As an academic graduate it can be challenging to start searching for a job in a new country; how do you write a job application, find job ads and expand your network in Sweden? Get going with some guidance for job seeking in Sweden.
The Swedish employment market offers many alternatives for academic graduates. As in many countires one does not always work whitin one's field of education.
Therefore, the qualifications required in a job ad are often more relevant than a person's academic education.
To determine if you meet the requirements in a job ad can be challenging. Sometimes you may not meet all the listed requirements, but can still have a matching experience.
In your job application make sure to list experience and skills from previous jobs that can be used in another context.
To compile your transferable knowledge, make a list or a table of your previous experience. Create four columns with the headings; experience, responsibility, skills and performance.
By doing this you hightlight the transferrable skills which you can use in future job applications.
To make sure that employers or recruiters understand your full potential in your job application you'll sometimes have to be very specific in explaining how you can contribute. One way could be to describe the Swedish equivalents to your education and previous job positions.
As in many other countries it is important to highlight your experiences, achievements and personality in you job application. Try to use distinct examples for the employer to understand who you are and how you can contribute to the organization or business.
By being a member of Akavia you have access to career advice from experts in English to find hidden jobs and the next step in your career. Read more and order the career advice here.
A clear majority of jobs in Sweden are advertised on the internet. The job ads are either posted on the employers' own websites, LinkedIn, via staffing and recruitment companies or on websites that collect job ads from several different employers.
Many people get their first job through staffing or recruitment companies. Therefore, these companies can be of great help when you are looking for a job in Sweden. It is often a quick process from the job advertisement being posted to someone being hired. Therefore, make sure to have regular contact with one or more recruitment and staffing companies.
There are several staffing and recruitment agencies in Sweden. Many of the agencies specialize in candidates who are academic graduates, some of them are:
To make sure that the staffing or recruitment agency is authorised you can use Kompetensföretagen. Their member companies have collective bargaining agreements, which gives you better terms and conditions of employment.
One of the most common ways to get a job is through contacts. If you don't know many people in Sweden it can be challenging at first and therefore we have collected tips on how you can make your Swedish contact network bigger.
Here are organizations that can help you in various ways to meet people and expand your network, which you may be able to turn to when looking for a job:
Mitt liv has mentoring for immigrant graduates. On their website, you can both find vacant jobs and apply for a mentor. That person can become an important contact that you can use to help you when looking for a job.
Volontärbyrån can help you if you want to work as a volunteer. You don’t get paid for what you do but working as a volunteer makes your network bigger and gives you valuable experience when searching for a job.
Yrkesdörren matches you with a person who works whitin the same industry. You can then share your experiences and contacts, which can lead to a new job or other exciting opportunities.
Svenska med baby organizes meetups for people on parental leave or have children. At their get-togethers you can network, practice your Swedish and meet other parents with various cultural backgrounds.
Get a mentor with Akavia. From previous programs, 64 percent have received qualified jobs during or after the program.
SFI for professionals is also called SFX or SFI with vocational orientation. When you take the course, you will learn terminology that is relevant to your profession. You will also be able to practice presenting and describing your background, your profession and your goals. Field trips and project work are often included in the course.
Please note that SFX is available to those who already have a profession. Therefore, you must have a completed degree or experience in your field in order to apply for these programs.
You may be entitled to financial aid and loans from CSN when you take SFX. Contact CSN for more information.
Swedish for professionals is currently only available in a few places in Sweden. However, Stockholm offers several different courses. Read more about them here.
Before you sign an employment contract make sure it includes all the essentials by having it reviewed by our experts. You can also read more about what’s important to look out for before signing an employment contract here.
To get a unique insight in what salary you should accept you can use Akavias salary statistics. It and includes relevant and correct statistics for your profession, down to the individual level (education, position, sector, gender, year of graduation etc). The database is exclusively available to members, which probably contains Sweden's best salary statistics.
Please note that as a member of Akavia you have free access to individual guidance and counseling from our experts via telephone or video calls. They can help you with terms and conditions in your collective agreement, salary negotiation or other questions about your career.
Akavia is committed to advancing your professional career. Join us for expert guidance, protection of your rights and exclusive benefits tailored to the needs of our members.
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