Monday, April 14, 2008

Getting a job In Sweden

It is difficult finding jobs generally in Sweden. Sweden is not a haven for jobs. I would tell anyone coming to Sweden to prepare him or herself with a lot of pocket money for personal support before finding a job here. Sweden has one of the worst intergration policies in Europe when it comes to immigrants having jobs. The article can be read on Dagens nyheter in August 2003.

Work time is strictly 40 hrs a week and you must take vacation for four weeks every year.

Where to find jobs:

Government employment agency (Arbetsförmedlingen)Ams
Arbetsförmedlingen database link platsbanken Job service database(Platsbanken) , but note that there is always a requirement of the Swedish language (svenska) in the majority of cases.

Local and daily newspapers

Daily contacts with people

Ask people

Be open for anything from a start

If you cannot buy local and daily newspapers then go to the nearest public library (Stadsbiblioteket) and read them. You just have to locate it, get it and sit down and start reading.
You can also check on blocket.

Job recruiting sites or databases and register your CV for example manpower, proffice.
In bigger towns such as Stokholm and Göteborg you can be lucky to get English speaking related jobs. Some English related jobbs can be found on thelocal website.
If you can drive and you have a licence it can boost your chances of finding a job. To buy a second hand car you can visit Blocket website
Sweden is amongst the countries with the highest income tax of about 30%. For example if you earn 10000kr as monthly pre-tax income you will finally get about 6500 to7000kr as your income at the bank.

Easy jobs to get are unskilled jobs for example

Distributing newspapers (the local daily newspaper of where you are living)
Distributing advertisement papers or junk mails on weekends (Direkt Reklam)
Cleaning jobs
For Au Pair Work you can register on this site for Au pair service You can register on-line and they are really good and helpful in matching you to a suitable family.
For professional and skilled jobs you have to follow the same procedure and make your self a very good CV. For summer jobs you need to apply early enough as February and if you get a job you can start working between June and August if the company employs you.

You can get the addresses from the yellow pages (Gula sidorna).
For English Speaking jobs go:
Jobs in for those who speak english