Work: Curious

[=Mystik=]

Hmm, it's been interesting to read the thread about SAHMs in Sweden, and about other experiences of some prejudice at jobs or getting jobs. Regarding working, are there many opportunities for those who don't really speak the language? If you're just starting out in your SFI classes and need a job, what happens? Is it like in other places, where you might be highly trained/capable but have to swab decks until you know the lingua svenska? Is it different because so many Swedes know a fair amount of English?

=M=

[Carolyn]

As someone who's been there, you're looking at choice number one, swabbing decks, mopping floors, scrubbing toilets. But you pay your dues, learn your Swedish and hopefully move up in the world.

Welcome to the site.

[Brandy]

I have known people to get jobs very quickly without knowing the language. I think a little good luck and a lot of job experience and education will get in the door without knowing the language. Generally speaking, swabbing decks for a while will help you get in the door, too, if that's what you get first!

[Carrie]

I've not had any luck at all on the job front. I've been told I could clean hotel rooms, work as an aid for handicapped people or work at an old folks home (the last two were praktik options, which means I would get horrible pay for working a full time job). I have a degree in English education. A lot of people here ask me "why don't you just teach English?" I hated teaching, but at this point I would be willing to do it. The key: someone has to be willing to hire me and no one is. I applied for a job as a substitute teacher for English classes or basically anything they would let me sub for with limited Swedish skills (I did pass SFI with a 92%) but they wouldn't even hire me for that.

I guess it depends a lot on where you live, who you know, and simply how lucky you get. I live up in Kiruna where even the locals have a hard time finding work, so they sure aren't going to hire a non-local. I've found the employment office to be less than helpful in helping me find a job. It seems like they don't believe that my education and experience could possibly count for anything since I wasn't educated here in Sweden. I must admit I'm pretty frustrated. I have kind of given up on the whole job search thing to tell the truth, and am much happier for it though feelings of guilt do creep in quite a bit. Luckily my SO makes good money so we live a decent life-style. We aren't rich by any means, but we aren't hurting.

[=Mystik=]

Thanks for your replies ladies, very interesting. I'm sure this is always a fraught issue when dealing with immigrants to any country, especially when they seem to resist learning the native tongue (not like you ). I hope that for those of you in the transitional phase as you get better at the language, things will improve!!

Teaching, hmm, yes. I didn't like it that much either, but it depends on the situation. I imagine there is a good deal of demand for English teachers in Sweden in general, at least for children. Are there a lot of classes in English for adults too?

I also imagine that most of the resources in English are found in the larger cities, but then, one would think that in smaller/outpost places, there could be more demand since better speakers could be rarer there?

It's true that for teaching language, it's best to be good at both what you're teaching and what the students already understand. The whole work issue can be such a thorny one anyway...sometimes what you're good at or qualified for isn't what you enjoy, and ideally we should enjoy what we do.

Hmm...there's a well-known book by Marsha Sinetar called _Do What You Love, the Money Will Follow_. It's not perfect but I found it gave some useful perpectives. The immigrant/language issue adds another level of challenge to the whole thing, but eventually I'm sure it will pay off. Carrie, I hope you make progress on whatever your plans are! I know it sounds hard and it probably would be, but have you thought about trying to be a freelance tutor?

Ok, so it really is true about being advised to swab the decks...Again thanks for replies, it's quite interesting, would like to hear whatever ppl have to say.

=M=

[Carolyn]

I think what is really true is that swabbing decks or whatever, the more you are willing to try and open yourself to, the more opportunities will be offered.

I've run into a lot of younger people with the attitude, "Well, I'm trained to do this, I would NEVER take [fill in blank] as a job." Okay, you've just cut yourself off from about 95% of the opportunities out there and the result is going to be misery.

In real life, it's now proved that people tend to change their occupation at least 4 times in their working life. I'm 52 and I've certainly done that and probably double that.

And as long as what you're offered is not illegal or immoral, there is nothing that you should be too narrow or proud to take, for a short period of time, if you need the money or the experience or the reference. Notice I said a short period of time.

[Carrie]

Mystik--

Thanks for the well wishes. I hope I didn't come across as sounding too unhappy with my post. I was just telling my experience. I didn't say the part that embarrasses me: I love being a housewife. Unless an interesting, decently paid job with decent hours and decent benefits comes along, I have no plan at all to start working here in Sweden. Mike can well afford to keep us both happy, so I haven't tried to hard to get a job that I think I'll be unhappy with. I do feel really guilty about this attitude though since I was raised that people have to work for a living, but I'm having fun taking care of our little apartment. My main thing is cooking, so we always have elaborate meals that I've found off recipe sites on the Internet.

Anyway, the whole teaching thing is kind of weird. I get kind of sick of people telling me that I should just teach English b/c it is not as simple as that. I don't know all the laws here, but I'm sure I would have to have some sort of certification and so on. I have thought about private tutoring and have told some of the English teachers I know that I would be willing to do it, but haven't had any takers. I have had several English students pay me to edit their English papers, so that's cool. I enjoy that much more than I enjoy teaching/tutoring and it pays quite well. It's just not even close to being a full time job.

I guess if we were actually planning on staying here in Sweden I would be trying to do something on the job front, but we're planning to move to the US as soon as Mike gets a green card. We applied in October, but we know it can be an extremely long process. Once we are back in the States I'm planning on going to school to get a Masters in Library Science and working part time or whatever. Mike has a degree in Physics Engineering with an emphasis on astronomy stuff, so we are thinking he should be able to find a pretty good job. We have been looking at job websites and it seems the starting salary for the type of job he currently has is about 3 times the pay over in the States. I just hope he will be happy there. I am pretty content here in Sweden, though wish we lived a little further south. Currently I am feeling pretty exhausted all the time b/c our daylight is fading fast. There's just something wrong about seeing a beautiful sunset and looking at the clock and realzing it's 2 pm.

Carrie

[LadyDuff]

Carrie!

I completely understand what you are saying because my husband and I are thinking the same things! Well, I shall start with telling all of you who do not know, I am a teacher candidate, the reason why I wanted to become a teacher, apart from doing something that gives me a chance to work with people was that I also get :

a/ long vacations to spend with kids and hubby
b/ work anywhere in the world!

I understand what you mean about being a housewife and I have to say that I had one job, which was at a day care and was a praktik, and even though I liked it, it was such a bad pay that I had to stop working there, also I got accepted into Uni so I had a good thing to fall back on when I gave up the job!

My husband and I have discussed whether we should or not get a job here! I mean, we both want to work, but we want to work with something that we like, much like you are saying. For hubby that is hard, since his Swedish isnt fluent. For me that has been hard because I havent worked before ( other than the praktik) and because instead of working when in school ( hiugh school) I was doing a ton of charity sort of work, which isnt ( unfortunately) valued here when it comes to finding paying jobs ( believe me, I have applied to tons of jobs before getting the praktik and going to Uni).

Now, hubby is in SFI and alsos getting ready to do a special course which will take him to Uni also ( it is something special which is for adult immigrants who want a degree).

We are also planning on moving from Sweden, to Canada as you know. There we have planned on working as teachers. You are right, if you are going to teach here you need to do a special course that will validate your teaching degree from the States.
As I will have to do one to validate my teaching degree from Sweden in Canada.

Just thought Id share..since you arent alone...

[=Mystik=]

Brandy said:

I have known people to get jobs very quickly without knowing the language. I think a little good luck and a lot of job experience and education will get in the door without knowing the language. Generally speaking, swabbing decks for a while will help you get in the door, too, if that's what you get first!

Oh yes, I meant to ask you more about this Brandy. What kinds of jobs did these people get? Are they in high tech or?

And Carrie, sure, I understand what you're saying. If you're not planning to stay forever, are doing well without a second income, and really enjoy the way you contribute at home, then of course you can hold out until something really interesting comes along, if and when you feel like it.

On being sick of hearing the same old things from people, sometimes I've found it's best just not to volunteer the Part A that leads them automatically to say to you "then Part B!" Of course, it doesn't apply in all cases, if we're asked what our background is we naturally mention it. I'll stop with the free advice now

=M=

[Brandy]

I have no idea what this job title would be, so I'll have to explain. It was in the IT dept. and the applicant had no college education, was self taught on the computer and got a job in internet security in terms of espionage and stealing, educating employees on how to keep their computers safe, etc.

Another is an engineer (materials specialist).

A great deal are teaching high school level English (and even filling in for Swedish now that they can speak it!) There is a huge deficit of teachers.

One also got a job in the hospital, I believe it is somewhat of a clerical position, and her Swedish was very minimal, but could speak and understand if the instructions were simple.

Some of those positions were just luck - at the right place at the right time, and perseverence!