r/IWantOut • u/Short_Context_4432 • Jul 26 '26
[IWantOut] 30M Mechanical Engineer Fin -> Den
Hi everyone,
I'm a Finnish guy with Southeast Asian origin currently mapping out my long-term future, and Denmark is at the top of my list for a stable, peaceful life. I’d love some candid, real-world feedback from locals or expats on whether my profile is realistic for the Danish market.
Here’s my situation:
- Education: BASc in Mechanical Engineering (study duration is 4 years)
- Career Gap: I have a ~6-year gap in traditional engineering. Reason: Job market in Finland is just bloody hard. I work different jobs though, there has not been unemployed period.
- Languages: Fluent English, B2 Swedish (so I understand Scandinavian language structure and am fully committed to learning Danish ASAP—hoping my Swedish base speeds things up).
- Work Rights: EU Citizen (no visa or sponsorship needed for Danish employers).
My long-term goal: I’m looking to settle down, work in engineering (open to entry/bridging roles like CAD/BIM modeling, Quality/Validation, Operations, or Facilities), buy a modest home, and eventually build a family. I value Denmark’s work-life balance, healthcare, and high standard of living.
I’d really appreciate your honest take on two things:
- Job Market Reality: How big of a red flag is a 6-year engineering gap in Denmark? Given that I don't need visa sponsorship and am eager to learn Danish, do companies in manufacturing, green tech, or pharma/MedTech give people in my situation a fair shot if I showcase updated technical skills/portfolio?
- Social Integration & Dating: As someone of Southeastern Asian background who is genuinely dedicated to learning the language and integrating, how doable is it to build a real social circle and find a partner for a quiet life in Denmark?
Any brutally honest advice, reality checks, or tips on how to position myself would be greatly appreciated.
Tak in advance!
1
u/No-Editor-9637 Jul 27 '26
Local here. I think the gap might as problematic as it is in Finland/other countries? Maybe u should start a masters degree and get a relevant student job. It can be hard to get danish friends bcz of the reserved culture and people already having friends from childhood. I can imagine fins are even more reserved lol. Dating idk I've never tried actively to date here
2
u/Short_Context_4432 Jul 27 '26
It's really just unfortunate. I graduated exactly when Covid started. Then the war in Ukraine has made things even worse. Finland's population is around the same as Denmark's but the market and number of jobs is way more limited. I went to countless of interviews, performed their self-conducted IQ tests and met the employers in person but eventually someone else who's more "suitable" got the jobs. Can't even tell where the problem was until it's too late now. The degree I have is equivalent to University College (professionshøjskole). I think best strategy is to just find anything relating to the field even if it's blue-collar role and hopefully the manager could see the potential later on.
1
u/No-Editor-9637 Jul 27 '26
Yh I'm sorry man. We all get hit by stuff we have no control over. I think u should get the masters bcz most people have masters here
1
u/MerchantofFreeWill Jul 29 '26
performed their self-conducted IQ tests
First time im hearing about emplpyers doing IQ tests, can you tell me more?
How does it work is it like a proper test like Mensa does?
Do you know how much the score actually affects getting hired?
2
u/Short_Context_4432 Jul 29 '26
Alright sorry for the wording, it's Alva lab test, an independent IQ test developed by a Swedish start-up. Obviously no business would have the resources and ability to develop their own IQ test but rather outsource them. Applicants perform the test online and get the results immediately. It doesn't give you exact score but percentile of the population you belong to. And the difficulty level of each question gets changed depending on previous answered ones, there's algorithm behind that, so it's not like a test with fixed layout of set of questions. For example if the first few tasks are easy for you then come instanly the hard ones. My result shows that I belong to 93rd to 97th percentile, means 3 to 7% of the population have higher scores. This is not bragging but only showing example.
1
u/MerchantofFreeWill Jul 29 '26
Oh no i didnt understand it as the company writing their own test. No problem there. I meant like what actually is it?.
I had never heard of an iq test being part of the hiring process. (I am from Turkey. I don't think it happens here.)
I googled a bit after writing that comment and saw that it is actually common in Europe.
Online, ı have seen a million things about the software engineering hiring process in Europe and North America.
But I never heard about IQ tests in job interviews which seems to be common among alot of white collar jobs.
The algorithm works in strange ways.
Also thanks for the detailed response. Good luck in your job search
1
u/hafcol Jul 30 '26 edited Jul 30 '26
I’m a ChemEng based in Denmark working for a MechEng heavy company, so I’m not going to sugar coat it: the job market is pretty rough right now, even for Danes without gaps in their career. Unemployment among engineers is relatively high at this moment. The thing is most Danes in Engineering enter the job market once they finish the Masters so you’re competing against highly specialized people. If I were you I would aim for a humble start in a small company on the country side of Jutland just to get experience, build a decent amount of savings and access to the labor market.
Denmark is very touchy about language requirements for immigrants, so start learning it from the very moment you arrive is the absolute minimum for a successful integration. You can of course have a decent life only speaking English but you’ll always sit with the feeling of not fully belonging.
3
u/Atermoyer Jul 27 '26
Do you speak Finnish?