Finding a job in scandinavia

[otc]

So my current post-graduation plans have fallen through. I'm graduating in June with a degree in economics from a top university and I need a job.

I know there are several forum members from different parts of Scandinavia so I thought I would throw out some questions:

What options are available? How do I find open positions in the region(I am only really familiar with the US recruiting process)?
I had applied to foreign offices of some US firms in addition to their US offices but I don't know if I was taken seriously on the interest or if it looked like I put it just for fun (this would be for firms like bain where I didn't have much of a chance anyways so I couldn't talk about it in an interview).
Economic consulting is at the top of my list, especially with IP or Energy Policy (and with Denmark's wind power and Norway's oil, I feel there might be a lot of energy work). Otherwise, I am pretty flexible amongst consulting, economic research, or even finance positions.

What process do I have to go through to be eligible to work?
I'm a US citizen with danish heritage (grandparents immigrated) and still have a lot of reasonably close family in Denmark that I have visited/stayed with. I speak english and have been taking Norwiegan since it is the only Scandinavian language offered by my university (though I have been trying to learn the differences between the languages so that I could make the transition).

Thanks for any advice you guys might have
-
otc

 

[otc]

Afternoon bump

 

[unjung]

Maybe you've seen this; I found this without any difficulty:

http://www.nyidanmark.dk/en-us/News/...blications.htm

 

[texas_jack]

I hear Iceland is interviewing new economists.

 

[otc]

Originally Posted by unjung

Maybe you've seen this; I found this without any difficulty:

http://www.nyidanmark.dk/en-us/News/...blications.htm

Yeah, I have seen that.

Its a little hard to tell what I qualify for and how strict they are. I doubt I would be able to qualify on the salary level (that works out to something like 64k which I won't be seeing in this economy in the US and even less likely in another country). Some of the listed job titles in the areas they want more workers sound like things I could fit into in order to qualify but a lot of them are looking for a masters degree.

The third option that allows you to come and look for work is something I might be able to qualify for. I only have a BA but they note that the institution plays an important part so my school may be an advantage here. I am however, a little bit too risk averse to just show up in Denmark and look for work--I would take a less than ideal job here first--so I've got to figure who is hiring and how to talk to them.

If I had a little more experiance, I think I'd be a great candidate for president of iceland though...

 

[Stazy]

I've heard that it is difficult to get good jobs in Finland if you don't speak Finnish.

 

[unjung]

So really, you have the immigration/legality stuff under control, you need to know how to get a job and therefore a letter of offer? http://monster.dk/ http://monster.no/ LinkedIn is also a good resource - find Danish or Norwegian professionals in your industry and contact them regarding hiring of Americans for vacancies with their companies.

 

[otc]

Originally Posted by Stazy

I've heard that it is difficult to get good jobs in Finland if you don't speak Finnish.

The few postings I have looked at for Sweden/Norway/Denmark seem to state English as the primary requirement as well as any one of the nordic languages. I'm in Norwegian classes right now and living and speaking the language would definitely help speed that along.

Originally Posted by unjung

So really, you have the immigration/legality stuff under control, you need to know how to get a job and therefore a letter of offer?

Well, I'm not sure about the immigration stuff. I doubt I would qualify for the income clause (though it would be great if I could be paid that much) and having only a BA makes me more dependent on how strict they are with the requirements. I couldn't find exact work/residence requirements for Norway or Sweden but the ones I did looked about the same or stricter.

I hadn't thought about trying linkedin, I will give it a look

 

[otc]

Edit:.

 

[Patrician]

Originally Posted by texas_jack

I hear Iceland is interviewing new economists.
Haha really? I heard Iceland was for sale...hm...I think it was $1.99.

 

[Etienne]

Originally Posted by otc

pretty flexible amongst consulting, economic research, or even finance positions.
I doubt a BA is enough for a research position anywhere.

 

[nordicstyle]

If your Norwegian skills are good enough to read, you should try visit http://www.finn.no/jobb/. It's the site for job listings in Norway.

In general Norway is very friendly towards accepting and welcoming immigrant workers, but it's probably much easier to get a job if you move here first. It's still possibly to get a job from the U.S., but it's so much easier for those in charge of hiring to deal with people who are locally present.

I am only familiar with the recruiting process i Norway, and mainly in the IT industry (I was a CTO for several years and have been responsible for hiring many foreign workers myself), but I think it's farily similar in Denmark and Sweden also. (At least, that's what my Danish and Swedish colleagues have told me.)

Normally you will send an application with a resume (CV) in response to an ad or otherwise announced open position. General applications outside of specific openings is also quite common. The further process depends somewhat on the size of the company and the industry in question, but expect at least two or three interviews following the initial application. The first interview is commonly done over the phone if the applicant is not able to attend in person, but again, local presence is preferred. The second interview is typically with department heads and possibly other co-workers, while the third and final interview might be with the CEO or other upper management (depending on company size and policy). It's common to request at least two references, and the references will be checked.

For private companies the recruiting process is usually very dynamic, meaning it can take anywhere from a few days to several months, depending on the number of applicants, the current resource situation (i.e. how badly they need people), etc. For government and city/municipal positions, the process is much stricter, which usually involves set dates for each step and a total recruitment time of up to three months or more.

It's also common to give new employees a six month trial period in their contract, in which time they will have one month's notice if they decide to quit or the trial period is ended by the employer. After completed trial, normal notice period is three months.

As for the language issues, English is a common working language around here, but this is again dependent on industry and job position. In industries with many foreign workers or international clients (i.e. IT, oil, shipping, fishing, etc.) English is common, but for some positions Norwegian is required (i.e. in many government and city/municipal positions and for sales nationally).

I think it's easier to find work in Norway than Sweden (I'm just guessing, because a lot of Swedes come here to work, but then maybe that's just because we have higher salaries...). Denmark I am not so familiar with. Socially and culturally, Norway, Sweden and Denmark are very similar, so if you decide to switch countries after a while, you will probably not have any problems adjusting. Also, if you learn Norwegian you will also understand Swedish and Danish (although they may not understand you...

) Most Fins also speak Swedish, and many Icelandic speak Norwegian, so with Norwegian and English you should be able to communicate well with pretty much anyone in Scandinavia (all countries have English as mandatory subject from a very young age in school).

For more information about work immigration to Norway, you can check out the web site of Norwegian Directorate of Immigration (UDI):

http://www.udi.no/templates/Tema.aspx?id=4479

You can probably also e-mail with any questions you may have.

Good luck on your job hunt!

 

[otc]

Originally Posted by nordicstyle

Good luck on your job hunt!

thanks, that was helpful

 

[Olof]

http://www.arbetsformedlingen.se/adm...worksweden.pdf http://www.arbetsformedlingen.se/lib...d/findajob.pdf http://www.arbetsformedlingen.se/lib...ecast09_10.pdf For what its worth. There is a lot of info that you can just sift through but you will probably find something interesting. A couple of links and general information. These documents are from the Swedish public employment service. nordicstyle: I believe the main reason for swedes to work in Norway is because you have higher salaries. A very common method is to live in Sweden and work in Norway. Live, eat and play cheap in Sweden and work for the higher Norwegian salaries.

 

[UFN]

Originally Posted by otc

The few postings I have looked at for Sweden/Norway/Denmark seem to state English as the primary requirement as well as any one of the nordic languages. I'm in Norwegian classes right now and living and speaking the language would definitely help speed that along.

In most (if not all) major companies in Scandinavia you can get by with English professionally unless they only do domestic business, especially if you're willing to learn some of the local language.

Originally Posted by otc

I doubt I would qualify for the income clause (though it would be great if I could be paid that much) and having only a BA makes me more dependent on how strict they are with the requirements.

Remember that we pay silly taxes over here. That salary requirement is less than the recommended minimum wage for someone fresh out of engineering college with a B.Sc. (unless it's somehow after taxes, then it's more like a VP sales...). If you're offered a position paying less than that, then based on your education I suggest you look elsewhere!

I think your first priority is to get an offer and then worry about the immigration later. If you do get an offer, the company will normally help you with the paperwork. If you're specifically interested in energy or similar I think you should send unsolicited applications with a copy of your CV to as many companies as possible. Unless you're a specialist it is unlikely that it is worth the effort to look for a specific job that you match, let the HR people match you to their list of vacancies.

Good luck!

/U.