Learning outcomes:

The objective of the course is to improve business school students’ working life skills. The students learn to understand different workplace negotiations and interactions as well as their possibilities to influence these as experts or team leaders.

After completing the course, the students are familiar with the key elements of labor law and can act in professional negotiations and interactions. The students can follow discussions on working life matters. Furthermore, the students can reflect on different career options and their career directions. During the course, the students will learn, with the help of hands-on case assignments, how to succeed in job search and employment contract and salary negotiations. The students will acquire practical skills for real-life situations by exercising team leader roles in case assignments, in typical, challenging workplace situations.

The key course contents are:

• How to distinguish oneself in the labor market
• Key points of employment contracts and labor law
• How to negotiate your salary
• How to succeed in working life situations involving changing circumstances or conflict
• Working life flexibilities
• How to act as a team leader in different working life situations

Grading: Pass/ Fail

Successful completion:

• Online assignments returned in the Howspace workspace
• Participation in all Zoom sessions on March 19-20, 2026.
  • Thursday, March 19th, 8:45-16:00
  • Friday, March 20th, 9:00-15:00

Teaching methods: Lectures and group discussions via Zoom, individual assignments on the Howspace workspace.

NB: Zoom sessions cannot be substituted. Passing the course requires 100% participation in Zoom sessions and group discussions, and approved submission of the online assignments.

Students who pass the course will be awarded an Open Badge digital credential from Suomen Ekonomit, which can be added to LinkedIn profiles. Read more about the Open Badge.

Literature: Students will receive a personal invitation to the Howspace workspace about one week before the start of the Zoom sessions. Check the unwanted folder and spam box if you haven't received it. Pre- and final assignments can be found in the workspace. The course material will be given in the Howspace workspace as soon as the course starts.

Trainers / The Finnish Business School Graduates:

• Ted Apter / Advisor, Labour market and social policy
• Tiina-Myöhänen-Astikainen / Career Coach
• Annika Pohjolainen / Legal Counsel

The study credits of business students who have successfully completed the course will be directly recorded in their home university’s study register based on the information provided by the Finnish Business School Graduates, except for Aalto University. (At Aalto, business students can apply for credit transfer with the provided certificate of completion.) Detailed university-specific instructions can be found below.

If you are not a member of the Finnish Business School Graduates, you can join at ekonomit.fi/en/join-us.

Note! Business students at the University of Jyväskylä: Course registration only via Sisu (course code: JSBY5510).

Please note, that this course is not eligible for exchange students. The course is free of charge and open only to degree students in business schools (in Jyväskylä, also to students of Information Systems). The course is especially recommended for bachelor students, but it is open to all-year students. Please note that the course is also offered in Finnish, and credits will only be granted for one version of the course.

Course registration closes on March 13th.