Working and living in the Linnaeus Region

Tips for working and living in the Linnaeus Region

1. Before you start looking for a job

If you are interested in finding a job in the Linnaeus region once you have completed your studies, you should, as a first step, contact the Swedish Migration Agency in order to gain an understanding of what requirements need to be fulfilled to get a work permit.

2. How to find a job

Linnaeus University encourages you to start collaborating with and contact companies early on during your studies, for instance through projects, internships or thesis work. This is a good way to establish a professional network and to meet potential employers.

• Linnaeus University Career Counselling Service

The career counselling service at Linnaeus University offers support and advice when you try to figure out how your education, your experience, and your personal qualifications can best be summarised into a powerful job application. You will get help pinpointing your skills and experience and tips and guidance on how to best design your CV and cover letter. 

• Professional social network

LinkedIn is one of the most well-known, professional social networks on the internet. Recruiters from the region can now find their perfect candidate by simply using the right filter. Therefore, it is important for you to have a complete LinkedIn profile in order to increase your chances of getting a job in the Linnaeus Region/Sweden. 

• Work after your studies

Sweden is a great place to start your career. The country hosts a wide range of innovative international companies. For information on requirements and how to apply for an extension or a work permit, visit the Swedish Migration Agency's website. Please see more detailed information on: Work and life in Sweden or migrationsverket.se.

• Start your own business

Linnaeus University promotes entrepreneurship and the Linnaeus Region is famous for its entrepreneurial spirit! If you have a business idea and are interested in developing it, you are welcome to contact Drivhuset, an entrepreneurial organisation that provides services to future entrepreneurs. Drivhuset helps new entrepreneurs to start and run their companies, or to develop their ideas. Drivhuset is located both on campus in Växjö (Building H) and in Kalmar (House Stella). All of their services are free of charge!

If you would like to start your own company and get more support, we can also recommend getting in contact with Videum Science Park in Växjö or Kalmar Science Park. They work to support the establishment of new businesses and create meeting places for the trade and industry that connect students, researchers and companies. 

• Internship

The normal way in Sweden for internship is that there is internship included in a course. (Companies are not very used to that you offer to work for free.)

Sometimes on the university courses there are tasks included that involve contacts eith a company or an organisation. These kind of tasks use to be a good way to get contacts to start building something from. You could ask your professors/program coordinator if there are such things planned for your courses.

We encourage both companies and students to find work possibilities in parallel to the studies – a few hours a week use to be a great way to get experience and also to get other views on the course literature that will enriche your studies. You can look for opportunities on our job portal MyCareer!

There are also several local networks of companies, you can look for information on the municipalities websites etc. 

Also, you can ask for a meeting with one of our career counsellors to discuss how to go about to reach out to more companies. It is important to try reach the right person, and also sometimes to not just email but also call by phone is a good idea. The way you address a person might matter a lot. 

3. Language – Learning Swedish

The Swedish langugae is often the key to get a job in Sweden. Linnaeus University offers Swedish courses for international students. Please contact internationalstudents@lnu.se to get further information about the Swedish courses. There is also a lot of useful information about the Swedish language that can be accessed online and you can register for online Swedish courses as well. Also, keep in mind that the municipalities in Sweden offer Swedish language courses (Swedish for immigrants, Sfi). For more information about the Sfi courses, please visit Sfi Växjö or Sfi Kalmar.

4. Accommodation

We know how difficult it can be sometimes to find accommodation in Sweden. The student union Linnéstudenterna can offer you help you with accommodation. For further information, please visit Linnéstudenterna.