(2) Job-related skill and field

Several interviewees expressed their opinion that being highly skilled in a field that is highly demanded in the Finnish labor market might be more important for job seeking than investing all the efforts to study Finnish. For instance, several interviewees mentioned that being highly competent in technical fields such as data analytics and programming often open doors for many job positions. In addition, one interviewee mentioned that there seems to be a lack of nurses and care workers in Finland. For instance, one interviewee from an IT background expressed the opinion that his job-related skills were far more important than his knowledge of the local language.

I think if you are good enough in your (major-related) skills, you can find a job anywhere. [ ... ] For us who study computer science, even if we are facing someone who does not speak English, we can still read each other's code, right? That is why even if I learn Finnish really well, if I am not good enough in my professional skill, I still cannot find any job.

#### (Male, computer science)

Clearly, this research shows that in a non-Anglophone country, both the local language, Finnish, and also English mediate the students' integration to different extents. Furthermore, the findings of this research challenge the traditional view that lack of Finnish skills is the major barrier that prevents students from becoming employed. Since the international graduates are competing in the highly skilled labor market, their skills may often be the most valuable asset to be competitive in the Finnish job market, while Finnish language skills may be an additional advantage.

As more and more Finnish companies and institutions are operating internationally, English is more and more accepted as a working language. Thus, it may be advisable for students to explore the local job market situation to see which sectors have higher demand for international workers so that they can set clear goals for their careers and strategies for their future employment.

(3) Family reunion concerns

Another difficulty for integration and long-term settlement in Finland mentioned by some of the interviewees was concern about family unification with their parents. Currently, the Finnish immigration policy only recognizes nuclear family, which consists of spouses and their children. However, many Chinese overseas students will face the challenge of taking care of their parents when they are older if they decide to settle down in Finland. Once of the interviewees said:

If Finland hopes that more outstanding Chinese highly skilled workers will settle in Finland, how those people can take care of their parents if they decide to live here is a big issue. Because we are the single-child generation. According to the current migration policy in Finland, our parents cannot come to live here. They can only come every year for a maximum of three months. When we are still young, it is not a problem. But what are we supposed to do if we are older and our parents need to be taken care of extensively? Then we have to give up (living here) ultimately, right? Because Chinese parents and children are very close, and as a single child one cannot leave one's parents at home when they are old. I think that Finland should allow those with permanent residence permits and type A visas to bring their

parents here without providing any social benefit. Thus, the children can be reunited with their parents and solve many issues.

(Male, artificial intelligence)

(4) Communication skills

In addition, some interviewees also mentioned that communication skills are also very important, since they would need to fluently, confidently, and logically 'sell' themselves to the employers. After the intercultural adaptation process in university, it is also very important for the students to be confident to express themselves in various multicultural settings, since the students are expected to work in multi-cultural work environments or international projects that they would need to act as a cross-cultural communication bridge. One interviewee said:

I think some students are not good at communicating or expressing themselves. They have a lot of ideas but do not know how to express logically with key points. Another issue is that many people are not confident with themselves. They always feel they are not good enough, or think that other people will discriminate against them. [ ... ] But those people who found jobs are basically very confident and self-assured.

(Female, MBA)
