The Hard Truth About Finding a Job in Norway

Sometimes You Have to Start Over (And That’s Okay)

When you move to a new country, it’s easy to believe that your experience, your degree, and your hard work will speak for itself. You think, "I had a good job back home. I have the education, the skills — surely I’ll be able to continue where I left off."

But here’s the hard truth: When you move to a new country, especially to Norway, it’s not about who you were in your home country. You have to start from the beginning — again.

That can feel unfair. It can feel like a slap in the face after everything you’ve already achieved.

I know, because it happened to me.

My Story:

In Australia, I worked as a Recruitment Coordinator for two years. I was ready to take the next step in my career. I had experience. I was motivated. But when I moved back to Norway, none of that seemed to matter.

No one cared that I had worked in recruitment. I didn’t have Norwegian work experience. I didn’t know anyone.

I applied for HR Assistant jobs — which was actually a step down for me — and I didn’t even get those. In the end, I took a temporary job in a bank, not because it was my dream job, but because I needed to pay my bills and get "Norwegian experience" on my CV.

It wasn’t what I wanted. But it was what I needed to do.

My life in Australia! I time filled with so much joy, excitement and love!

My Husband’s Story

My husband went through the same thing. He has a Master’s degree in Applied Finance. In Australia, he was the manager of a tennis centre and responsible for the business development and financial side of things.

When we moved to Norway, he thought he would find a business development job quickly. He didn’t.

He had to go back to teaching tennis. He spent years rebuilding his network, proving himself, learning the language, and slowly — step by step — working his way back up.

It took him five years to get back to a good financial and business development job.

Arzy living his best life in Australia. Feeling confident and eager to start his career!

Why am I telling you this?

Because I want you to know that you are not alone.

You might have to change your expectations. You might have to apply for jobs that feel "below" your level. You might have to start over. But that’s not the end of your story — it’s just the beginning.

Why is it so hard?

In Norway, employers look for things that take time to build:

• Norwegian work experience

• References from people they trust

• Language skills

• Your local network

You can’t arrive here and expect to have all of that. You have to build it. Slowly, one step at a time.

So, what can you do?

• Be open to different jobs at the start.

  • You might have been a manager in your home country, but you might need to start as an assistant here.

• See every job as a step forward.

  • That temp job, that part-time job, that assistant job — it’s not forever. It’s a bridge. It’s experience. It’s something to put on your CV.

• Keep your long-term goal in sight.

  • This is not where you’ll end up. This is how you get there.

Starting over doesn’t mean you’re failing. It means you’re strong enough to do what it takes. You can — and will — get where you want to be. It just might look different than you thought.