Where To Look For Job Vacancies in Norway

by Dejan Mladenovic | Last Updated: April 30, 2021

It is very important to know where to look for job vacancies in a foreign country. The challenge is even bigger if you are looking for jobs from abroad.

In 2007 and half of 2008 I was exactly in your shoes while searching the internet for job opportunities throughout western European countries. At one point I have focused my search on one country and you can bet that was Norway. I have to admit that my knowledge about Norway was very limited and the biggest concern was the language barrier. I think I was worrying too much since most Norwegians speak excellent English.

For my first job in Norway, I have done all the research in my home country, sent applications from abroad until getting the chance for job interviews when I visited Norway for the first time, and finally got the offer.

The second job in Norway was a lot easier. I have done the whole process in Norway.

I am pretty sure that the research that helped me will be helpful to you as well. Especially, if you do not know much or nearly anything about the Norwegian job market like I was back in the days.

Let’s first list all the suggested Job Search Sources. Next, we can go through each of them and explain a little bit more in-depth.

List Of Job Sources In Norway

Here is the list of where to look for job openings in Norway:

• Job Portal websites
• Companies websites
• Recruitment Agencies websites
• Newspapers
• Specialized Magazines
• International Job Search websites
• NAV Courses – (Norwegian Labor and Welfare Administration)

As you have probably noticed the majority of vacancies in Norway are listed on the Internet which is our major source of valuable information but there are some hidden jams that might be helpful for you so why not mention them as well.

It is worth mentioning that some of the suggestions are more suitable when you are already in Norway and some options are exclusive only if you are in Norway and meet certain criteria.

Job Portal Websites In Norway

On Job Portals, you can search for jobs, register your CV and create job searches delivered to your email. These are your major sources of information and primarily I think about NAV and Finn. I have written a dedicated article with the list of the best websites so please read more in Find The Best Job Listings In Norway.

Norwegian Companies websites

Many Norwegian companies have on their websites sections with listed openings (Look for section “Ledige Stillinger”). If you have wondered and say to yourself wait a minute but how will I find about the Norwegian companies? Well, as you start using above mentioned job portals very soon you will see which companies are in your industry. Another option is to use Norwegian Yellow pages or similar services to look for the companies in your field of expertise.

Try Gulesider or 1881 websites.

Recruitment Agencies in Norway

You can sign in with Recruitment Agencies, register your CV on some it is even possible to set up job agents that will send in your email inbox the job vacancies based on your search criteria. I have written a dedicated article with the list of the best websites so please read more in Find The Best Job Listings In Norway. If you want to know how to use Recruitment Agencies in Job Search please read How To Use Recruitment Agencies In Norway.

Newspapers In Norway

Aftenpost, Dagblad, and many other daily Norwegian newspapers have sections with Job Openings. You do not need to buy them you can read them in the library but only if you are in Norway which is, unfortunately, a downside. My suggestion is to focus first and foremost on the internet search rather than paper media.

Specialized Magazines In Norway

There are Specialized Magazines such as Teknisk Ukeblad specialized for certain industries that have a section with Job Vacancies. This option is usually narrowed down by the industry so it is kind of limited but very specific.

International Job Search Websites

You can also search for jobs in Norway using international websites such as EURES or Indeed for example. There you can also register your CV.

NAV Courses

This option is not directly providing Jobs but the NAV course is an option for coming closer to the goal. Look for the NAV AMO-kurs. However, be aware that you need to meet certain criteria to be eligible for the courses.

National Job Agency In Your Home Country

In some cases, National Job Agency in your home country has a bilateral treaty between your home country and Norway. This might be very valuable but I do not have an overview of which countries might have such a treaty.

Useful Vocabulary

Here are some useful words in Norwegian used in this text.

Good To Know

It is worth mentioning that many jobs in Norway are first internal within the company especially if the company is bigger. That means that these jobs are not publicly available yet.

There are several reasons for that. First, maybe some coworker wants to change a position and apply internally within the company. Second, managers ask coworkers whether they have a colleague from a previous job that they would like to recommend. Companies in Norway pay bonuses to their own employees if they recommend quality workers that get hired.

So be active and try to promote yourself as much as you can as we have described in the articles Connect With Your Contacts – Networking Is Important In Norway and Build Your Professional Brand And Be Visible In Norway.

Next Step

Now when you know where to look for your job your next step is to create a list of best websites for searching the Job Vacancies and that you can read in our article Find The Best Job Listings In Norway

Good Luck with your Job Search!

Find Job In Norway By Following These Easy 19 Steps

Don’t forget that this article is part of a text serious about finding a job in Norway. Depending on the phase you are in at the moment maybe you can find some articles useful for yourself. So please check them out.

Below you can see the infographic with an overview of all the texts in the series. If you click on the link above you will be sent to the page where all these steps are listed.

Author: Dejan Mladenovic

I moved my family of 3 to Norway in 2008 and created this website so that I can share what I’ve learned with anyone that’s thinking of moving or traveling to Norway. It’s such an awesome place, and I want you to get the most out of it!