Job hunting in Norway: from job ad to employment contract

Where do you find the jobs?

Most vacancies are on Finn.no under «Jobb» and on NAV’s arbeidsplassen.no. Create a profile on both and set up alerts for your occupation and county. LinkedIn is used heavily in IT, oil and consulting, and many recruiters actively search for profiles there. Staffing agencies such as Adecco, Manpower and Randstad are a common way in, especially in warehousing, construction and industry.

But a large share of jobs are never advertised. They go to someone who knows someone, or to a temp who did a good job. This is often called the hidden job market. Tell everyone you know that you are looking: your neighbour, the parents at kindergarten, people on your Norwegian course. Many got their first Norwegian job through a work placement from NAV or a chance chat at the sports club.

CV and cover letter

A Norwegian CV is short: one to two pages. Start with your latest job and work backwards. Write concretely what you did and achieved, not just the title. A photo is optional, and date of birth, marital status and number of children are not necessary. Your Norwegian level should be clearly stated, ideally with a level such as B1 or B2. At the end come two references with name and phone number, or «available on request».

The cover letter (søknadsbrev) matters just as much. Keep it to one page and write it for this exact position. The first paragraph says which job you are applying for and why it interests you. Then two paragraphs on what you can contribute, with concrete examples. Finish by saying you would be glad to come for an interview. Avoid big words like «the world’s best»; write instead «I have three years’ experience driving forklifts and hold a T4 licence».

The job interview

Norwegian interviews are often informal in tone but thorough. There are usually two or three people in the room, for example your future manager, someone from HR and sometimes a union representative. Expect questions like «tell us about a time you solved a difficult situation» or «how do you work with colleagues you disagree with?». Answer with concrete examples: what happened, what you did, what the result was.

Be modest, but not invisible. Heavy self-praise backfires, yet you must dare to say what you are good at. Say «we» when it was teamwork and «I» when it was you. Towards the end you will be asked if you have any questions. Always have two ready: ask about the working environment (arbeidsmiljø), what a normal day looks like, or how training works. Salary is raised towards the end, or in the second round.

References really do get called

In many countries references are a formality. In Norway the employer almost always calls, often after the second interview. They ask what you were like to work with, whether you were punctual, how you handled stress and whether they would hire you again. So choose references who actually know your work, preferably a former manager, and tell them in advance.

If all your experience is from abroad, it is fine to give a reference there. Make sure the person speaks English and knows a call from Norway might come. If you have had a work placement or temp job in Norway, a Norwegian reference is worth its weight in gold, even if the job was short. It shows that you have functioned in a Norwegian workplace.

Contract, probation and notice

Under the Working Environment Act you must always have a written employment contract (arbeidskontrakt). Read it before signing: job title, pay, working hours, notice period and whether you are permanent or temporary. Permanent employment is the main rule in Norway. Many contracts have a probation period (prøvetid), which by law can be up to six months. During probation the notice period is shorter, and the employer can dismiss you if you are not suited to the job.

After probation the legal main rule is one month’s notice (oppsigelsestid), but many contracts say three months, especially in office jobs. It works both ways: you too must work out your notice if you get a new job. Ask whether the company has a collective agreement (tariffavtale). Then pay, allowances and hours may be set there, often on better terms than the legal minimum.

Working hours and overtime

A normal working week in Norway is 37.5 hours, meaning 7.5 hours a day with a short lunch break. The law sets the limit for ordinary working time at 40 hours a week, but most collective agreements say 37.5. Rotas, shift work and offshore have their own arrangements, for example two weeks on and four weeks off on the continental shelf.

Overtime must be paid with a supplement of at least 40 percent of the hourly wage, and there are limits on how much overtime you can work. Managers and certain «particularly independent» positions may be exempt, which will be stated in the contract. Keep your own timesheets even if nobody asks. If you are asked to work a lot of unpaid overtime, you can contact your union representative, the union or the Labour Inspection Authority (Arbeidstilsynet), which also has good information in several languages.

Useful phrases

Jeg søker på stillingen som lagermedarbeider.I’m applying for the position of warehouse worker.
Jeg har fem års erfaring fra bransjen.I have five years’ experience in the industry.
Kan du fortelle litt om arbeidsmiljøet?Could you tell me a bit about the working environment?
Hvordan ser en vanlig arbeidsdag ut?What does a normal workday look like?
Referanser oppgis på forespørsel.References available on request.
Hvor lang er prøvetiden?How long is the probation period?
Har dere tariffavtale?Do you have a collective agreement?
Når kan jeg forvente svar?When can I expect an answer?
Jeg har tre måneders oppsigelsestid.I have three months’ notice.
Takk for intervjuet, jeg er fortsatt veldig interessert.Thank you for the interview, I’m still very interested.