaining over 5 years of industry experience, I started feeling the need for something more. On paper, everything looked perfect. But inside, I knew there was more I wanted to experience, more of the world, more of myself!
I knew that with my background and experience, studying abroad could be a possibility. So, I did what I always do. Research! A lot of it.
I created an Excel sheet and compared countries based on quality of life, career opportunities, scholarships, cost of living, long-term growth, and one invaluable factor. Safety and peace.
That’s when Finland stood out.
When people hear “Finland”, they think of cold, dark winters. That’s exactly what everyone at my company asked me about when I said I was moving here. Honestly, I wondered about it too.
But Finland offers something far more valuable than sunshine.
Safety and peace of mind.
The idea that you can walk outside late at night, even through a forest, without fear, that feeling is something I had never experienced before. It might feel quite simple, but once you feel it, it stays with you.
The more I learned about Finland, the more it felt like home. Even before I arrived.
Finland is a country where you’re allowed to exist as you are. No explaining. No performing. No pretending. People respect your space, your choices, and your silence.
After living here for nearly 1.5 years, I’ve realized something deeply personal. I don’t think I had ever fully been myself before moving to Finland. Here, I dress the way I want. I speak my thoughts freely. Most importantly, I feel at peace.
Choosing Finland, Choosing Myself
Beyond emotional safety, Finland offered so much more. Work-life balance, beautiful nature, clean water, calm cities, low corruption, and one of the best education systems in the world. After studying here, I truly understand why education feels less like pressure and more like growth.
And as a student, the benefits still amaze me. Living in a studio apartment for just 336 euros still feels unreal to many of my friends. But that is what being supported means.
Finland didn’t just stand out. It won in my heart.
I applied to Finnish universities and got a full scholarship to study ICT: Software Engineering at the University of Turku. Probably one of the happiest days of my life!
One of the things I love most about studying at UTU is the freedom. I can combine technical and management studies, reflecting every phase of my career so far. Even though my major is software engineering, I take most of my minor courses from the Turku School of Economics.
Here, you’re trusted to shape your own journey. That trust means everything.
Discovering Myself Again
My time in Finland has been the most transformative period of my life.
I joined student events, communities, and organizations. I became the Lead International Student Ambassador for the University of Turku during the 2024–2025 season and continued again as an ambassador this year. I joined the university choir and discovered Finnish culture through music. I’m also one of the 4 bloggers for Turun Ylioppilaskyläsäätiö this year!
I always believed extracurricular activities mattered. And I was right. Being an ambassador led me to a 6-month marketing internship at the university, where I learned firsthand what Finnish work life truly looks like. Respectful, balanced, and human.
Home is a Feeling…
Working in Finnish environments made me want more than basic level language skills. I wanted a connection.
That’s why I started my own Finnish learning project alongside my university courses. With this, my goal is to see how much Finnish can be learned in six months when the heart is truly in it. I now have weekly Finnish speaking sessions, I read children’s books, sing Finnish songs, and try to keep up with a Finnish book club through selkokirja versions. The plan is to share this journey on YouTube as a documentary video in May!
Oh, and I also did my first solo trip! Planning an Interrail journey from Tallinn to Vilnius, Warsaw, and Berlin, all by myself. That’s truly when I discovered myself and what I really want for myself.
Finland taught me independence. I now enjoy my own company. I trust myself more. I’ve learned that happiness is something I create, not something I wait for.
Through this journey, I’ve made friends who feel like family. I’ve shared my story with new students who arrive with the same fears I once had.
And I always tell them one thing:
“Someone else’s story doesn’t define your story in Finland. Build your own happiness here.”
With that belief, I no longer feel like an outsider. Turku feels like home.
Okay, But Why Would Anyone Want to “Work in Finland”?
Yet again, another topic most of us don’t talk about. How Finnish work culture stands out from others.
Most of my friends in the IT industry back in Sri Lanka told me that, with my skill set and experience, countries like the USA would be the best places for me to work. It’s true that in such countries you can thrive, build your career quickly, and gain recognition by working hard. But, for how long? Or how sustainable is this? These are the questions we really need to answer.
The majority of companies around the world give recognition based on the number of hours you work. Overworking is often praised and seen as a badge of honour. Work environments are driven by competition rather than healthy working patterns, and “burning out” has become the norm, making career growth inconsistent and, worse, causing severe health issues.
But in Finland, it’s never the number of hours you work that matters. It’s the quality of your work. You are respected for the work you do, and there’s no unhealthy competition. People are not forced to become overachievers. At the same time, you gain valuable work experience while being surrounded by supportive and healthy teams.
People have time not only to work, but also to work on themselves, building not just professional lives, but personal lives as well.
So why Finland?
Here, it’s always quality over quantity, which is exactly how I want to progress in my career. I want to be recognised for the quality of my work, not for the number of hours I work.
Why My Story Matters
This is not just my story. It represents the journey of many internationals in Finland.
Finland was not just a choice for us. It was the choice. None of us came here randomly. We researched, compared, and we still chose a country far away from everything familiar because we believed in the life it could offer.
After building personal and professional lives back home, we left comfort behind and started again with courage.
We try every day to belong. We learn the language, even when everyone says it’s difficult.
We show up. We make mistakes. We try again. Our minds are constantly working to understand, connect, and grow.
Sometimes people question whether internationals can truly “fit in”. But we moved across continents, rebuilt our lives, learned new languages, and turned unfamiliar cities into homes.
That alone speaks for itself.
We face rejection. Disappointment. Uncertainty. But we keep going and see every day as a new beginning. This resilience not only keeps us moving forward, but also inspires us to give our best to the people around us. And that’s why our stories truly matter to Finland.
Shavi Kariyawasam
Master’s Degree Programme in ICT: Software Engineering
University of Turku