Within Europe, Sweden is one of the most popular destinations for university graduates worldwide. With a population of about 10 million people, the country scores high on kinds of rankings - from sustainability to human development and income equality. So, here is what you need to know to start your international career in Sweden.

Top tips Sweden

Where to find jobs as a graduate in Sweden

Industries: Private companies contribute to approximately 90% of the country’s industrial production, and about 70% of total GDP is attributed to the services sector. The industrial structure in Sweden is composed to a very high degree of large, internationally oriented business conglomerates.

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Cities: Swedens’ largest city is the capital Stockholm, which has a population of over 1 million and is home to many organisations. Other bigger cities are Gothenburg, Malmö and Uppsala.

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Our Top Tips

  • The typical way of gathering work experience during your studies in Sweden is via a “Sommarjobb”. Those are temporary positions during the summer months. Don’t let the term confuse you, these jobs can be way more than just waiting tables - many companies and counties offer them as a way to get study-related work experience.  
  • A very popular way for university graduates into the Swedish workforce is via trainee positions, mostly offered by the bigger companies across different sectors.

 Start your job search in Sweden 

Preparing your Swedish CV and cover letter

Our Top Tips

Your cover letter should be personalised and tailor-made for the position. In Sweden, it’s particularly common to start the letter off with a heading addressing the company, position and/or reference number found in the job post.

Read more about cover letters in Scandinavia…

Your CV should be easy to read and not too cluttered - focus the work experience that is relevant to the position you are applying for. Swedish CVs differ somewhat from other Nordic counterparts. Note, for example, that:

  • Swedish CVs do not include information about marital status and children. If you want to mention it at all, put it in the cover letter.
  • Though the practice of putting references into your CV differs between companies, a quite general point of view amongst Swedish employers is that including references help support the applicant's case of getting hired.  

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 Build your CV for Sweden 

Getting in touch with employers in Sweden

Our Top Tips

Language: English is extremely widespread as a second language in Sweden. That makes it easier as a foreigner to navigate the country, but also creates a lot of competition among applicants. So it’s a good idea to start learning Swedish as well as highlighting other language skills you might have.

The job interview: As Swedes work in a very egalitarian work environment, you typically get further by displaying modesty and courtesy rather than over-confidence and boldness. Similarly, most companies are looking for people to fit in with their culture  – so you will be better off preparing examples of how you typically perform in a team rather than highlighting your individual achievements.

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Contacting companies: The Swedish work culture is all about collaboration. Therefore, it is a good idea to go out and actively create a local and international network. Volunteering in different organisations can be a good way of building up a strong network. Note that online profiles are a good way to keep up the connections and to be found by your future employer!

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LIVE Sweden

Working and living in Sweden

Our Top Tips

You can get an even better impression from the full Swedish experience of foreign students in Lund, as well graduates working at ABB or applying at advertising agencies in Stockholm.  

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P.S.: Which other countries would you like to work in? Let us know!

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