A job interview that changed it all
In 2017, Khurram Shahzad was sitting in a taxi on his way to a job interview in Vaasa. Although he had lived in many European countries and was just finishing his studies in Germany, it was his first time so far north. Upon hearing about Shahzad’s interview, his fellow students had warned him about the gloomy weather, darkness, and freezing temperatures Finland had to offer. However, Shahzad was not easily deterred.
During the taxi drive from the Vaasa Airport, Shahzad learned a lot about the city and Finland from the driver.
“The driver spoke very good English, which both surprised and impressed me. Communicating in English had not been so easy anywhere else I had lived in Europe”, Shahzad says.
“One of the things the driver talked about was how international Vaasa is, and basically sold the city and country to me”, he continues.
Two weeks after the interview Shahzad got a call from Danfoss. He got the job, and a new life in Finland was about to begin.
Shahzad first moved to Europe from Pakistan in 2015 when he started studying for a Master’s degree in Electrical Engineering in Italy. Then, a summer position at CERN’s particle physics laboratory took him to the France–Switzerland border and an exchange program brought him to Germany.
But what made Shahzad apply for a job in Finland while completing his exchange studies?
“Back in Italy, I did a case study for Danfoss before my exchange. I’m passionate about electrification and power converters, so I knew that the work Danfoss does is right up my alley. During the project, I also learned about their company culture and values, and I had a feeling I would fit right in”, he says.
“Before I had the chance to voice my interest, my friend beat me to it and told Danfoss’ representative that ‘Khurram would really like to work for your company’. Some online interviews followed, and later that year Danfoss flew me to Vaasa for the final interview”, Shahzad reminisces.
On the way to my job interview, the taxi driver talked about how international Vaasa is, and basically sold the city and country for me
Seven years later, Shahzad still lives in Vaasa and works at Danfoss as a Technical Product Owner at the Electrification Software & Simulations department. At Danfoss Vaasa, the focus is on developing, manufacturing, and supplying high-quality AC drives.
“I lead a highly innovative, multinational team that consists of experts from six different countries. Danfoss is a very international workplace, and employees get a lot of support when settling in Finland.”
When Shahzad first moved to the country, Danfoss helped him with many things from applying for a residence permit and ordering a tax card to opening a bank account.
“My manager even helped me move into my apartment! The amount of support I received was truly impressive.”
Clean nature, extensive digital services, good education system, work-life balance, and people’s honesty – these are just some of the things Shahzad loves about Finland.
“This is also where I met my wife. Our plan is to stay and raise our children here.”
Even though he heard horror stories about the Nordic weather before the move, Shahzad has gotten used to winters. In fact, he might even prefer the cold season.
“When I was on a vacation in Italy with my wife, I actually told her that I already miss Finland. Guess it was too warm for me”, Shahzad laughs.
But is there anything Shahzad misses from Pakistan?
“I do miss the restaurants and diverse food culture, but compared to when I moved to Vaasa, the dining options have increased a lot. There are more ethnic restaurants now – a Pakistani one, too. I can also buy my favourite Pakistani spices here. We are heading in the right direction!”
