(edit title) Perhaps I could get some Advice? Looking for Work/ activities in Stockholm Options

[BeckyJL]

Hey Guys,

This seems like a good place to start!

Jag skulle gärna skriva det i svenska men jag har bara börja studerar svenska, men jag vill att lära!!! (I hope I am not completely chewing up the language, but bear with me! I'm new to languages really, not counting secondary school French.)

I will be moving to Sweden soon, I packed up shop here in the UK (having left my job) and I'm making a bit of a leap into a new country (I've completely fallen in love with Stockholm! I've visited many times now.)

So I think having read a lot now, I would like advice... I am slightly concerned about the period of time it will take to find work (apparently I have chosen a bad time to make the move as many don't recruit over summer.) I'd say I have until the end of the year/beginning of next before I should seriously think about returning to the UK, so I really want to make a go of this.

Over the last month I have been contacting Swedish companies to no avail! (One agency even came back to me with a job in the UK they thought would suit me more so, which didn't help but it was kind of them.)

Really, I wouldn't mind some comforting words right now as I haven't got lots of experience in my industry- games programming (2 years with C++ mainly, lots of jobs seem to expect so much more experience than that!) It also doesn't help that I am looking at getting into software Development, an industry I have little experience in.

I am thinking of getting involved in some charity work (to keep me from going mad while I look for work) I've recently completed a project (on a volunteer basis) for a school local to me, redesigning their website. I've got something lined up with a homeless charity in the UK (developing a simple/small website for them) but I'd like to get out and about!

Doing something that gets me talking to people will also help me to learn Swedish I think. I've always been more of a doer than a sitting and listening kind of person so I'd prefer putting my skills into real practice and learning the practical way rather than paying for classes.

So, can anyone suggest any animal or nature charities in and around the Stockholm area that would be in need of a volunteer? Maybe I am jumping the gun a little but it would be fun to get to know people maybe make some friends Maybe I could do other things as well, could someone suggest activities I could get involved in? I like running and swimming

Any other advice would be really great as well! This is a big leap for me! I'd really like to get to know Stockholm more, I am also planning some trips out into the country, I am very excited!

If you happen to have read my post/novel then I should thank you!

Becky.

[ljtaylor88]

(in before the inevitable influx of "Sweden is crap you will likely die unemployed in a ditch somewhere" posts...ignore these)

I will be in the same situation as you this summer so I wish you all the best and keep us posted on how it goes.

I think you are in a good position as programming and IT are in big demand in Sweden from what I can gather. And I think charity work is a great idea, I have done this back in the UK and managed to find work out of it.

Hopefully other people will post something more constructive, all in all from what I can gather job-hunting abroad takes determination and hard work but I think you know that already.

[byke]

Just remember a majority of buisnesses are closed for the summer holidays which leaves many towns and cities deserted. Thus looking for a job at this time may be even harder.

As for charity / voluntary work, no idea.
From what I understand it is not as common as in the UK.

[BeckyJL]

Hey!

Thank you so much for the replies.

I am actually quite worried about finding work over the summer, but if needs must I will take the time to practice my Swedish, make some friends and get some kind of portfolio type thing online. When life hands you lemons, go find some oranges they taste better. No wait, that's not the saying. I need to sleep I think...

Thank you again guys!

[byke]

Have you sorted accomodation ?

[skogsbo]

you need to arrive now, otherwise any real hope of looking for working, registering at the various state institutions isn't going to happen until August. You may get lucky, but better to not rely on it.
If your field is IT, gaming etc.. you must know a few companies in that field in Sweden, better to just get any IT job rather than a new type of work, once you're Swedish is sorted you will be able to be more picky over employment.
I would suggest that you have quite a few grand in the bank and have you accommodation sorted, before you even think of booking a flight. Try and stack the odds in your favour not against. Do you know anyone here you sofa surf with, whilst you get things arranged?

[PDX]

Getting a software development job in Stockholm is trivial - there are plenty of open positions available. You are unlikely to land one before August due to the summer holiday season. This is only good, however, as you will need a few months to:

1) Learn the language.
2) Gather/create a portfolio of your skills, previous work etc. This would be either software you implemented (the actual applications and code if you can show it) and/or a repository on GitHub or such.

~~~PDX~~~

[Migga]

Sweden has a small business when it comes to the gaming industry, but it`s better then in most countries. There are 106 companies that employ 1203, where 121 are women. So as I said it`s not a big business but it has some impact on the world stage with companies like EA Dice, Avalanche Studios, Midasplayer, Starbreeze and Paradox Interactive.

These companies are the five largest and stand for 60% of the market in Sweden. Of all the 106 companies, 38% of them are situated in Stockholm. After that comes Malmö, Uppsala and Göteborg with 10% each. If you want a detailed map of the companies location there is one at page eight;

http://www.dataspelsbranschen.se/media/120...0%20-%20new.pdf

When it comes to volunteer work you should contact Volontärbyrån;

http://www.volontarbyran.org/Volontarbyran/english.aspx

As you say it`s a good way to meet people, get better at swedish and it also shows employers that you aren`t sitting on your bum but is actually out working and want a job.

[BeckyJL]

Hey Guys,

Thank you for your replies!

Yes, I have accommodation sorted, an apartment just outside of Stockholm. Money and accommodation is all sorted, I move in a weeks time Just need to get the job now.

I figured I would be lucky to find something before August... I will just have to take this as the perfect opportunity to brush up on my language skills and get to know people etc etc... I am having a hard time finding some kind of volunteer work to get involved in though, I really would like to do something that gets me talking to Swedish people, maybe I can find some customer service work over the summer? (But then that would look bad on my CV I suppose?)

And yes, I have friends in Sweden, they are the nicest most genuine people I have ever come across! Based on my small sample of Swedish friends and people I have met, I can only assume that all Swedish people are genuinely nice people

Thank you again for your advice and for confirming my fears about finding work over the summer. I will just have to accept that I will have to wait to find my dream job maybe, but I will keep trying!!

Becky.

[BeckyJL]

Ah! Thank you Migga! Gosh, I have quite the trek in front of me perhaps... But then I have always been one for a challenge. I knew it would be so when deciding to move to a new country.

I know from experience that if I were to look in the big English cities (like London) it would take me 2 maybe 3 weeks to find a software dev job, but Sweden is a whole new playing field for me! I just hope that 2 to 3 months of waiting won't affect my confidence! Which is in part another reason for me to get a volunteer job it will keep me busy and distract me from worrying about finding a job etc etc!

Thank you again

[Migga]

No worries. One of the best ways to find a job, in my mind, is to meet people. Meet people, explain your situation and ask them if they know of any jobs or tell them to keep an eye out! The more ways you can meet people the better. No matter if it`s through friends or voluntering.

[wondering]

Hi,

I sent you a PM as well .

[BeckyJL]

Hey Guys!

I thought I would post an update, letting you know what's been happening. So the summer was quiet. Everyone told me it would be! But now I have been offered a job! *happy face*

I should thank people who took the time to reply to me, and to those on ClaudiaPc's thread.

I have interviews coming up in the next week also, I will see how they go and make a decision then ^^ I thought an update would be nice

Thank you again for the support! Now I can relax finally! *breathes a massive sigh of relief*

[Hamsterdam]

Well done and good luck