The English Speaking Swedish Community - For all expats in Sweden

2. Start networking, and go straight to the web for that. Start an account at LinkedIn and get a free blog from Wordpress and Blogspot (and mention us of course) and start writing about stuff that interests you. Comment on other people's blogs and make yourself known in the area. You are a brand that needs to be built and sold.



3. Keep yourself together, and never forget that you are a valuable commodity. The second you start begging for that job in the interview, you are not going to get it. Don't be cocky, but have a backbone. After months of looking for work it can be hard to make sure you get out of bed and look for job over and over again, but it will pay off if you stay strong.



4. Join groups of people who are in a similar position. These groups can range from the American Club in Stockholm which has more formal meetings and has sit down dinners (that I could never afford before) to pub meetings. Meeting 1 person and getting a phone number or a contact is well worth the 50 crowns the beer will cost you.



5. Learn Swedish - you need just enough to be able to speak for 3 minutes at an interview. All you need to show is that you can hang out around a coffee machine with other Swedes. That is it. Whatever people say about Svenska for Invandrare, it is a good place to learn Swedish. It is not the best place for meeting people just like you, but if you just say to yourself that you will try and make one friend with a similar ambition to yours, then you enjoy it and make progress.



6. At that job interview you should be as humble as a Swede. One of the biggest mistakes that foreigners will make when going to an interview is wearing a suit and tie. I am not sure if this freaks Swedish employers out and shows that you are a little too serious for them, but instead you can even get away with wearing a collared shirt and a clean pair of jeans. If you are clean and personable, then you will do just fine. I once had to wait for an interview because the employer was in the office shower, so just relax and see them as equals and not as above you.

by Jeff (jeff@xpats.nu) 2009-01-10