Why Sweden?

We had already visited Sweden for holidays several times. We quickly felt that Sweden gave us peace, due to its unspoiled nature, clean environment, more space, and fewer people—that really appealed to us. Additionally, we believe the educational climate in Sweden is better. Since our daughter is still in primary school, we consider that an important factor. Swedish education offers more room for creativity and sports. For example, swimming and skiing lessons are standard, and some biology and physics lessons take place outdoors in nature.

What Was your First Impression of Sweden?

The first time I was here for work was in 2011 in Jönköping. I thought then, “Wow, life can also be like this”. By that, I mean living in or close to nature. It felt very idyllic. You can drive for fifteen minutes without encountering anyone, but also drive fifteen minutes in the other direction and you’re at a supermarket. That gave a very pleasant feeling, and so I decided I wanted to discover more of Sweden.

How Did You get to Know Sweden Better and Choose the Province of Norrbotten?

Mainly through holidays, so we traveled around in different regions, although we had never been to the Norrbotten province where we now live. The reason we ended up in our current hometown of Boden in Norrbotten is because of EURES. I did some research at the Emigration Fair, and there I came into contact with the region where we now live. There we also met Lara, a EURES advisor from Sweden who guided us further after the Emigration Fair. Later, appointments with Lara followed via MS Teams and phone, and she suggested Norrbotten; she thought it would suit us. My husband is a teacher, and they were looking for teachers there. We then took a road trip that same summer and found Norrbotten to be truly the most beautiful. So we chose the town of Boden in Norrbotten in northern Sweden. After the holiday, we contacted Lara again, and she mediated for schools there, and that’s how my husband found work there as a teacher. We also chose Boden (there were more job offers) because Boden has relatively many facilities and is centrally located, a 2-hour drive from Finland and Norway, with plenty of nature and sufficient shops and schools for my daughter for later. For example, it’s not common for every village to have a secondary school. Now I am sure that my daughter can also attend secondary education here after primary school.

How Did You Find Work?

When we were here for a week in October for my husband’s job interviews, I started looking for work myself on site. I saw a pop-up store for the company I now work for. I went in to talk to them and later started working there. I literally said, “I think I’d be a good fit for you,” in a very Dutch, direct, and goal-oriented way, and I didn’t give up. Now I also work for this company as an HR advisor.

Do You all Speak Swedish Well?

My husband and daughter do. We took lessons beforehand through Radboud in Nijmegen. I don’t speak Swedish very well. That’s partly due to the fact that the working language at my job is English. At school, it’s Swedish, so they are busy with the language daily and have now mastered it.

What Can You Tell Us about the Swedish Work Culture?

There’s always time for Fika, and Fika is never about work. It’s customary for someone to bring something tasty for Fika. The cinnamon bun is, of course, a favorite in Sweden. Lunch is always eaten, and it’s almost always a warm meal, and time is taken for it. And even during this break, you won’t talk about work. Shoes are often off in the workplace; you comfortably walk around in slippers. In a meeting, it’s not always customary for minutes to be taken, and the meeting can suddenly end. There’s usually no agenda, which is why the end is sometimes unexpected. It’s a conflict-avoiding (work) culture. You really have to adapt your communication style to this. On Fridays after 4 PM, almost all businesses are closed, and you don’t need to call anyone anymore. These are aspects I can live with perfectly well. I do miss the goal-oriented approach, having a plan that you work towards with a team. I find that difficult.

Can You Briefly Describe What Aspects are Essential in your Preparation?

Set a concrete goal for yourself when you want to go. Make a checklist where you also write down your preparation. Take a road trip in the area that interests you. Then try to visit Dutch people who already live there and try to learn from them. You can easily find them via the Sweden forum on Facebook; you can post a request there. There’s always someone who responds.

What Can You Tell Us about Winter in Northern Sweden?

For a period of 6 weeks, there are only 3 hours of daylight per day; we don’t see the sun then. It’s twilight for 3 hours. I was dreading experiencing this for the first time. Swedes try to make this period as atmospheric as possible; in October, Christmas lights are already hanging everywhere outside. I bought an infrared lamp myself for some extra “daylight”. In our region, there’s snow from November until the end of March. By February, I’m a bit tired of it, but I know I’ll still have almost 2 months of snow. But all in all, I don’t find it too bad; I expected it to be harder.

Finally, What is your Tip for People Looking for a Job in Sweden?

Don’t write a “Dutch CV”; the CV and also the way a cover letter is written are very different. Build a network. I first contacted the municipality of Boden and looked for a work advisor who could advise me. And that’s how I ended up with 2 other employers who offered me a job.