Skills, connections, long work history or young age? In October's Members' Pulse, we asked which things increase your chances of succeeding in a new job and received over 16,000 responses - thank you to everyone who responded!

Respondents felt that being proactive had the biggest impact on finding a new job. This was cited by as many as 47% of respondents.

Skills and education were evenly matched: 40% of respondents chose one or the other. Work experience in the same field (32%) and personal relationships (30%) were also perceived as important help in finding a new job. Youth was seen as of little importance.

What can be concluded from the results?

Looking for a job when you are unemployed is a demanding job, where you have to put all your skills on the line. Isn't it time to start thinking of periods of unemployment as meaningful lines on your CV?

Last week, the government presented its proposal for changes to the unemployment benefit law. The bills include the following changes:

• Freezing of indexes 

• Periodicity of holiday compensation 

• Increasing the waiting period days from five to seven 

• Abolition of child increases 

• Deletion of the exempt amount 

• Tying the working condition to ​​​​​​​your income and extending the working condition from 6 to 12 months 

With an e-invoice, you can manage your membership fees more easily, flexibly and securely than with a paper invoice. When you switch to e-invoicing now, you'll be entered into a prize draw for a 100 € gift card. E-invoicing is a convenient way to keep your bills under control.

 "Too few people think of their skills as health or finance and invest in them in advance," writes Marjaana Toiminen, a non-fiction writer and future enthusiast.  

But each of us should invest in developing our own skills and considering career options. Research shows that being prepared for change increases your ability to respond to change when it happens, even if it is different from what you are prepared for. 

Use Marjaana's tips and tool to map out your options! 

PS. At the 4T Summit in September, Marjaana and I delved into AI and how we can be creative in a changing working life. 

Read the highlights of the event and watch the recording open to all 

 October is a wonderful month to take advantage of the Elisa voice and e-book benefit for combined members of the YTK! Which do you prefer - reading under a blanket or walking in nature in autumn with a good story? As a combined member of the YTK, you can listen to and read e-books and audiobooks completely free of charge for 30 days. The books are convenient to take with you, even without an internet connection. See the OMA+ service for instructions on how to redeem your subscription. 

It's that time of year again when you should dig out your reflectors and be a little more careful than usual on slippery streets. But if you do get into trouble, you're covered by your leisure accident insurance when you're a combined member of the YTK. With insurance, you can get to expert treatment and a doctor quickly. 

When you opt for the work-life services on top of your fund membership for just 24 € a year, you get all this:

A lawyer for employment problems, legal expenses insurance, accident insurance for leisure, an online training library, hotel and spa benefits, and discounts on wellness services, IT security and lawyer services.

Remember that full use of the legal service and insurance requires, among other things, 6 months' membership of the YTK Worklife, so don't delay.