Career building in Oslo is only an enigma if you don’t have knowledge about the Norwegian work culture and the job application process. Because of this, the “Build your Career in Oslo” event welcomed industry professionals to share their insider knowledge with international job seekers. Four incredibly knowledgeable speakers took the stage to share their practical advice, drawing from their years of expertise and building a career in Oslo.

Here we have highlighted some of the key points to help you understand how to approach the job market in Norway.

Insights into job market on Finn.no

Before diving into other topics, it’s important to understand Finn.no and how to make the most of it. Christopher Ringvold, Chief Product Officer for Jobs at Schibsted Nordic Market, opened the event by sharing insider tips about Finn.no.

• Over the last 12 months, there were over 300 000 posted open positions on Finn.no.

• Each year, Finn.no sends over one billion push notifications to job seekers. By installing their app, you can receive push notifications about relevant job ads or new postings from a company if you follow their profile on Finn.no.

• Employers spend on average 50 seconds to screen the job application, a CV and a cover letter. Christopher’s advice is to focus on writing a concise CV, because they spend on average less than a minute on it. Be concise, max one page, and make it relevant to the job you are applying for.

• The Smart Search feature, powered by Google Gemini, helps you find relevant job ads. You can have a conversation and share information about yourself, and the tool will send you personalized recommendations. You can write in English, and it shows you relevant jobs regardless of language.

• Now you can use the Salary Tool that provides the average salary for specific positions. This completely free service promotes transparency in the hiring process.

What does it mean to build a career?

Audrey Camp, an American writer, coach, teacher, and communication professional, explored what it truly means to start a career in Norway from scratch.

Audrey pointed out that the starting point is knowing your values and understanding what you can offer to employers. And then, to keep moving. For her, building a career in Norway means always staying proactive—exploring different opportunities and embracing challenges, as each experience provides a lesson.

Keep moving means:

1. Build a network: Join interest groups, and if there isn’t a group that sparks your interest, you can even start your own group.

2. Don’t let your CV sleep: If you have been struggling to find a job in Norway for a longer period, you can search for remote jobs or even continue your studies, may it be education, volunteer, or small gigs. Give a chance to different opportunities, and don’t let your CV contain longer breaks.

3. Explore the startup scene: “Look for people who need you more than you need them.” When Audrey started her career here, she started contacting startups and seeing how she could help them with her experience. This experience helped her build a portfolio and make connections.

4. Start your own business: If there are no opportunities coming your way at the moment, don’t be scared to make them yourself. Start your own business and fill your portfolio with freelance work. Maybe you discover you want to have your own business, or it can be a great start to gaining experience to land your dream job.

Relationship building vs networking

Head of sales and business development of Devhuset, Royce Mason drawing from his experience of traditional networking in the USA, explained the Norwegian way of networking which = building relationships.

What he experienced when moving to Norway is that Norwegian networking is quite different from what internationals might be used to. Traditional networking often involves adding people on LinkedIn or exchanging business cards, but Norwegians see networking as relationship-building and making meaningful connections.

Relationship building in Norway means fostering a genuine connection and getting to know the person. These relationships take time to develop, but they become meaningful and high-quality. In Norway, it’s not about the quantity of connections but their quality.

Main points about relationship building:

1. How to meet people: His suggestions include volunteering, attending industry conferences and events, joining community and professional groups, and participating in smaller projects or internships.

2. When meeting someone, Royce offers practical tips: always ask open-ended questions, show genuine interest in the person’s life, and make sure to follow up. However, don’t force a relationship if it doesn’t feel natural or isn’t working out.

3. Hidden market as the main benefit of relationship building: These connections can refer you for a job position, mentor you, and collaborate with you. Most importantly, according to Royce, they can introduce you to the hidden job market in Oslo. He explained that a significant number of open positions are never advertised, and the only way to learn about them is by building meaningful relationships with other professionals.

What you need to know about employment in Norway

Nassima Dzair, the founder and CEO of Interbridge, is a social innovator with an interdisciplinary background in health and peace studies and has made it to the newspaper E24’s list of Norway’s top 100 leadership talents.

Her presentation focused on the general employment trends in Norway, and she pointed out how being international can be an advantage since it brings unique perspectives, and diverse experiences that wouldn’t be here otherwise.

1. Know what you bring to the table: Among other qualities and professional competencies, understand how your cultural background gives you a unique perspective, and use it to stand out.

2. Look into industries: Different industries have different requirements, and they are constantly changing. For example, tech field which is continually developing does not require knowledge of Norwegian for many positions, as well as some positions in the service field.

3. Know the cultural norms: Understanding cultural norms is an important step in getting a job. Such as, interviews are often conducted in informal settings. This doesn’t mean the conversation itself isn’t formal—it’s just held in a more relaxed environment.

If you want to watch full presentations, take a look at the video.