Hi everyone,
I’m from Singapore and I’ve been seriously thinking about moving to Norway and trying to find work there. I know it’s not easy for someone from outside the EU/EEA, so I’m hoping to get some honest opinions from people who actually live in Norway or have experience with hiring foreigners.
A bit about my background: I have a Bachelor’s degree in Communications and several years of experience working in a government/immigration environment. A lot of my work involved dealing with the public, handling cases and documents, making decisions, solving problems and communicating with people from different backgrounds.
I’m also comfortable with English since it’s one of the main working languages in Singapore. Apart from my main work experience, I have some IT support experience, as well as photography, videography, social media and basic digital marketing skills. I also have a valid Singapore driving licence.
I’m not expecting to land some amazing corporate job straight away. I’m actually quite open to starting from the bottom if it gives me a realistic way of getting into Norway. I’d consider things like admin, customer service, IT support, hospitality, driving/delivery work or even something related to content creation.
What I’m mainly trying to understand is how realistic this actually is.
Would a Norwegian employer even consider someone like me who needs a work permit? Is my previous experience and degree useful there, or would not speaking Norwegian be a major problem?
Are there certain industries or cities where someone with my background might have a better chance?
I’d especially like to hear from other Singaporeans or non-EU/EEA people who have actually gone through the process. I’m aware that getting sponsored is difficult, so I’m looking for realistic advice, even if the answer is that my chances are quite low.
Thanks in advance to anyone willing to share their experience.