Hire an international student from the Aalto University School of Business for an internship
Hire an international student from the Aalto University School of Business for an internship
Nirmal Kumar Sugavanam: Stay persistent, patient, and peaceful in job search
Nirmal Kumar Sugavanam is a second year Master's student in Business Analytics at the Aalto University School of Business. Luck, networking, genuine enthusiasm, relevant skills and good preparation to interviews have helped him to land his jobs in Finland.
Could you briefly introduce yourself?
My name is Nirmal Kumar Sugavanam, and I go by Nik. I’m from Chennai, India, and I completed my bachelor's in economics at IIT Kanpur, India. In spring 2020, I participated in an exchange program at Aalto University School of Science, where I was part of the Guild of Physics. During my exchange, I primarily took mathematics and statistics courses. I fell in love with the education, culture, and language, which led me to decide to return É«É«À² for my master’s. After my exchange, I returned to India, completed my bachelor’s, and worked for 1.5 years in project management and analytics roles at a bank and in a startup. I then applied exclusively É«É«À² for the master’s in business analytics at the School of Business. Fortunately, I was accepted with a 100% tuition fee waiver; I started my program in August 2023, and I am currently in my second year. In my first year, I was involved with the Kylteri magazine team, RepCo at KY, and I also served as an exchange tutor.
My hobbies include playing chess and squash, reading, and meditating. Interestingly, I’ve been learning Finnish slowly for four years, and my skills have improved tremendously since moving here. I often practice speaking Finnish in unconventional ways, such as chatting with elderly Finnish men at local bars, hehe. Professionally, I worked at UNU-WIDER in Katajanokka as a Research Intern from August 2024 to November 2024. I have been working part-time as a student contact person for Suomen Ekonomit since August 2024 and as a student analyst at Nordea on their Vallila campus since January 2025.
Nirmal Kumar SugavanamI encountered no major surprises in Finnish working life, which reinforced Finland’s reputation for balanced professional environments.
How did you get your internship? Where did you find it? What in your opinion were the factors that helped you to get the internship?
First of all, I strongly believe luck played a role in my selections, since I am sure many equally or more qualified candidates would have applied for these roles. But the only variables in our control are our skills, education/professional background and our efforts towards our applications. What happens after our application is sent - decisions taken between the application and interview stage, decisions after the interview stage - would always be a mystery despite the feedback from the recruiters. Now diving into my journey into these selections.
My awareness about the student contact person role at Suomen Ekonomit came through networking—I learned about the vacancy from a student contact from the University of Jyväskylä whom I met during the BIZ POTENTIAL 2024 competition in early April. I applied just few hours before the deadline which was in late April, had an interview within few days, and got my acceptance call in one week. I believe, my genuine enthusiasm and knowledge about Suomen Ekonomit clearly resonated with the interviewers. I am also the first non-finnish speaker to get recruited for this position ever and second international employee in the organization.
I got to know about the UNU-WIDER research internship in the JobTeaser. I applied during late May, got interviewed in July, and got my acceptance call in one week. I believe, my bachelor’s in economics, along with my experience using tools like Stata/R and alignment with UNU-WIDER’s values, were crucial factors in my selection.
I think I got to know about the opportunity at Nordea through their mailing list that I signed up or the JobTeaser, I am not sure exactly. I applied for this in late-August, got interviewed mid-October, and received a selection call within a week. The interview was focused mainly on my personality and cultural fit. I believe my previous experience in Suomen Ekonomit, value alignment and strong cultural fit helped in my selection.
What were your main tasks at each role, and which skills helped you most?
At Suomen Ekonomit, I am part of the Customer Experience team. My primary responsibility is ensuring that students at Aalto Business School are aware of Suomen Ekonomit services and benefits, particularly how these can positively impact their long-term career paths. To achieve this, I manage my own social media channels on Instagram and Telegram, actively promoting Suomen Ekonomit offerings. Additionally, I coordinate sponsorships for various events with clubs and subcommittees within KY, and distribute promotional merchandise to students. Essential skills for this role include confident communication, diplomacy, negotiation, and strong project management capabilities. The most significant learning for me has been efficiently managing multiple priorities within tight deadlines.
At UNU-WIDER, I was part of the Micro-simulation team. My key tasks included getting acquainted with UNU-WIDER’s tax-benefit micro-simulation models, conducting extensive literature reviews, assisting my supervisor with ad hoc research tasks, attending team meetings, and documenting meeting discussions. The internship demanded patience, particularly in reviewing numerous academic papers, continually exploring new research ideas, understanding complex economic concepts, and proficiency with programming tools such as Stata and R. My primary learning from this internship was gaining insight into how research is conducted in an international non-profit organization compared to academic research within universities.
At Nordea, I initially joined the Communication team within the Technology department, where I was responsible for creating communication materials for internal platforms such as Viva Engage. Currently, I am transitioning to the Group Architecture team, where my responsibilities are evolving. Critical thinking and effective communication, especially in clearly and concisely conveying complex ideas, have been crucial skills. I am constantly learning to effectively liaise between diverse service areas and teams, alongside enhancing my project management skills.
Were your expectations of Finnish working life met? Were there any surprises?
My expectations were definitely met, especially regarding work-life balance. There were occasional extra hours initially due to the learning curve, but overall, tasks could comfortably fit within regular working hours. I encountered no major surprises, which reinforced Finland’s reputation for balanced professional environments.
What do you hope for your future career after graduation?
I'm open-minded about industries but aim for roles with managerial responsibilities involving, but not limited to, analytics, communication, negotiation, diplomacy, and empowering teams. Ultimately, I’d like to leverage my skills to facilitate effective teamwork and decision-making.
Tips for other international students - how to find a job in Finland, where to look for or what to expect
Absolutely! But a small cavaet: Just because I got into these roles doesn’t mean I am completely qualified for giving you tips. But my experience taught me these: Job searching is daunting; rejections are common and expected. Perseverance and persistence are paramount—consistently applying for multiple jobs daily increases chances of getting one. Quality of applications saturates after some point. Hence applying to as many places as possible might be beneficial. Platforms like LinkedIn, Aalto JobTeaser, and Duunitori are super useful. While luck and uncontrollable factors exist, persistence, consistency, and patience significantly enhance your chances.
Any final reflections or motivating insights?
Despite difficult in actions, my final advice would be to stay persistent, patient, and peaceful. Even if results aren’t visible immediately, your effort always counts. Embrace the process, remain confident, and believe that every step forward, even through rejections, brings you closer to your goals. All the Best!
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