I started looking for jobs in Sweden in May 2006. At the time I was living in Brussels, the quirky capital of the European Union. I had a perfectly good job at a communications agency and was close to completing my graduate degree in business at Boston University’s Belgian campus. However, I had fallen in love with a Swede and as destiny would have it I was to move to Sweden in the fall.
I started my job search the unimaginative way by perusing the listings at Monster.com etc. During a Google search I found an online newspaper in Sweden in English. I looked there too. I also used a jobsite in Copenhagen geared to English speakers, because at the time I thought I would be able to commute from Sweden.
Days, weeks, and months went by and I got absolutely no responses to my applications. In fact, I forgot that I was even looking for a job in Sweden as I had papers to write and exams to prepare for in University.
Welcome to Sweden
Then I moved to Sweden, Halmstad to be exact, and went to my local Arbetsförmedlingen office. What a depressing place. Everyone there had long faces. No one was smiling. I completed the tortuous process of entering my information into their database at one of the computer terminals. Luckily, my Swedish sambo was with me and helped me navigate the instructions in Swedish.
An appointment was made with my personal counselor. I went and met with him for an hour. We talked very little about me and my qualifications or the chances of him finding me a job. Instead, he talked about how unimpressed he had been with the US on a trip to New York.
“The oldest buildings were from the 1800’s”, he moaned.
He did advise me to get my university diplomas evaluated by the Swedish authorities and to take Swedish lessons.
He gave me a copy of the CV he used to get his job working in the unemployment office… a few weeks earlier. Then he told me that I would be getting a new counselor as he was going on paternity leave. Just before I left his office he said that he would note in my file that I was not ready to work because I hadn’t completed Swedish classes yet.
It’s Not What You Know But Who You Know
A German friend I worked with in Brussels married a Dane and moved to Copenhagen about the same time I moved to Halmstad. He encouraged me to join the Oeresund BC group on XING so that I could start networking in Sweden. The same day I joined the group I got two welcome messages from members saying that help settling into Sweden is just an email away. One came from a man in Helsingborg who mentors people and the other came from a woman who worked at Ikea in human resources.
I have since become a co-moderator of the Oeresund BC group and have attended several networking meetings in Copenhagen that have widened my circle of contacts, allowed me to meet funny and nice people, and presented me with different business opportunities. It also helped me to realize that I cannot commute to Copenhagen for work.
If You Can’t Find the Job You Love, Create It Yourself
During my first trip to Copenhagen for a networking meeting, my friend and former colleague proposed I work with him in a new and exciting business. I would be my own boss and own my own business. I would not only have the chance to get back to work but the opportunity to serve others like me. I would be part of the expat community in Sweden by helping English speakers find professional jobs in Sweden. This was a perfect opportunity since I had been spending all day everyday looking for a professional job in an English speaking environment. I started the project less than two weeks later and today I am the managing director of a fledgling company, JobsinStockholm.com.
Through JobsinStockholm.com, I continue to contact the human resource departments at Swedish companies - to some I’m that American woman, to others the butt of a running joke and to a growing number I am becoming a valued contact.
Starting up in Sweden is tough, however, I keep hope alive. I keep hope alive because I meet expats in Sweden who don’t speak Swedish and are working for multinational companies here. I keep hope alive because I speak to human resource managers who boast that their colleagues are multinational and yet they don’t speak English. I keep hope alive because I know I can contribute a great deal in the business world. I keep hope alive because my business is growing which lets me know that there are indeed companies that want, and need to hire English speakers. I keep hope alive because quite frankly, what choice do I have? Jag bor i Sverige.
My experience of looking for a job in Sweden has taught me that it is important to take Swedish classes. Not only will you learn Swedish, you will increase your chances of meeting people like you. Having a support network in a new country is crucial to your well being. Whatever you do, don’t wait for your Arbetsförmedlingen advisor to find you a job. The chances are slim. But by all means register there and check their job board for listings. I think every company in Sweden uses them because they are free to use. Consider doing volunteer work. Not only will you help others you may get a paying job that way. Depending on your skill set consider becoming a consultant to companies that want to do business in your native country. Start a blog about your life in Sweden as you can help others navigate the landscape that is Sweden.
About the author:
Adrianne George is a native of Washington, DC and has lived in London and Brussels before moving to Sweden last year. She is the managing director of JobsinStockholm.com
