Thank you for your email and interest. We do not have any summer job opportunity this year.

16 April, Göteborg, sunny, 6C

You are a busy person. So, let’s be direct. Here is my personal & unsugar-coated view on engineering employment in Sweden after Master’s degree.

I was in Norway two weeks ago. My friend, who is about to finish her physics Master’s degree in the renowned NTNU, is worried about the job market. Many Swedes go to Norway to earn more $… but if the Norwegians worry about the job market… hmmm

Back to Sweden!

I heard a Swede coining the Swedish kids born after 90s as the “curling generation”. (The kid is the “stone”, while the parents are the broom sweepers, planning each step of their child’s life.) Hmmm (true?)… most Swedes probably don’t need to worry about employment. They are probably more concerned with finding an “interesting job”…

Rewind one year, when oil price was still soaring at $110 a barrel (as opposed to $50 now), I had a bit of disillusion that Swedish automotive industry is craving for automotive engineers. Aha! Hire moi?

“Thank you for your email and interest in X.
We do not have any summer job opportunity this year.”

Now. Who am I?

I am a very average guy.
–    Average grades, average intelligence
–    Can’t speak Swedish… I tried to learn, but there is 1) no time 2) no environment 3) has not put in much effort to learn Swedish
–    I had several internship experiences during undergrad: I did some design work, some trivial paperwork, at least no coffee boy work
–    Middle class family background, no rich uncle, no connection to any royal families
–    I can probably run 5km in 25-30 min
–    Slightly above average height, a little underweight

…I probably don’t say this during an interview or on a first date…

What’s my point?
So, you got accepted into Sweden. You may or may not have accepted your offer, yet.

I remember being the new kid on the playground. No one “offered” me to play with them… I had to shyly walk up and ask if I may join them… I simply don’t want you coming to study in Sweden and thinking the job offer is stapled to your plane ticket. Unless you are much better than an “average” dude, no company will “hand you” a job offer.

This should deter you from coming to Sweden. Unless you are willing to put up a fight and risk everything, don’t come. But take a leap of faith in yourself.

löv,

gimmygöteborg

PS. I don’t regret coming here. I like challenges, keeps my mind sharp…in the meanwhile, I will try harder 🙂

I am trying to gather stats on “where graduates have gone”, work in progress…

I attached a presentation by the “Employment bureau” here:

Ref: Arbetsförmedlingen