Jobs for English speakers

Hi Jenny. I am also looking for information on English speaking jobs in Norway. Do let me know how you go about finding English speaking jobs there.

All the best with your search.

Hello kohliarti@yahoo.com.

You can try to post an advert in the jobs in Norway section. It can help.

Good luck in your research,
Aurélie

Hello,

It is possible to get a job without knowing Norwegian, and I think it's even easier if you are a native English speaker. I know some people working in the printing/publishing business who started without having much knowledge of Norwegian. I started working in a University without knowing any Norwegian, and still use English as my main working language. So it is possible. The key probably is to be very good at something, or have a skill which is in short supply.

Good luck,

David

Hi,

I've heard that its both easy and difficult to get a job if you only speak English. In my experience it has been difficult. You have a much better chance of finding a job in a city (like Trondheim) because cities generally have younger populations who are more familiar with English. The most likely jobs you will find would be cleaner/kitchen helper/chambermaid etc.
Like a previous poster said, if you have a very in-demand or rare skill its easier to find work.
Make sure you have enough money to last you a good few months as it can take time to find a job and Norway (as you probably know) is super expensive.

Lykke til!

Hi, Many thanks for a good advice. Shall keep it in mind.

I am a South Africa woman and I am planning to move to Norway in January.

My boyfriend is Norwegian but I don't speak any Nowargian at all.

I have a great job in the Media Industry in SA and would also know if there are jobs for English Speakers in Norway.

Obviously when I am there I will take Norwegian lessons and further my studies.

Please advise.

Kind regards,
Daniela

i also looking job in Norway. i am English speaking person. where i concern?Obviously when I am there I will take Norwegian lessons and further my studies.

Thanks everyone for the advice! It seems to be quite mixed views so I'll have to see how it goes and try and learn Norwegian as soon as possible!

JennyM wrote:

Hey,

Just wondered if anyone had any advice regarding working in Norway. I'm moving over from the UK in August as my boyfriend is Norwegian and will be studying in Trondheim. At the moment, I'm learning Norwegian but certainly won't be proficient enough by August! I realise that getting the job you desire in Norway will be almost impossible without knowing Norwegian.

So with that in mind, I'm trying to think of jobs that won't require me needing to speak fluent Norwegian (to begin with anyway!) Does anyone know what types of jobs I could get? I have office admin and management experience as well as editorial experience (including editorial work, proofreading)...

Do Norwegian publishing companies or companies in general require native-English workers/proofreaders?

If anyone has any advice it would be greatly appreciated

I'm a norwegian and I can say it's hard finding a job in norway without knowing the language. But check out sites like Finn.no, Nav, Trondheim Kommune.no etc. Or maybe your boyfriend knows about some places. When you are settled in Trondheim and knows the city better, go to some companies ask for the person in charge of recruitment at the company(remember to bring your CV/resume and give it to this person), and introduce yourself to them in person and tell them that you're looking for job etc...
There are a lot available jobs that the companies don't publish on sites like nav and finn, this is the way things have been in norway for while, because the companies saves money this way.
Good Luck, and remember to keep your head up and don't give up trying;).

JennyM: If I am not wrong then once you go to Norway you can take free Norwegian classes arranged by the City Council in Trondheim or whatever town/city you move to.

In the mean time there is www.nav.no for job seekers, finn.no and zett.no - but most of the information/job descriptions are in Norwegian - ask if you need some help with the translation!!

You can try a keyword search like "English" etc

Hi,
If anyone had any advice regarding work in Norway. I'm trying to move Norway from Nepal in August as a job seeker. At the moment, I'm learning Norwegian but certainly won't be proficient enough by August! I realise that getting the job you desire in Norway will be almost impossible without knowing Norwegian.

So with that in mind, I'm trying to think of jobs that won't require me needing to speak fluent Norwegian. Does anyone know what types of jobs I could get? I have office admin and Accountant experience as well as Information Technology.

Do Norwegian publishing companies or companies in general require English speakers.

If anyone has any advice it would be greatly appreciated.
Thank you

Krishna kc

Greetings to all concerned!

My name is Nael. I am from Egypt. I'm 43. Male. Married .

I'm looking for a job in Europe.

Education: (Cairo University faculty of Eletstronitss and Computers).
Building Computers & Building Networks. Exlant Degree.

Arabic native, write and speak English very good.

Thank you and I appreciate your help.

Nael

Hi my name is Yannis Koukis
I'm from Greece
i'm looking for welding jobs in Norway,I'm a very skilled tig welder and welding foreman.i can work in constactions,gas pipelines,refineries etc

Hi Yannis and welcome to Expat.com!

You should post an advert in the jobs in Norway section.

Thanks,
Christine

I am wondering if there is a place to look for professional level jobs in Norway. I am a PhD wildlife biologist, and my husband and I are interested in moving to Norway. I have relatives there.  We are learning Norwegian, but thought maybe perhaps being english speaking might be ok as a biologist with the petroleum industry...thoughts?

I'm not sure about the rest of Norway but I can tell you from first hand experience that finding work as an English only speaker in Trondheim is only 1 step away from impossible.

There is no apparent reason for it as apart from people who are really old, everyone can speak or understand English perfectly well, given that it is taught in Schools as the second language and they have had a lifetime of English TV to listen to. You will discover that a big majority of Norway's people are very Nationalistic (even though they claim not not be) and even though there are some really nice people here, as a foreigner you can face some level of bias when it comes to the job market.

When you start to apply for jobs, I'll just warn you up front that in many cases you will not even receive a response, let alone a "I'm sorry that position is now filled, reply". It's more Norwegian to just say nothing than to say no, but you'll get used to that eventually.

If you are anything like me, you'll seethe with frustration as you watch TV shows like Idol etc and see them using English speaking songs, but your English is not good enough to get you a job, hmmm.

Sorry if this all sounds a bit harsh, but I don't believe in sugar coating truthful experiences. I love the place, and have some really great friends here, and a long time Norwegian girlfriend, but unless you arrive here already highly skilled in a vocation which is in high demand such as the oil & gas industry then you're pretty much screwed to be honest, or of course it's ultimately better to apply for work here before you actually arrive.

If you're coming here as an English speaking, independent job seeker then please make sure you have enough money, or financial backing to last a good few months, maybe 6 months plus to live off, as many people land here full of hope and dreams and the Country just sucks you in and spits you out, then you'll go back where you came from, defeated and broke, and worse still the government will show no interest in helping you either, so forget going to NAV for help with any kind of survivability benefits, the most help they will offer you is a bus ticket to your embassy to seek help there (but there is none when you get there either).

My brass tacks survival advice is this, as soon as you get here look up all the local Bemanning agencies (Job agencies) like manpower etc, get registered with them quickly because unless you are "Extremely" lucky, they will be your only hope of finding any kind of work to help you survive.  Either that or go self-employed if you are exceptionally good at something, be highly competitive and offer services that others do not, but above all don't be slow in making a move because as others have said, the cost of living here is very expensive! you don't feel it if you are working because the salary is quite high, but being unemployed can eat your cash faster than you would believe, given that a loaf of bread will cost you around £3 etc.

On a final note, I'd advise you to look up "Janteloven" or Jante law, on Google. It is something of an unwritten law which is interwoven into the culture here - It's crazy and nonsensical and holds a lot of Norwegians in bondage, but it can also affect you, so it's best to be aware of it as you get to grips with the culture.

Good luck!

There are no longer free Norwegian language classes unfortunately. The only people who now qualify for free classes are people like refugees.

Shop around, you can get a loaf of bread for 50p. A £3 loaf of bread is not unheard of in England either. Norway is only as expensive as you let it be. Oslo, the 'most expensive' city, can actually be the cheapest option due to there actually being a market here. Now we could discuss quality and selection of goods, particularly vegetables..heh. Butter crisis anyone? Don't get me started on the hysterical media.

Just to give some gravitas to what winmcp stated, if you don't speak Norwegian, have no contacts or work in the O&G or shipping sector, possibly IT, forget it. I do come across a few bar staff occasionally who speak no Norwegian, or extremely basic Norwegian. But why should they hire you when there are plenty of people who speak Scandinavian languages who are equally if not better qualified, though occasionally not as qualified of course?

As much as Norwegians speak English to a reasonable level, it's a bit rich asking for an office to change their office language to accommodate a non norwegian speaker. Having said that, certainly some sectors who do exclusively have English as the office language. I wouldn't call it nationalism (which no norwegian really will deny either), but a sense of independence. There is of course the element of self esteem and confidence. Alot, if not most Norwegians, although they have English at school, on tv and socially, might not have been exposed to it workwise. Try getting a job in the UK and not speaking English..good luck. The fact that it's even possible here is actually quite strange.

But yes, get used to and understand Jantelov..it permeates society at all levels. The sooner you wrap your head around it, the quicker you can actually understand the locals and not misinterpret their behaviour as rude or some such.

winmcp wrote:

There are no longer free Norwegian language classes unfortunately. The only people who now qualify for free classes are people like refugees.

Only non eu/eec citizens are required to complete these btw. 250 hours, and 50 hours of cultural teachings or whatever they wish to call it.

Hey Knut

Please tell me where I can get a loaf for 50p (apart from Oslo market) and where in England I'd pay £3 for a loaf, Harrods maybe

I've been a computer & networking engineer for years and couldn't get near a job doing that, even cleaning jobs specify that you must speak good Norwegian, but yes you're right, an open area to foreigners is often with the bar / food and / or catering industry, pizza shops etc.

I think all in all, apart from being an oil and gas expert the single biggest qualification that matters when you come here is to be able to speak the language. I'm not surprised that Norwegians are proud of their Country with the language being part & parcel of that because it is very much the people's Country, they make it what it is with minimal input from the government.

winmcp wrote:

Hey Knut

Please tell me where I can get a loaf for 50p (apart from Oslo market) and where in England I'd pay £3 for a loaf, Harrods maybe

Kiwi, grade F bread..their cheapest range. It's not too bad, average Kneip brød if you wish. They have a couple of options on that price range too.

£2.90
http://www.sainsburys.co.uk/groceries/i … 1218985415

I've been a computer & networking engineer for years and couldn't get near a job doing that, even cleaning jobs specify that you must speak good Norwegian, but yes you're right, an open area to foreigners is often with the bar / food and / or catering industry, pizza shops etc.

My g/f even got told she couldn't do housekeeping at a hotel without Norwegian..But I think it depends where you are. IT in Oslo seems to be ok for non norwegian speakers. Nepotism is king here though. Incidentally, most cleaning jobs I see advertised mostly stress the need for a work permit, and I think to some extent, EU citizens will be automatically disqualified for these as they hope to get someone from Africa or Asia to fill these roles.

I think all in all, apart from being an oil and gas expert the single biggest qualification that matters when you come here is to be able to speak the language. I'm not surprised that Norwegians are proud of their Country with the language being part & parcel of that because it is very much the people's Country, they make it what it is with minimal input from the government.

But what annoys me is the current trend of Norwegians not speaking Norwegian properly. They'll throw in loads of English words, pronounce them badly, and think they are normal. My Norwegian is terrible for being a native, but I have plenty of excuses, my biggest is only having three years of Norwegian elementary school education.

I couldn't see a loaf of bread on the link sorry. I did search Sainsbury's for bread which I already knew as I had a Sainsbury's and Asda on my doorstep before coming here.  The average price is £1.35 for a good quality loaf, but they have their own brand which the staff use in the canteen for .50p and bread more expensive than the average 1.35 is considered a criminal price by most people and would only sell in high prosperity areas like London and some southern counties, elsewhere it would not sell at all.

I had no idea that Kiwi sold cheap bread, but as there is none near me I guess I wouldn't, but thx for the tip I'll check it out although due to the lack of work I don't think I'll be here for much longer to be honest.  As much as I like the place it seems that if you can't appease the money god then you're just excess baggage.

You were bang on with the nepotism, I've been a victim of that in the job race on more than one occasion (after doing some research after the fact).

Hehe, know what u mean  with the "Noreng" language.  I was talking to a friend just yesterday, and in his words he said they teach us in School to speak English the best that we can but they make it so difficult for English speakers to get jobs so we don't get chance to use it - crazy! but again like you said, it can depend on where u are in the Country. Down in the South I think the rules on language are not so strict and traditional as they are further up here, so maybe we should have moved before hitting financial rock bottom, too late now though, sucked in and spit out - Tusen Takk Sør Trøndelag I'll highly recommend you to future job-seekers.

Rimi do the 50 p bread deal too btw, so my guess is Rema and possibly the COOP would as well. Sorry about the link, I did test it and it worked, but not anymore. They must have caught on their expensive loafs were being scrutinized from outside.

But yes, finding work here without contacts is quite hard, even for a norwegian like myself. They do seem quite obsessed with having the 'right' degree and the corresponding work experience. International degrees are viewed with suspicion in many cases as well, especially if its not from some university whoever is hiring has personal knowledge off..let alone a degree you could even begin to speculate about. But I suppose with the recent high ranking woman who had some degrees from numerous institutions discovered as fraud (though her defense was, she did it for the lols apparently) I can't blame them. The system is there, and there is 0 chance of any interpretation from any side..everything is very much a matter of fact, from humour to job interviews.

But yes..I shall be leaving soon myself..not really feeling very settled, and mostly annoyed.

i wondered what happend to jennyM..

Hei,

I am a Filipino Citizen, holder of a Philippine International Passport. Since March 29, 1990 I have been living and working in Nigeria, West Africa with different Missions and private companies. Presently, I am working as a Personal Assistant/Secretary to the Ambassador of Finland to Nigeria at the Embassy of Finland, Abuja, Nigeria since April 2002 till today.

I speak, read and write English very well. I have a lenghty experience in office works. I am very diligent, hard working and very honest and trustworthy. I can work in a multicultural environment and as a member of a team which I am very familiar with. I know how to  drive as I drive my own car, Cooking, gardening and travelling are my hobbies.

I am planning to move to Norway very soon to settledown with my Norwegian Fiancee whom I have been seeing since 1999. I have been visiting Norway every year to see my Fiancee. I also had been on schooling to learn Norwegian Language for 6 months in Kongvinger Technical School for some years back. I can communicate with the basics but not fluently yet as I was not able to finnish the 4 modules of the course, but I am still willing to learn more to enable me communicate fluently.

I am looking for an English speaking jobs that I can do when I move to Norway. My Fiancee is living in Austmarka 20 minutes drive from Kongsvinger but he is already retired.

Thank you for any advice and I am looking forward to have a happy life in Norway despite of the cold weather which I am already very familiary with.

Sincerely yours.

Teofila Ndaw

It realy very hard if you get some informitions about norway please let me know thanks

You may be ok and get lucky with some work as you will be living in the South, but if you were further up North in Trondheim or further then I'd have to say no chance as the importance on speaking Norwegian here is very demanding, even though everyone below 50 can speak and understand English just fine.

Good luck.

I'm looking for jobs in Norway.

Hello drstokic -> What are your qualifications? In which field are you looking for work?

Thank you,
Aurélie

Dear all,
Is it easy to immigration and working in Norway for professional engineers?
I would like to find a job in Norway? what is the best way?

If your engineering skills are, or can be used in the oil & gas industry then yes, because there is always this kind of work available and speaking Norwegian in this kind of work is not as important as your skill in engineering. Search on Google for "oil and gas jobs Norway". As long as you have a work contract you should find it much easier to gain a residency permit from immigration.

Hi,

Iam an software Engineer having 4 years experience,after coming to norway,started job search and ended up with no opportunity.There is a preference only for Norwegian speakers here.Can some one suggest me the Companies with work language English in Trondheim/Norway.
So that I can try up with them.

i wanna apply for jobs in norway please advise me the best and genune link for jobs.

Hi manasa.

Sorry, but you are in the worst place ever to get a job as an English speaker. Very occasionally an English speaking job will come up, but it's pretty rare to be honest.

If you speak to a lot of Norwegians they don't see what the problem is, but sadly it remains a problem.

Did you contact the NTNU, I'm sure they would be able to help you, if not with a job, perhaps some advice, but one thing you must be here is persistent, and make a habit to go and visit companies and talk to people rather than just writing to them or phone, it makes all the difference.

Good Luck.

pheudinroshan it depends upon 2 things really.

1) Can you speak Norwegian

2) The kind of work you are looking for.

Hi i am planning to move on norway where in lingu a language institue in oslo and they have said it will be easier to get job replacement but i am in doubt if i could continue my master  if i dont get a job and what would bevthe accomodation cost in oslo .

Hello Rishiaryal,

Welcome to Expat.com

I will advise you to post an advert in the Jobs in Norway section, this will surely helps.

Thank you,
Pravin.

I WOULD LIKE TO FIND A JOB AS A HOTEL MAID

Not that it's always essential, but do you speak Norwegian? Go to finn.no, the job section there is pretty much the go to source when looking for work. Register with employment agencies/temping agencies. Also, do you live in Norway currently? This and language will increase your chances drastically.