(edit title) Hello Sweden here I come! Opinions very welcome (hopefully positive) ! Options

[KieronT]

Hi Everyone,

I have really enjoyed viewing posts from this forum and the site in general for the past year and feel quite neglectful having only joined recently in order to be able to post myself !!, However, better late than never !!.

My name is Kieron and I have been fortunate enough to have fallen in love with a beautiful and crazy Swedish girl who I am happy and proud to say is now my fiancee, and will be moving to Bleket on the island of Tjorn in a few short weeks !!

I have now visited Sweden 3 times and always had a very warm and welcoming reception and have been treated very well.
I have read many negative posts from individuals disconcerted with their treatment or acceptance upon attempting to integrate and make a life in Sweden. It is a shame that those with positive stories to tell do not share their experiences too as I am certain that there are many more good stories than bad, as they say "bad news travels faster than good" !!.

Sofia has been living and working in the U.K. for many years now and we have always intended to move to Sweden (Sofia loves her home country and family) but we never really determined when we would do so. Our decision to move now has been made somewhat spontaneously and alas my spoken Swedish is pretty bad....sorry that's a lie.....it's non-existent !!!!
I intend to learn at least conversational Swedish pretty quickly and will be enrolling in a language course as soon as I get there.

I feel quite ignorant coming to your country without a basic grasp of the language, but I always thought we would plan at least 6 months in advance for the move and I would start to learn then. So if you happen to meet me in the next little while please go easy on me !!!!!.

I am fully aware that not speaking Swedish will significantly limit my options for employment but I will not in any way feel discriminated against as I totally believe in "When in Rome do as the Romans" !!.

I have personally lived and worked in France, Australia and Canada, so am used to integrating and adopting a different culture and general way of living, However I think that Sweden is going to be a bigger challenge than that of the other countries I have lived in, However, I look forward to the challenge and the beginning of the next exciting chapter of mine and Sofia's lives.

Although I have a degree, (industrial management) it is somewhat useless as I undertook my studies a long time ago (we are both 39), and due to travelling and wanting to experience different job roles I have not had a consistent career path to speak of. I have worked on Oil refineries, worked in many restaurants / bars, farms, construction, sales and sales management and owned two businesses in Canada (a restaurant and furniture manufacturing business).

I have savings but will be seeking employment once I am there. I am prepared to literally do anything, even wash dishes while I am learning the language and settling into the culture, although Sofia has said that I am not allowed to work in a fish factory !!!!, She doesn't want me coming home smelly !!!!.

My plan is to work and learn the language for about a year, and in this time I will research developing technology and Industries and appropriate educational courses and then return to university to undertake study that will allow me to pursue a fruitful and rewarding career in Sweden in a job role suitable to the countries business economy.

So I hope that I have not rambled on too much and unfortunately I don't really have a specific question to ask. But I would really appreciate any comments, thoughts, pearls of wisdom, or anything at all that anyone might feel would be of benefit to me in making this move and integrating into the country and community as smoothly as possible. Especially I would love to hear any opinions on which industry / business sectors or even specific job roles would be good to study for as a career choice in Sweden.

Thank you so much for reading and I look forward to any comments (hopefully positive) or informative opinions that you might take the time to post.

Kieron

[SOIS.COM]

Tjörns is a member of the cradle to cradle EU islands project..with an aim to decentralize energy production. One option would be to take a masters program in Sweden in English in some subject regarding sustainability and then go back to Tjörns and help with the project?

If you choose to take a masters at the same time join SFI and learn Swedish...well go to SFI in any case.

With your diverse background, moderate command of the language, and a degree from a Swedish university you highly increase your odds of being able to help out the society in a meaningful way.

In case any of this interests you here is a nice working paper on the subject of C2C on Tjörns.

Best of Luck!

[Migga]

Read some famous, traditional and classic children stories as a mean to learn the language. At the same time you`ll get an insight in some of the stories, traditions and values that many native Swedes have grown up with. You can also keep the books around for when you and Sofia starts a family and pass it along to your children.