I agree with you as a foreigner your CV is at the bottom of the pile. I was applying for a job last year, in Moss kommune online, going through some information was “ Moss Kommune has a law that in every vacancy/ job application they must call inn for interview one of the minorities who have applied for the post, that means foreigners. That means sometimes we have been called to interview just for the sake of the law!!!

EU immigrants get selected over immigrants from outside the EU and that includes Americans unless they are young. Age discrimination is very real here. Norwegians will almost always get selected for jobs first, no matter how skilled you are or who you know. And even they are having a tough time finding jobs. A “fast jobb” is no longer taken for granted here, many places are moving toward the US model of the gig economy and hiring temp or “vikar” or “engasjment” workers. Also I have refugee friends who have worked for restaurants and pizza places run by immigrants who are screwing them out of their wages, wage theft is real and there is a dark economy here among certain groups of immigrants and refugees and they do not hesitate to exploit others.

Learning the language is an absolute must. Learning Bokmal is one thing but the dialects will really make things difficult if you move to smaller cities, vs. Oslo where the dialect is very close to Bokmal. Learning Nynorsk will definitely help but it is only taught at the C1 level of language classes.

This is a wonderful, stunningly beautiful, safe and peaceful country with many benefits but unless you move here with a fat wallet, a Norwegian spouse who is already settled here or have a job lined up that will move you here or are already fluent in Norwegian, I suggest just visiting instead and figure out a way to make things better where you are, the struggle will be about equal.

This whole job search experience is very upsetting. My observations are that it’s much easier and quicker to find qualified jobs in other countries.

There is a chapter in the book about searching online, but realistically the chances of finding a job without physically being in Norway are extremely low. You’ll always be competing against people already in Norway that the employer will understandably be a lot more comfortable in hiring. Some industries are the exception, such as the oil and gas industry or academic research.

I find this offensive and rude. The poor chap was only making a valid point, and I found it valuable as a uk resident researching,

Hi Alexa! Speaking Norwegian is necesary for almost any type of job you apply for in Norway. That being said, there might still be some cafés or restaurants that might hire you without you speaking Norwegian – depening on what customers they tend to get (a younger/more international crowd would be more open to english speaking waiters). BUT if you do want to live, study and work in Norway, your number one priority should be learning Norwegian ASAP – also, if you do not speak Norwegian when you move here, then prepare for a very though and slow job seeker process. For many university level studies, you will also be required to pass a Norwegian test before applying (called ‘Bergenstest’). Good luck!

@David …. you seem to have mis-understood the essence of what “having money” means. In the context given above i make reference to Norwegian BUSINESSES having money. I am not talking about the average person. When hiring the budget is there for them and they have very respectable budgets to find the necessary people they want.

Moreover, the Norwegian time frame for filling positions in their respective companies is longer than say the standard “norm” time in the UK for example.

Having a contact will get you the job in a instant. However, should you have to jump through all the process-loops as a result of being an outsider….it will most definitely take a long time.

As a result of your misunderstanding, you did raise an interesting point. I have been to dinner/drinks many times with my Scandinavian friends and i can not share in your terrible experiences. Your “friends” seem to be very rude or they just don’t think your worthy of their money – my condolences for your loss of money as a result of “almost always ending up paying”.

…buying a round of drinks or going 50-50 on a dinner bill, among my friends and I, is a normal thing when i visit Scandinavia.

Also in closing i must say the way you use the word “basic” to describe their lives is somewhat inappropriate. They have a different way of spending their free time and family is very important. They invest heavily in their homes and seek to enjoy them as often as possible with people they want around them.
….The history of drink, drugs, gambling, politics and the church in Norway does much to explain many aspects of life and their systems.