Getting a job in Norway as an expat..

Having been an expat in Norway..TWICE.. I can tell you a thing or two about TRYING to land a job over here...  it AIN'T EASY.

Now, this is MY experience..

(.. & the experience of all of my expat girlfriends here.)

   There are of course those.. with some wonderful education in a specialized field who will tell you that getting a job over here is EASY....   maybe for THEM is was...

 for the rest of us... not so much.

When I arrived the first time.. a bright & bushy tailed 25 year old...

with a double major & a minor.. 3 years work experience.. & 3 languages...

I thought it would be a BREEZE landing a job.  That is what my new husband told me.

Why wouldn't someone want me? 

In the U.S. most employers think that if you have a degree.. you can be TAUGHT to do anything... 
Oh you have a BA in English?  sure you can work in HR.. or sales etc.

Not so much here...

In Norway.. MOST people work with their degrees...

not so much flip flopping as in the U.S.

I have my education in Political Science & German with a minor in International Relations.

so as you can imagine.. there wasn't (still isn't)

a huge demand for those qualifications in my area.

For the first few months I lived here (15 years ago).. I scoffed at some of the jobs my husband suggested...  PUH-LEASE... I am not going to do THAT..or THAT..or THAT.

Well after a few months of NADA...

some of those jobs were looking PRETTY darn good.

too bad those jobs I THOUGHT I had been too good for.. didn't want me either...

My first go around here the 2 jobs I was offered... were cleaning lady.. &/or newspaper girl.

I ended up driving around with newspapers every morning at 4 am.. just to be able to contribute. - that lasted for a few months until Bjørn & I ended up going back on cruise ships... & then back to the US.

When we decided to move back 6 years ago.. I knew it would not be easy...

I knew that no one was going to want me just because

I had University degrees or because I was an American..

I knew I was going to have to work..

sometimes harder than the Norwegians just to get my foot in the door...

Just getting an interview proved almost IMPOSSIBLE...

In the past 7 years, I have had 4 jobs... Daycare..Hotel Concierge &

 Cosmetic /Perfume Manager - building up two Tax Free stores at our local Airport...  
and now, FINALLY-
Area Sales Manager for Oriflame Cosmetics..
so anyone looking for some extra income here in Norway... feel free to contact me..
I can send you in the right direction. .  :-)

Finding the RIGHT job for an expat..or anyone really, takes time...
but when you find the job which is the perfect fit ... it is so worth it!

 

I get a lot of emails on how to get a job here in Norway.

A lot of patience... hard work.. & an open mind...   Be creative..

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