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7 Obstacles to Finding a Job in Norway
Norway seems like the new Eldorado to find a job. Unless…?
Looking for a job in Norway seems like a pretty easy and attractive solution for foreigners. Unemployment rate is low, at 3,8% in 2019 and average salary is high, as seen on this graph from 2018. Obviously it depends on your field, with finance being the oil sector with an average of 6,000 Euros per month before tax. Hospitality is among the lowest paid sectors, with salaries just above 3,000 Euros per month before tax.
Also, Norway rates way up there on all “happiest country in the world” and “most gender equal” nations, so it should be great to live here and easy to get a job, am I right? Well, like often the devil is in the details. The unemployment rate is 5,5% for foreigners, with significant differences depending on where you come from. Those coming from Africa are almost at 10% whereas West Europeans are at 2,9%. If you look at locals excluding immigrants, i.e. Norwegians, we are at 1,7%.
Salaries given in the graph above are also a bit misleading, since they are averages and before taxes. The more you earn in Norway the more you pay in taxes, and more importantly in this case, it is clear from the numbers that foreigners have lower salaries than Norwegians. Those who are best positioned among immigrants in Norway in terms of salary are Australians, New Zealanders and North Americans (Canada and USA). Maybe because they are other White Christian people whom Norwegians can relate to, I guess.
Here are some of the obstacles to getting a job in Norway
1- Your foreign name
Unless you are called Lars Anderson because your family is from Minnesota or you are from Sweden or Denmark with a Scandinavian sounding name, your foreign name however beautiful in your language can be a hindrance to finding a job in Norway. There is more and more coverage in Norwegian media on the phenomenon of foreigners changing name to get a job interview. This discrimination based on the the name is hard to prove if it happens to you, but basically a study from 2012 shows that with the same CV and qualifications, an applicant with a foreign name will have 25% less chances of being called for an interview. Reasons to this could be plain discrimination, but also because employers can think the applicant does not speak Norwegian and prefer hiring a Norwegian to “be sure”. In 2014 already the Discrimination and Equality Ombudsman already said then that this was a real problem in Norway. Not sure what has been done since then to change this trend.
2- Lack of proficiency in Norwegian language
This is a huge obstacle to getting a job in Norway. Mind you. some sectors employ people who do not necessarily speak Norwegian, such as hospitality or international companies in IT for example. But this is less and less true, and even though your job might be in English, they want to know whether you can chat with colleagues at lunch time and integrate in the working culture. For that you need to speak Norwegian.
In most other jobs though, they will want you to have roughly a B1 level (even though it is not necessarily explicitly written in the job offer). See here other articles on How to Pretend to be Fluent in Norwegian and How to Become Fluent in Norwegian (Or Die Trying). See also How to Differentiate between Norwegian Dialects.
3- Your studies in a non-Norwegian university
If a Norwegian employer has a choice between someone who has a degree from a university he or she knows, or even better has studied in, it will most likely be preferred by them to a degree from some obscure university with a name in a foreign language. Imagine, I am French, we have this very high up elitist business school called HEC. But Norwegians have BI. What do you think a French employer would choose: a person who went to BI or to HEC? Well same for a Norwegian employer. They’ll recognise their own first. If you have a foreign degree they will look at the level (Bachelor, Masters) and major, and relevant professional experience. How fancy that school is in your country is irrelevant unless it is very well known internationally like MIT, Harvard or Oxford. Make sure your CV is available in impeccable Norwegian.
If you have no university education and are looking for a non-qualified job, there is definitely work in those fields (for ex. Foodora) and Norwegian skills are usually not required, but the salaries are low and contracts very precarious in terms of workers’ benefits.
4- Your lack of network in Norway
This is I believe the biggest difference with looking for a job abroad. Norway is a small country, people know each other or know of each other. Unless you are in a niche which makes all employers find you on LinkedIn, having a strong network in your field is very important to find a job. Especially since you are a foreigner and start with a few weak points mentioned above. Remember, Norwegians have built their network since teenage years, maybe even childhood, without even noticing. They start as early as teenage years by being members of youth branches of political parties such as AUF, UngVenstre etc. Then they go to “folkehøyskole” and to university and by the time you are looking for a job at the same time as they are, at the same age, they know hundreds of people who are potential future employers or colleagues, or who “knows someone they know”. Basically they have a network and you, nobody knows who you are.
How to get a network? Don’t just apply to jobs but get out there. Go to conferences, talk to people, ask for career advice from professionals in your field and stay positive. For good tips you can check out David Nikel’s excellent book How to Find a Job in Norway, on which I wrote a book review.
5- You lack of knowledge of Norwegian cultural cues
Many do get an interview, but then they may fail at getting the job because of a lack of knowledge of cultural cues. I like to see interviews like a play, or a game. Nobody is really themselves, but people understand what the other means and says although it is not that clear from the outside. I believe every culture has their own interview culture, and Norway is no exception, and I would say it is an exercise one needs to be trained in by a Norwegian person who understand the acceptable and not acceptable answer. One example: if you have a job and applied for another job, you will be asked “Why are you leaving your job?”. You surely have good reasons, my colleague is a pain, I hate my boss, I am bored, my pay is too low, but you won’t say any of that. You will answer “I love my current job, and the working culture there, but there is something about THIS job which makes me want to be here”. (It might be the same elsewhere, but I believe in some countries it is okay to be a bit more direct). Other cues: best not to look too passionate because that can be seen as anger or sign of liking conflict, whereas in other cultures it might be seen positively as having leadership for ex.
Of course the more technical the job, the more expertise you are expected to have, with possible tests. In any case, you will be tested culturally during the whole interview, where they want someone who is both competent and whom they will like to talk to at lunch for the next years. If you are awkward by their standards you might not get the job.
See Weird things Norwegians do During Work Meetings to understand some of those cues (if you are in a work meeting you got the job, so you might have understood at least some of them).
6- Your lack of Norwegian professional experience and Norwegian references
Having no experience in a Norwegian company or institution on your CV can be a challenge. Some people become volunteers at the Red Cross or in a Norwegian organisation to have a Norwegian experience on their CV, and a Norwegian reference.
It is always easier for a Norwegian employer to call someone who speaks their language (and whom they trust…) to confirm the person is a catch. Of course they could call your reference in the UK, South Africa or who knows where, but when given a choice between that and Norwegians references whom sometimes they even know or have heard of, it is hard to compete.
7- Not all job offers are public
Keep in mind that in the public sector all job offers have to be public, but not in the private sector. Nepotism does exist in Norway, or a form of it, but there is not much you can do about it. However what you can do, is to keep your eyes and ears open for jobs which are not advertised, or not yet. Sometimes companies look into relevant candidates they know about and advertise the job offer only if that first step fails. So you need to be on those first interviews before the job is advertised to have higher chances. It is like a flat. Much easier to get it if you are the only one visiting it. You will succeed thanks to your network, your experience, your language skills etc. etc. In other words when you have overcome all or some of the above obstacles.
On the bright side, being a woman in your 30s will not be an obstacle to employment since men also take long paternity leaves. Gender equality has come that far in Norway! Also you do not need to overcome all the above obstacles to find a job, maybe just a few. And despite your initial weaknesses, for ex. Norwegian will never be your native language, you probably have a professional niche of your own, your own native language, and other skills that make you attractive for the Norwegian job market. In any case stay positive despite the many doors being shut in your face. There is nothing less attractive on the job market than a bitter foreigner 😉
Comments
30 responses to “7 Obstacles to Finding a Job in Norway”
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Hei! Hvis du trenger råd og bistand fra en som er meget erfaren i det norske arbeidslivet, og som kjenner det offentlige godt, så ta gjerne kontakt. Jeg har med hell bistått flere som har slitt med å få seg jobb. Jeg tar ikke betalt for det (jeg er førtidspensjonert), og dersom det ikke er FOR arbeidskrevende, så skal jeg bistå så godt jeg kan. Det jeg kan bidra med er: språk, jobbsøkkultur, intervjusituasjonen, søknad og CV-utforming (som funker i Norge). Jeg bor i Oslo.
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Hei, har nettopp lest artikkelen og den illustrerer godt hva min familie har opplevd den siste tiden. Jeg er norsk, bosatt i Frankrike i over 30 år. Mine barn ville flytte til Norge da de ble voksne. Min sønn har skaffet seg jobb i Norge og trives godt. Han opplevde mye av det som er beskrevet i artikkelen “7 Obstacles to finding a job in Norway” før han fikk seg jobb. Min datter har nå flyttet til Norge og prøver så godt hun kan å finne en jobb. Hun har en utdannelse innen Animasjonsfilm. Det er ikke lett å finne en slik jobb hverken i Frankrike eller i Norge. Men som vi tror, er det nok et kommende marked i Norge med tiden. Til nå har min datter fått en deltidsjobb i en klesforretning. Til tross for engasjement og velvilje til å gjøre en god jobb, har hun møtt en slags “motvilje” mot “franskmenn”. Klisjeene er der og selv om min datter snakker norsk (ikke perfekt) med aksent, er hun diskriminert av “sjefen” og “nedprioritert” med hensyn til vakter. Jeg vil gjerne ha noen råd fra deg hvordan hun kan bedre nå frem til intervjuer og hvordan forholde seg i en intervjusituasjon. På forhånd takk for hjelpen.
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Hei Heidi.
Hvordan kan jeg kontakt med deg?
Mvh.
Ahmad -
Hei Heidi,
Hva er den beste måten å ta kontakt med deg?
Mvh
Maria-
Hei Maria, I hope its okay that I’m writing to you 🙂 My name is Sara – and I am working on a program – helping foreigners in Norway get the career they want. I’ve had a long, tough road myself and I really want to create something that can help fast and easy. In that matter, Im looking for people to interview about their Norwegian experience and what struggles they have living here. Would you be interested in helping me with that ? If not, no worries – and I wish you all the best.
Just so you know this isn’t SPAM – you can find more info about me on my instagram: LifeinNorway_no
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Can you please help me
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Please, how can I reach you Heidi?
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Hey Heidi,
I’d like to get in touch with you if you dont mind helping me. I am British (post Brexit) and want to move to Oslo as my parents live there. I am in the IT field and have been applying for jobs there but so far I have not been able to find any.
I intend to move there due to my parents (Norwegian citizens) and could so with all the help I can get.
Thanks
Patrick -
Hello Heidi, May I get in touch? I wish to know how to write a resume for a job in/near Oslo. I am a Registered Nurse.
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Hei Heidi.
Jeg har en venn av meg som søker jobb i Norge, men som kunne trengt å snakke med noen som deg.
Kan du kontakte meg?
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Hi, I think your posts are sometimes very funny. However I’m not entirely sure of what the intention of the post is, informational or satirical. As a person that has done extensive recruiting in a *large public Norwegian organization* I can say that the name issue is a thing but also a viscous loop. we got 10-15 applications with foreign sounding names on every single position. Because many have a hard time getting a job (probably for other reasons), the ones that has a hard time getting a job starts bruteforce appling. They apply to any and all positions, without reading the text, without supplying any kind of cover letter or argumentation, or having relevant background. Which then in turn trains the ones doing the filtering to be skeptical of foreign sounding names, is this a real applicant or someone who is just bruteforce applying? This things is this because it’s Norway as in it doesn’t happen anywhere else?
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Did you just get offended because she pointed out that we’re pretty bias here? We totally are, maybe not on purpose for the most part, but we are because it’s a problem we’re not particularly used to dealing with and our culture includes exceptionalism to a higher degree than many other countries. Us Norwegians try to bruteforce it to, so that they’re “trained” to ignore foreign sounding names because of this practice is not logical and not an explanation. If they found that the name Bjørn came up a lot during bruteforcing they wouldn’t learn to be skeptical of people named Bjørn. So it’s entirely based on bias against foreigners. Don’t worry, it doesn’t make you an evil Nazi racist.
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Hi
Fot more than 6 years in Norway, I have applied for IT jobs every day.. the answer is the same, negative.
I never give up, and till now iam applying, although I know the answer.
I have more than 14 years experience in IT field.
One adviced me to change my name as many did. 🙄
So I think, the name is playing big role.-
Wow… Are you serious about this?
I am Nigerian and wish to migrate to Norway for my masters and subsequently find a Job. I am experienced in Information Security and have always thought that Norway – being my dream country – would be more receptive. My surname is very Igbo and based on these conversations, it could be the major stumbling block for me.
Hmm… At this moment, I have no choice but to consider migrating to other more receptive countries – like Canada and Australia. Since English is the only language I know, and I speak it better than Igbo which I barely understand, I would have crossed the language barrier at least if I went to an English-speaking country. One challenge gone!
I also thought that gender equality was strongest in Scandinavia. Somehow, I feel – from the conversations – like being a man in Norway, a foreign man, would be my biggest disadvantage. Like my skills would be passed for someone else because I am a man. Isn’t that sick?
I wouldn’t want to live this hard life I have here for a worse one.
This is saddening but highly informative. -
My country (banana republic by the way) has a huge shortage in man power and I can tell that they have been ditched on some other places.My people doesn’t care what your name is all that we care is that you don’t do crime and do your work.After all we do need work power and xenophobia would not help us much in there.Don’t change your name change your country!
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Do you even realize that you have just proven the assertion made in the post?
If an applicant does not provide a cover letter or argumentation, and it is required by the application, then you should filter out that application.
If you do it based on their name (which you do), then you should be fired – yes, it is that simple!
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I am a qualified primary school teacher in Australia and would be interested in teaching primary school English in Norway for a short period of time, perhaps 6 months. When I was a teenager I spent a year in Norway as a Rotary Exchange student and learnt to speak Norwegian fairly well. Jeg tror fortsatt at jeg kan snakke ganske bra norsk. For example, I can read most of what is written in the first two comments written in Norwegian, without having to resort to google translate.
What are my chances of getting a job teaching English in a primary school in Norway?-
Honestly, very little chance. Plenty of teachers at that level already who have Norwegian qualifications and speak the language fluently. And why would they go through the effort of employing someone for only a short amount of time?
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Dear FROGINTHEFJORD,
Thank you very much, it open my eyes after applying 6 month for IT jobs in Norway and being told that they are not sure about my Norwegian proficiency or that my profile is good but they hire someone else.
You tell the real things and sometimes it is difficult to hear but we have to accept it.
Dear “Very sounding foreign name”, to answer your comment, I would say that at first I followed Norwegian advices and made quality applications, but after doing great, they told me that I wasn’t hired. So now I cannot do a proper cover letter because I do it for nothing, most hiring staff say they care about my efforts but I don’t think so.
In life we need to react to not to be stucked, so I would appreciate all complementary advices.
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Foreigners not getting hired because of poor worded resumes is just an excuse to cover up the racism and discrimination in Norway. I have a degree in engineering and was born here so I speak the language fluently. I had to watch all the Norwegian students land jobs even before graduation meanwhile I haven’t even been called to an interview more than a year after graduating.
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I’m currently in Nigeria studying Mining Engineering. My wish is to come to Norway, have my masters done there, start working and live there permanently. What is the percentage of me living a good life in Norway and fulfilling my dreams.
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I love the country Norway everything I was planning travel to Norway to live and work there but you opened my eyes which way forward
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I would personally want to work in Norway
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Am a degree holder in adult and community education but currently working in the UAE doing aviation baggage handling was well as customer care service but Norway is my dream country to work in since I was young
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Thank you for this informative piece.
I’ve always loved the idea of going to Norway to Study and work eventually. -
I was just about to consider Norway for job search but after reading this article, definitely I will not waste my time. Thank you for saving us a lot of effort
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[…] If you are looking for a job in Norway I recommend this book How to find a Job in Norway by David Nikel, and my article 7 Obstacles to finding a job in Norway. […]
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I’m looking for job into IT – Cloud (AWS, GCP) in Norway if someone could help me thru in guiding on the process, it would be really helpful.
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Hi,
I could really use some help. I’m a Norwegian student with a boyfriend from USA. And I’ve been searching everywhere for the last year for jobs the might fit him and how visas work. I have to say I’m lost, and I would really like for him to come live and work here with me.He has a two year collage education in web development from two years ago. He is not as steady as he wants to in that field. Right now he is working with food samples in a big shop. I just don’t know what to do to get him here and feeling defeated.
I have two years left of my studies and going on with a long distance for another two-three years will be hard. Marriage visa is also not an option until one year after I complete my studies and start working because of the high income limit. And the process is extremely long as well. I’m honestly debating to start working in USA because this is going to be easier for us.
I’m getting desperate and starting to look at foodora delivery service, but unsure if this qualifies for a work visa… (if you know the answer, please tell. It could be our answer.) All other jobs need him to speak Norwegian in some degree (which he is trying to learn), so this article is spot on with that part. Although a lot of the IT jobs doesn’t require Norwegian, but again, I’m not sure he will like it there and stress for not understanding his job as well as he wants to.
Sorry… this was long, but I’m just trying to explain the basics and really desperate at this point. I saw there were people in here helping, so I’m just hoping you have some input…
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Most points listed here are invalid. Children born from immigrant parents that speak Norwegian fluently and is perfectly integrated into Norwegian society face the same discrimination.
It ultimately doesn’t matter how well you know the language or the culture. If you dont have a western name, Norwegians are going to discriminate you.
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