Job vacancies in Norway: how to find work, including hidden jobs

Where job vacancies are advertised in Norway

Most advertised jobs in Norway can be found in a handful of big places. Use several of them, because they only partly overlap. A small company might post its ad in just one place, while a large company often relies mostly on its own website. Most ads are in Norwegian, but you can search in English for roles where English is common. These are the main places:

• arbeidsplassen.no: the job portal run by NAV, with vacancies from all over the country in both the private and public sector.
• finn.no: one of the biggest places for job ads in Norway, with many ads from private companies.
• LinkedIn: widely used for office jobs, technology and roles in international companies. Some jobs let you apply directly on LinkedIn.
• Employers' own websites: large employers often have their own careers page, and some vacancies are only posted there.
• Staffing and recruitment agencies: they have their own job lists, and some roles are only filled through them.

Job vacancies in the public sector

The state, municipalities, county authorities and health trusts are big employers. In the state sector the main rule is that vacancies must be advertised publicly, so the hidden job market is smaller here. Many public employers, including universities, hospitals and municipalities, use Jobbnorge, and many of their vacancies also appear on arbeidsplassen.no.

Be aware that applicant lists in the Norwegian public sector are, as a rule, public. You can ask for your name to be left off, but the employer decides. If your request is refused, you should be told, so that you can withdraw your application if you do not want to be on the list.

Job alerts: let the vacancies come to you

Checking the same sites every day is not an efficient use of time. Save your searches on arbeidsplassen.no, finn.no, LinkedIn and Jobbnorge, and turn on alerts by email or in the app. You will then see new jobs as soon as they are posted and can apply early. That matters when the employer interviews on a rolling basis.

Set up several narrow searches rather than one broad one. A search for 'accounting' across the whole country gives hundreds of results you will never read. A search for 'accountant' and the Norwegian title 'regnskapsmedarbeider' around Trondheim gives a short list you actually go through. Use both English and Norwegian titles, since many Norwegian employers advertise in Norwegian even when the team works in English.

The hidden job market: how to reach it

Many jobs are filled without ever being advertised. They go to internal candidates, to someone an employee recommended, through a recruitment agency or to the person who got in touch at the right moment. This is often called the hidden job market, and it tends to be largest in small and medium sized companies.

You reach hidden jobs by becoming known before the job exists. These three approaches work best:

• Use your network. Tell former colleagues, fellow students, friends and family what you are looking for, and be specific: 'I am looking for a payroll role in Trondheim'. A clear LinkedIn profile makes it easier for others to recommend you.
• Send an open application. Pick the companies you want to work for, find the right person and write briefly about what you can contribute. Read more in our guide to open applications.
• Pick up the phone. A short call to a manager where you introduce yourself and ask whether they see a need ahead is remembered better than an email. If you have applied for a job, it can also pay to follow up your application.

Keep track of your applications

After a few weeks of job hunting it is easy to lose track. Where did you apply, when, and who promised to call back? A simple spreadsheet solves this.

Also save the ad itself as a PDF or screenshot when you apply. Many ads disappear after the deadline, and it can be weeks before you are invited to an interview. Being able to reread exactly what they asked for is then worth a lot. See also our guide on how to read a job ad.

Make one row per job in the spreadsheet with these columns, and you will see straight away what needs following up:

• Employer and job title
• Link to the ad and application deadline
• Date you sent the application
• Contact person with phone or email
• Status: sent, interview, rejected or offer
• Next step and follow up date

A weekly plan for finding a job

Job hunting works better with a steady rhythm than with long, random sessions. Think of it as a part time job with fixed tasks every week. That makes it easier to stay motivated, even when replies are slow to come.

In Selja, the Jobs section shows fresh vacancies from arbeidsplassen.no that match your preferences, such as category, location and full or part time. That gives you a shorter list to go through, so more of your time goes into strong applications.

A simple weekly plan could look like this:

• Monday: go through new results from your job alerts and pick the best vacancies.
• Tuesday and Wednesday: write two to three well tailored applications.
• Thursday: contact two to three people in your network or companies you want to work for.
• Friday: follow up applications, update your overview and plan next week.
• Every day: set aside a fixed amount of time, and stop when it is used up.