Finding a job in Sweden can be quite tricky depending on your field of studies. During the last decade Sweden has taken a big turn towards the tech sector meaning that engineers, developers, and other IT professionals will have an advantage in the current job market. However, there are still many job opportunities in Sweden after your masters.
We have made a list of jobs that are currently in demand that can help you. As you can see from this list, they are all IT or engineering related. There are of course other jobs that are also in demand, such as healthcare related workers, dentists, teachers, builders, lawyers, restaurant workers, and many more.
While you are taking your masters there are, however, some tips we would like to give that can help you find work regardless of your field of studies.
Table of Contents
1) Start looking for work as early as possible
It is important to get out there and start looking at the job market and applying for work as soon as you can. Many people start applying for jobs when they have at least 1 year left of their studies in order to line up employment for after they have finished.
2) Network as much as possible
Similar to most other countries, getting job opportunities through connections is much easier than without. It can therefore be good to try to start networking within the field that you are interested in.
Many companies will allow you to visit for interviews solely to learn more about the company and the field without applying for an actual job. This can be good as it allows you to introduce yourself and establish yourself as an interested candidate if anything should come up in the future.
3) Attend career fairs
Somewhat similar to the last point, it can be very good to attend career fairs that your university hosts. There you can establish connections with employers and learn more about the opportunities that you may have once your studies are completed.
4) Try to learn Swedish
Most people in Sweden speak English, but having a basic conversational level of Swedish will be quite helpful when seeking employment. It can also help you stand out from the rather large international crowd in Sweden if you are able to show that you are trying to learn and integrate into the society.
5) Language isn’t always a barrier
Realise that language isn’t always a barrier in Sweden. Many companies will post job opportunities ads in Sweden for positions that may not have a language requirement. If you are an interesting candidate, it is likely that they will hire you anyway. Most people in Sweden speak English at a very high level and employers are simply looking for the most competent people to do the job.
6) Look for international companies
If you are having trouble with language barriers, Sweden has a wide selection of international companies where the working language is English. You can find job postings on LinkedIn or on Sweden’s work portal “Platsbanken” (Site in Swedish, listings in English) that will be entirely in English and where Swedish will not be a requirement.
7) Internships
Internships can be a good way to kickstart your career, but do keep in mind that these can often be more competitive than a full time position. The reason for this is that people will be more reluctant to apply for a full time position. They may think that it is unattainable and that the requirements are too high. Whereas an internship seems more attainable.
It can, however, be possible to find internships or part time work through companies such as Academic Work that focus on helping students find job opportunities.
For individuals holding student permits
If you are in Sweden taking a master’s degree on a student permit, keep in mind that you can apply for a “job seeker” permit. This is a permit that can be granted for up to 1 year after finalizing your studies. It will give you the opportunity to find employment and work in Sweden. After this 1 year period you will hopefully have found a job and can apply for a work permit in order to continue your stay.
You can find the application form for that here on the Migration Agency’s website. The application is rather straightforward and as long as you have passed all of your courses you should not have any issues with having your application approved. The application should also be submitted before your student permit expires. If you currently hold a student permit you can find more information about working on your student permit here.