Jaakko Takala, a 24-year-old graduate engineer, expected to easily find a job after graduating last spring, as it has traditionally been common for graduates in his field to walk directly into employment. However, he has been faced with unexpected challenges in the job market, spending over a year searching and only securing temporary work as a math teacher. Takala points out that the unemployment rate for recent graduates in his field has historically been very low, making his current situation a surprising deviation from the norm.

Takala has a strong academic background in mathematics, having accelerated his studies through a specialized math program in high school before attending Aalto University, where he completed his degree on time while also gaining teaching experience. He views his engineering qualification as a versatile problem-solving education that equips him with broad skills, yet he feels that this range can also be a disadvantage in a competitive job market, where specific skills or experiences may be more desirable.

The report highlights a growing concern among recent graduates in fields that were once considered secure, as they struggle with increased competition and a lack of available positions. The trend of high numbers of applications yielding few job offers reflects broader economic challenges and may prompt a reevaluation of expectations for new graduates entering the workforce, requiring them to adapt their strategies and possibly their career aspirations in order to succeed in the current climate.