My New Job... getting a job - continued...
Sorry if my last post left some of y'all flat...
I have had a lot of hits- the last two days...
I am sure folks waiting for me to tell the
Big ol' Secret of how to land a job in Norway.
It is hard as HELL y'all....
I am not saying that to scare you... just being honest.
You are going to need to be patient.. you need to be creative & you are going to have to keep plugging away. Ask EVERYONE you know if they can help you.
& do anything... & don't complain.
Majority of my expat girlfriends have FABULOUS jobs NOW.
But they didn't walk into these fab jobs...
they had to start somewhere just to build a Norwegian backgroud.
Even if you think you are 100% PERFECT for the job.. you may not get it because you are TOO American, or British, or German...etc.
I have a brilliant friend.. who is now some big wig marketing guro.. who made it all the way through SEVERAL TIMES & at the last min did not get the job because she was
"TOO AMERICAN".
They work differently here in Norway... & because you are wanting to work here...
You are going to need to know how to play they game.
I am not trying to be negative... I am not trying to scare you...
I am trying to PREPARE you.
Nothing is WORSE,
than thinking you can move on over with you cute little self,
expecting for people to line up to hire you ..
only to fall flat on your little butt.
Be prepared...
As hard as it is... I think it is a good thing to have to work your way up. No really.
I once tried to help a newcomer ...SKIP the steps... a-hem...
Worst decision EVER...
Instead of being thankful to have the opportunity to get a job in a store... she walked around telling everyone who would listen how OVER QUALIFIED she was..
and WHINEING about how .."she had an E D U C A T I O N..."
I have never wanted to slap someone so bad in my life...
She just didn't get it.-get how LUCKY she was to get a chance.. & she BLEW it.
Neither the job didn't nor the "friendship" lasted long.
So about the NEW JOB... tomorrow is the BIG DAY!
Sorry if I confused some of y'all- with my last post...
The last job.. Perfume/Cosmetics Manager..
was a job which I landed by LUCK & HARDWORK..
Lucky, because I have never worked in Cosmetics... but my then boss, was willing to take a chance on me, because I am a hardworker...fast learner.
This job... PERFECT FIT.. & I am so so THRILLED.
I am the new Area Sales Manager for a Cosmetics Company. - I have Southern Norway
WOO HOO...
Although tomorrow is my first day...
I have been to several meetings to try to get into the swing.
- I love love love all of my new co workers.
I am excited for the opportunity to be able to think out of the box.. be a little creative.
I will be traveling.. :-)
Now it is going to be getting everyone adjusted to "everything".
The kids have always been used to pappa traveling
- might be a little weird to have mamma hitting the road so often.
& Pappa taking a bigger role on the home front.
I think it is good for all of us... especially for Bjørn & me.
He needs to take charge - while I am aways & I need to let him. :-)
It is all going to work out...
I am off for my first business trip TRONDHEIM.. next week.. for training.
I am really excited to be able to see more of Norway.
& who knows - finally be able to meet some of y'all - (in Norway)
Cross you fingers for my big day tomorrow.
I'll keep y'all posted.! xx
Comments
I'm definitely in that boat, and even though I have a Masters degree, and was a high school English lit. teacher, I've been turned away for rudimentary jobs here in Norway for not being Norwegian.
It's a huge cut down to your self-esteem! I know I'm gonna live here with my Weegie husband indefinitely, and I'll just have to work my way up...hopefully in the next few years I'll be teaching again, like I should be and was in the States!
I actually JUST yesterday finally got a job here. We've been here for 17 months now, and it's my first offer. And it's just a serving position. But it's SO MUCH better than nothing!
Jeg som norsk synes det er veldig interessant å lese hvordan det oppleves å bosette seg her som utlending. Det er nok et ordentlig kultursjokk! Vi nordmenn er jo knapt vant til andre nordmenn i dette langstrakte landet med knapt 5 millioner;) Håper ting ordner seg for de som er tøffe nok til å prøve, jeg tror vi har myyyye å lære fra hverandre alle sammen:)
Lykke til med ny jobb!!
Klem
So excited for you!
Congrats!
Lykke til med din nye jobb:)
Keep me posted on when you come to my area, coffee would be fantastic!
And props for saying it how it is in regards to job hunting in Norway. People need to hear it.
Gratulerer og lykke til med ny jobb! It sounds like the perfect job for you, and I'm so happy for you.
I think it's great you're laying things on the line and telling it like it is about going to Norway. It is very accurate and hopefully it will stop some people from rushing into something that may not work out for them or be a very expensive mistake.
Wasn't there a blogger that tried with her husband to move to Kr.sand then they ended up leaving after a few months? I wish she'd blog about what happened so others would get that viewpoint.
While I'm all about positivity and remaining upbeat, research really has to be done to find both sides of the coin before people uproot their lives and move overseas, especially those without ties to Norway. After all, knowledge is power.
God reiser til Trondheim.
(Så at det var noen over meg som skrev på norsk, så da tenkte jeg at du kanskje forsto det.. Hvis ikke har man jo alltids google translate. Hehe)
- Malin
I'll remember that forever!
My parents were ex pats and taught at Stavanger American School and I was born in Stavanger. I now live back in the US, but can't wait to check out more of your blog. Congrats again!
Scandinavians have no reason to not go to college and work in the medical field, or be some top-notch programmer, because, it's FREE and is considered natural to flow right out of school and straight into college, FREE, without a second thought! As if, college there is just another natural continuation of high school and not just some secondary but highly recommended step, if able to be afforded/ you don't mind paying for your education well into your midlife, as it is here.
I have a friend in Finland (born and raised there) and another friend in Sweden and I have talked to many that lived in Norway and they are either engineers or in the medical field. Heck, my favorite Danish goalkeeper was some Bio-chemist...crazy...and I just fix computers LoL
Meanwhile, how many people do I know here, in America, who have years of College education, in a technical field that are not using their education and/ or cannot get a job and thus, desperately got a job in food service or retail and are living from paycheck to paycheck?
There's simply Not a single thing I can offer at age 32, that a Norwegian of 22 years of age couldn't offer, except work experience, which, is attainable for anyone there...and that's what makes Norway and the rest of Scandinavia so darn special and beautiful but at the same time, is the very same reason why someone such as myself can never live there.
Too bad I didn't have this dream 10+ years ago, I'd have worked at a shop there and gone to school ;) but doing it all now, I'd be lucky to be done with my education and working that ideal job in my early to mid 40's only a decade outside of retirement...and that's why we have Rick Steve's travel channel ;)