Norway is known for its high standard of living. Are you looking for successful professional plans? Are you curious about employment in Scandinavian countries? This article gives you key advice for a successful professional journey. It helps you learn about the ABCs of landing on a stable job contract in Norway.

Why Do You Need to Start Your Career in Norway?

Seventh richest country in the world in terms of GDP per capita, Norway offers good job prospects. In 2017, the country was voted "the happiest country in the world" by the UN's World Happiness Report. Very dynamic, Norway is often cited as a model for other countries to follow. With a relatively low unemployment rate and little inequality, the country remains at the forefront in many areas. Norway has a strong economy, with encouraging development prospects. The qualified and multilingual workforce, the organized banking and financial sectors, including the political stability and the proper functioning of public services make Norway an ideal country to invest or create a business. The Doing Business 2018 ranking established by the World Bank only confirms it: Norway is the 8th country where it is the easiest to do business.

For foreign job seekers, it is sometimes difficult to learn the official language or find English jobs in Norway. The problem is that not all organizations advertise their vacancies. There can be several reasons for this; maybe they plan to recruit internally. If you find it hard to find new vacancies in Norway, there is always a suitable solution for your small worries. Fratres is an international portal with the recent professional updates on your target field in a place in the world. If you sign up to Fratres, learning about vacancies in Norway will longer be a complicated task. Fratres will lead you step by step towards interesting careers in Norway. Let’s get started!

1.To get a Job, Do I Have to Be Fluent in Norwegian?

Fluency in Norwegian is an important and a helpful step in looking for a job, since the majority of job offers are in Norwegian. The recruitment processes in most Norwegian companies rarely employ English in job advertisements. There are additional languages that can help you approach recruitment in Norway such as French and Dutch. For foreign applicants they might be disappointed in not finding English jobs. But, some companies in Norway provide language courses, especially when you are hired there. Certain types of visa also require language courses. A permanent resident visa, for example, requires you to take 300 hours of Norwegian lessons, even if a very good command of English may be sufficient in certain sectors (energy, IT, medicines etc.).

2.Where to work?

Every two years the job market is changing in Norway. After the pandemic, it is always the medical field and healthcare assistance sector that recruits the most. Other fields contributing to the Norway economy consist of professing industries targeting export, logistics, tourism, fishing, or even IT. All trades related to the exploitation of hydrocarbons (engineers, geologists and geophysicists, etc.) and the development of green energy, as well as mechanics and technicians, are also sought after. Your career prospects in Norway should be based on two facts:

• Your qualifications; as an applicant you have a set of knowledge, hard skills and soft skills to invest in
• The job market: in Norway there are various countless sought after specialties based on the demands of the population.

3. How to Find a Job?

The mission of looking for a job varies from one applicant to another. Some job seekers rely on their professional network to directly get notified for a job. Others shift from a trial or a volunteering period to an official recruitment. Depending on the specialization, the recruitment process in Norway always goes through these steps:

-Exploring the available job offers.

-Preparing a CV  and a Cover letter tailored to each job offer.

-Sending open applications in case of sensing the possibility of a new job

To find a job in Norway, you can go for the classic option that all Norwegians go through; the  temporary employment agencies as well as the Norwegian National Employment Agency (NAV). Both agencies can help you reach the recent opportunities.You should also consider the following websites:

The Local Jobs

Adecco

Manpower

FINN.no

Karrierestart.no

Fratres

3. Can I get a Job Before Reaching Norway?

 If you are out of the barriers and you want to start your career in Norway, you have to apply for a Work visa first. Finding a job directly from another country can be a bit challenging, especially if you don’t have the language. In this case, try to contact employment intermediate centers. The latter has an international branch specializing in the follow-up of foreign people wishing to emigrate.

You can also go through the European Eures system, the largest employment assistance system in Europe, which offers many job offers and advice to get to know the country well. In the event of a special request, it is possible to contact an adviser within the Eures service. These are available throughout Europe.

4. Can I invest in Norway?

outsourcing is one of the common and increasingly raised investments in Norway. With call centers and cost effective assistance to align with foreign projects, Norway houses many foreign firms on its lands. Investments in consumer goods, information technology, construction or services also offer great opportunities. There are several forms of business structures. But, salary costs are high and the isolated geographical location of the country can generate significant costs (for logistics, transport or telecommunications). If you need help setting up your own business, the city of Oslo has an information center for business start-ups. 

These were the four reasons why young applicants are excited to start in Norway. It is essential to learn the basics of Norwegian language to facilitate your application process.