Tips for jobseekers
There are different ways to go about looking for a job. You can look for ads in newspapers and on the Internet. You can ask at workplaces, or ask people you know. Lots of people find jobs by talking to their own contacts. Employers usually advertise on their own websites and in newspapers.
Swedish Public Employment Service
Most people looking for a job register with the Swedish Public Employment Service. The Swedish Public Employment Service is there to make it easier for jobseekers to find work and for employers to find staff. The main tool here is the Platsbanken website. This is where you can find jobs available in specific fields or at specific companies.
When you've registered with the Swedish Public Employment Service, you'll be given support with your jobseeking and you can participate in the initiatives and programmes available to help people find work. You can also get advice and information on training, placements and how to start your own company.
CVs and applications
When you apply for jobs, employers often want to see:
- A CV which describes your education and previous work experience.
- A personal letter in which you introduce yourself, state what kind of job you're looking for and say why you think you'd be ideal for the advertised job.
- Certificates from previous workplaces or placements.
- Contact details of people you've worked with who can give you a reference.
Education from other countries
When you're looking for work, employers will often require you to have an upper secondary education. You also need a college or university education for lots of jobs.
If you gained your education abroad, you can have your qualifications assessed. This means that an authority compares your qualifications with the Swedish grading system.
- Grades from foreign upper secondary education are assessed by the Swedish Agency for Higher Education Services, or VHS.
- Grades from colleges and universities are assessed by the National Agency for Higher Education.
The Swedish Public Employment Service can also help to translate foreign certificates or professional certificates. They can also assess how training and work experience from another country can be used in Sweden, a process known as validation.
Working without declaring tax
Some employers offer jobs which aren't legal. This means they don't pay social security contributions to the state, and no tax is deducted from salaries. Anyone working like this won't be insured and won't be entitled to any compensation if an accident happens in the workplace, for example. Nor will they be entitled to sick pay if they're off sick, and no money will be paid into their future pension. It's also hard to use illegal work as valid experience or reference when looking for other jobs.
Step-in jobs and new start jobs
Jobseekers who've been granted residence permits over the last three years have the chance of getting a step-in job. This means that the employer gets back some of the salary costs for that employee. To get a step-in job, you have to be doing an SFI (Swedish for immigrants) course at the same time.
New start jobs also allow the employer to get back some of the salary costs. To get one of these jobs, you have to have been granted a residence permit no more than three years ago and be unemployed and looking for work with the Swedish Public Employment Service. New start jobs are also available to people who've been out of the job market for a long time due to unemployment or sick leave. Contact the Swedish Public Employment Service for more information on step-in jobs or new start jobs.
