Pooja Pansari Gupta & Manish Gupta: Just the right balance of work and life in Helsinki
Indian IT experts Pooja Pansari Gupta and Manish Gupta enjoy stress-free life in Helsinki, thanks to a trust-based work culture and a family-friendly city.
Where is Finland?
Manish has worked all over the world, but when it came to Finland, he had to look it up on the map.
“I learned during my research about Finland’s world-class education system. We wanted the best for our family, so we moved here in the summer of 2015. I imagined Finland as a snowy land with scattered houses, but the reality was very different. Even though our first summer here wasn’t great weather-wise, we quickly realised this was our dream spot!
We live in Ruoholahti and everything we need, like shops, parks, and public transport, is close by. We have lived in many places, but Helsinki is where we are settling down for good.”
For Pooja, a pleasant surprise in Finland was the starting age of school: “Here children start school at seven, giving them time to grow at their own pace, which is different from other countries.
We have two sons, Gaurang and Shivam. Gaurang started his education in the International School of Helsinki, but today they both study in Ressun lukio, an upper secondary school in Helsinki that has a programme in English. They both are thriving there and as a mother, I couldn’t be happier.”
Work-life balance built on trust
When first arriving in Finland, Pooja thought she would need to learn Finnish to find a job or that her career break would be a problem. But this wasn’t the case.
“It turned out that knowing the language wasn’t critical, and my career break wasn’t a problem. I started applying, got invited for interviews and was hired by the Finnish IT company Qvantel.
When I became pregnant with our second son, I feared for my job, but it was for nothing. My workplace was supportive during my pregnancy and warmly welcomed me back after parental leave.”
Manish worked at the same company with Pooja for a while, but was unemployed for a time as well.
“I visited Helsinki’s Employment and Economic Development Office during my period of unemployment. With my experience and skills, they assured me I’d find work even without knowing Finnish – and they were right.
I was hired as an Enterprise Data Architect at Musti Group, a leading Finnish pet care company. Most of my colleagues are Finnish, but they are happy to work in English. I get to take on challenges and learn new things while maintaining a healthy work-life balance. What sets Finland’s work culture apart is trust. There is no constant praise, but you are trusted to do your job well.”
Helsinki Way
Life-Work Balance
A calm city life with plenty to do
Pooja was pleased she could continue hobbies she already had in her new home too.
“At first, I wasn’t sure I would be able to continue practising yoga and meditation in Helsinki, but I was pleasantly surprised! I do yoga in the mornings because I don’t need to prepare lunch for anyone. Our children eat lunch at school, and Manish and I eat at work or nearby lunch spots.
Also, the public transport runs smoothly – it only takes me 15 minutes to get to work and I can read or write during the commute!”
The shops filled with healthy food and helpful people are things that make life more enjoyable for Manish.
“Everything just works here. We have time to enjoy life, pursue hobbies and spend time as a family. There is nature everywhere, with parks and the sea close by. We feel completely spoiled.”
There’s no need to move elsewhere, when the whole family is enjoying living in Helsinki. There is plenty to do with the kids and Pooja is always looking for activities.
“We’ve visited museums and islands like Mustasaari, which is perfect for kids. When I need ideas, I often use the MyHelsinki chat service.”
