HOW TO INCREASE YOUR CHANCE OF EMPLOYMENT
There are several things you can do to increase your chances of getting a job.
Here, you'll learn about the following:
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Register as a jobseeker at the local job center
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Use your network – and the network of others
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Upgrade your qualifications and skills
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Consider other types of jobs
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Get an assessment and recognition of your qualifications
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Do an internship in a company
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Get employed with wage subsidy
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Learn (at least some) Danish
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Engage in voluntary work
Here are some relevant suggestions:
Register as a jobseeker at the local job center
The municipalities in Denmark have local job centers to guide job seekers in the job search process. You can register as a job seeker on Jobnet, after which you may get contacted by a job advisor from the municipality. You can also contact your local job center.
Please note that the nature of services you may be entitled to from the job center depends on your residence permit and the conditions of your stay in Denmark.
Use your network – and the network of others
Many positions are filled through networking; especially in the private sector where it is not required by law to advertise open positions publicly (as opposed to the public sector).
There is a popular misbelief (repeated frequently – even by professionals in the recruitment field) that 70-80% of all positions are filled this way. However, do not panic – it is not entirely true.
Each year, the consulting agency Ballisager conducts a recruitment analysis based on answers from over 900 private and public companies in Denmark. The 2021 analysis shows that job ads are still the main recruitment channel; 79% of the positions were advertised this way. Impressively, LinkedIn came in second with 58%, while Facebook reached 31%.
An impressive 54% of all positions were advertised through networking. So, make sure to expand your network and use it in your job search. You never know; maybe this is exactly the way you will get your next job.
Danes use LinkedIn as a networking platform to a great extent. Make sure to do the same. Click here and here to get some tips about LinkedIn and look in the LinkedIn section of this guide to find out why you need a LinkedIn profile.
Finally, job search becomes much easier when more people are involved in the process. Let you online or “real life” connections know that you are open for new possibilities and what line of work you are interested in. Next time they see or hear of a job opening, they will probably think of you. Most people have tried being unemployed and it is not considered at loss of status in Denmark, so get the word out!
Ballisager's recruitment analysis (in Danish) contains a lot of interesting information, if you would like to find out more about how companies recruit and what they value during the recruitment process.
Upgrade your qualifications and skills
In Denmark, there are many possibilities of continuous learning if you would like to upgrade your formal qualifications, learn about a new system, get a new skill, etc. Continuous learning is highly valued by Danish employers.
Formal education
If you would like to continue your formal education in Denmark or change your career path, there are several education programs available. Depending on your residence permit and the conditions of your stay in Denmark, you may either study for free or will have to pay the tuition yourself. On the official website studyindenmark.dk you can find information on education programs, admission requirements and deadlines, tuition fees, etc.
Studievalg Danmark (Study and Career Guidance Denmark), located in Odense, is the official study and career guidance centre of Denmark. You can book a meeting with a study counsellor to learn more about your options. This is free of charge.
If you are considering a specific education program, you can always contact the institution/faculty/department for further guidance.
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Local courses
Internationals are often interested in local courses on different work or non-work-related topics in English.
The selection is somewhat limited in Odense, but if you know what kind of courses (which themes /programs or subjects) you are interested in, Google is a very good place to start looking for local courses, using relevant keywords (place, subject, theme).
There are also several Funen-based aftenskoler (educational institutions, that offer evening classes or courses) offering all types of courses, e.g., learning or improving skills in language, IT, painting, pottery, psychical activities etc. Most courses at aftenskole are taught in Danish with some exceptions depending on the nature of the course. Courses usually consists of several modules/classes and start in September and February. You sign up and pay a fee per course. Links to the websites of the different evening schools can be found here (click on “Hjemmeside” to go to each school’s website).
Finally, social media are great for finding courses or activities that might interest you. On Facebook there are several local groups, where you can seek information and tips on local courses and activities. A good place to start is the Facebook groups Internationals in Odense, International students in Odense (it does not matter if you are not a student), and Expat parents in Odense.
Online courses
Online courses are a very convenient way of learning new skills – or “upgrading” your current skillset.
When assessing your CV, a recruiter does not necessarily care where and how you acquired skills relevant for the position – as long as you have them. Use Google to search for key words that interest you when it comes to types of courses. Also, have a look at the broad selection of massive open online courses (MOOC courses) available. They are often high-quality courses and are either free of charge or inexpensive. You can find a broad selection of MOOC courses here:
Consider other types of jobs
Most international jobseekers face these two big challenges when searching for a job in Denmark:
- A lack of experience in the Danish job market
- An insufficient level of Danish
Positions outside your field or a lower-skilled job can be a good way to add some local experience to your CV and improve your Danish skills. Even a position you are overqualified for can be a good here-and-now investment in the long run. Do not hesitate to take a job that is far from you field or below your educational level, as local experience really counts in your further job search. If you can show a recruiter, what you have learned through that job (improved Danish skills, being part of a Danish workplace, knowledge of Danish customs and work culture, etc.), you can not only justify your choice; it also shows that you are eager to work and are qualified for the Danish job market.
Being flexible as a jobseeker will make it easier for you to enter the Danish job market and advance your career in Denmark.
Try this exercise:
- Make a list of requirements that you have for a job and the benefits you expect to get from it
- Consider why they are important to you and whether some of them can be achieved further down the line
- Choose the most important requirements; the ones you are not willing to compromise on
- Delete the rest
- Look at the list again and repeat step 2-4
- Consider which jobs within and outside of your field could fit this new list of requirements and benefits. This will give you a broader selection of jobs to pursue.
Unskilled work
Unskilled work (in Danish: ufaglært arbejde) are those jobs that do not necessarily require formal qualifications; some restaurant and café jobs, cleaning, newspaper or food delivery, some store assistant positions, etc.
Unskilled positions are often not advertised and are instead filled via networking or by progressive and proactive job seekers. A proactive approach could be to visit the place you are interested in working at and present yourself in person. Make sure to talk to the manager or someone responsible, so they will meet a real person and not just a CV. Bring a short CV that you can leave with the person you talk to.
Showing up in person shows motivation and willingness to work, and a short in-person conversation can give the company an idea of who you are and whether you would be a match for the company. Make sure to follow up after a couple of weeks – in person again – so you will keep yourself fresh in mind.
The local Facebook groups Internationals in Odense and International students in Odense and the national Facebook group English Job Denmark are good resources for international job seekers. You can present yourself - and what kind of jobs you are looking for - in a post and read the job posts other people share; normally these are very active groups, where you can find lots of tips on open positions.
Get an assessment and recognition of your qualifications
The Danish Agency for Higher Education and Science provides assessments of foreign qualifications (foreign education).
You can use the assessment when applying for a job, when applying for an education program in Denmark, or if you simply want to clarify your options. The assessment process takes a few months, is free of charge and can be a great investment in your future job possibilities in Denmark.
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On the agency’s website you can find application forms for assessment of your foreign qualifications. Please note:
- If you intend to work in a regulated profession (e.g. as a teacher*, physiotherapist, nurse, etc.), you must apply to the public authority responsible for authorization. You can find a l list of regulated professions (the same information in Danish here) on the website of the Ministry of Higher Education and Science.
- If you wish to be admitted to a study program in Denmark, the educational institution must approve your entry qualification. Read more about admission to higher education for holders of foreign qualification on the Ministry of Higher Education and Science’s website.
- Some teaching positions are non-regulated. Find more information here.
To get an idea of how the agency assesses foreign qualifications, you can search the database for foreign assessments from the last 5 years.
Try writing specific key words describing your education (in English and in Danish) in the ‘Fritekst’ section to see assessments of similar profile.
The page will also give you an overview of the agency’s standards for assessing higher education qualifications from specific countries. The list compares the overall level of several qualifications to levels in the Danish education system.
Do an internship in a company
In Denmark there are two kinds of praktik (internships), and there are certain differences between them. Both kinds, however, you are unpaid.
Praktik (for students)
Praktik (also called studiepraktik) is intended for students only and is either a mandatory or optional part of their study programme, for which they receive ECTS points in most cases.
You will often see job ads for praktik or studiepraktik, which means, that if you are not currently enrolled in a study programme, your application for a praktik/studiepraktik will most likely be rejected by the company. However, if you find the position to be perfect for you, do not hesitate to call the person listed in the job ad. In some cases, the company might consider you for a different kind of position, for example a virksomhedspraktik.
Virksomhedspraktik (for job seekers)
Virksomhedspraktik is intended for people who are no longer enrolled in a study programme and who are registered as jobseekers on Jobnet, the public job centres’ website for jobseekers in Denmark. You can register as a job seeker on Jobnet here, after which you may get contacted by a job advisor from the municipality. If not, you can contact your local job centre.
In Denmark, virksomhedspraktik is the only way you are allowed to “volunteer” your time at a company - unless it is a non-profit or volunteer organization. This rule prevents companies from taking advantage of unpaid workers and employ volunteers instead of paid employees. Therefore, a virksomhedspraktik needs to be approved by the municipality.
Even though virksomhedspraktik is unpaid and may not lead to employment at the company afterwards, the advantages are:
- Experience from a Danish work context to include in your CV
- Increased experience within a specific field
- Getting to know a company from the inside
- Expanding your professional network
- Practicing Danish
The municipality may be able to help you find an internship, but in most cases the applicants find a company themselves.
Virksomhedspraktik positions are usually not advertised, so you will need to be proactive submitting an unsolicited application or sending an e-mail to a relevant person in the company. An effective proactive approach could be to visit the place you are interested in working at and present yourself in person. Make sure to talk to the manager or someone responsible, so they will meet the real person behind the CV. Bring a short CV that you can leave with the person you talk to.
Showing up in person shows motivation and a will to work, and a short in-person conversation can give the company an idea of who you are and whether you would be a match for the company. Make sure to follow up after a couple of weeks – in person again – so you will keep yourself fresh in mind.
Once you have found a company, that would like to “hire” you as an intern (virksomhedspraktikant), the company need to fill out an online application form called VITAS. This form is automatically submitted to the municipality in which you reside for an assessment. If the internship is assessed to increase your chances of employment in Denmark, it will be approved.
You or the company are welcome to contact the job centre for help if you need assistance in filling out the form or have other questions.
The internship needs to be assessed and approved by the municipality before you start your internship; if you start before the process is completes, you will not be covered by the municipality’s insurance if you get hurt or do any damage to someone/something during your internship.
Usually, a virksomhedspraktik is limited to 4 weeks, but in some cases (depending on which section of legislation that applies to your situation) the internship may subsequently be extended to last up to 13 weeks in total. You and the company will decide if the internship should be full time (37 hours/week), or part time (usually 20 or more hours/week) in case you are attending Danish classes or have another commitment or if the company does not have enough tasks to fill a full-time position.
There is no limit to the number of times you can do a virksomhedspraktik.
For more information on virksomhedspraktik, visit the website of The Danish Agency for Labour Market and Recruitment (information in Danish) or contact your local job center.
If you are rejected for a job you have applied for, try contacting the company again and present them with the option of taking you on for a virksomhedspraktik. This demonstrates your motivation and interest in the company and may be a good way to get your foot in the door, if a position becomes available at a later point.
Get employed with wage subsidy
Just like virksomhedspraktik, a wage subsidized job can be a way to start your professional career in Denmark. You can gain knowledge and experience within the Danish labour market, as well as practice your Danish skills. For the company it can be a good way to assess your skills and “test you” before potentially offering you a different position.
A wage subsidized job is in Danish called Løntilskud. When employed with wage subsidy, the company pays out the full salary amount to the employee, and the municipality partially reimburses the company for the cost. That makes it possible for the company to hire an unemployed person for a limited time period at a lower cost.
There are different rules for the wage subsidy scheme, depending on whether you are employed by a public company or a private company. The maximum duration of a løntilskud is 6 months in a private company and 4 months in a public company.
Please note, that you must have been unemployed for a period of at least 6 months, during which you have not had any kind of paid employment, for you to be eligible for a wage subsidy job. There are few exceptions: if you are over 50, a single parent or do not have a general or vocational education.
Just like virksomhedspraktik,wage subsidy positions:
- Are often not advertised and therefore you need a proactive approach to find them
- Must be assessed and approved by the municipality after the company has filled out a VITAS application form (for that you must be registered as a job seeker on Jobnet)
- Can be an alternative way of getting your foot in the door at a company if you do not get a regular position
For more detailed information and tips on these topics, see the section about Virksomhedspraktik above.
For more information on wage subsidy jobs, visit the website of The Danish Agency for Labour Market and Recruitment (information in Danish) or contact your local job center.
Learn (at least some) Danish
Even though most Danes speak English, a vast majority of advertised positions are in Danish and many companies require that you speak Danish at a relatively high level to be considered for a position. For other positions, even a small amount of Danish can make a significant difference for your job search; it shows the employer that you are willing and able to learn and that you are committed to staying in Denmark for a significant amount of time. This makes you a “safer bet” and a stronger candidate for the company, compared to many other foreign applicants.
Enrolling in a Danish course as soon as possible and putting an effort into learning Danish can prove a good and very important investment in your future job possibilities.
Danish lessons at the local language center
The local language center in Odense is called AOF. Once you have a Danish CPR number (civil registration
number) you will be able to attend Danish lessons for free, paying only a deposit.
Within approximately one month from receiving your CPR number, the municipality will refer you to AOF and you will receive a letter in your e-Boks offering you Danish lessons. You can always contact AOF, who will guide you further.
Please note that:
- Newcomers have the right to Danish lessons paying only a deposit for a period of 3,5 years during their first 5 years of stay in Denmark.
- If you wish to delay or pause your Danish lessons for some reason (still within the 5-year period), you are obliged to inform AOF about it as soon as possible. Make sure to get the confirmation in writing.
- If you do not delay your attendance, your 5 years period of learning Danish will start automatically.
- If you choose to take a break from Danish lessons at some point and forget to pause the lessons, the period will continue counting down. (Please note, you can only have a break between modules.)
- Once you reach 5 years of your stay in Denmark, you are no longer entitled to free Danish lessons and must pay for every lesson if you wish to continue.
*The rules and regulations are subject to change, so contact AOF to make sure that you have the most recent information.
Contact AOF if you have any questions.
Other ways of learning Danish
Apart from AOF, the educational institution Tietgen offers various Danish languages courses free of charge called FVU for internationals who speak a bit of Danish. Find more information about the language courses on Tietgen’s website (in Danish – feel free to contact the listed person for more information).
On International Community Odense’s website you will find a lot of tips and tricks, links, etc. for learning Danish/improving your Danish skills. Everything from online learning tools to different initiatives in Odense for internationals who would like to meet up and practice Danish together is listed on the site.
Engage in voluntary work
Volunteering is a good way to broaden your network in Denmark, learn about Danish culture and practice the Danish language. Furthermore, it gives you many qualifications that can become advantages in your job search.
Volunteering is quite popular in Denmark, and because of its popularity there is a multitude of organizations you can volunteer with.
The website, socialkompas.dk (in Danish, but easy to navigate) can help you find volunteering organizations based on categories such as ’Children and Youngsters’, ’Humanitarian Organizations’, etc.
The main portal for volunteer jobs in Denmark is frivilligjob.dk, where you can search for volunteer opportunities based on key words, location, type of work and organization.
If you are looking specifically for volunteer opportunities in English, you can visit frivilligjob.dk’s subsite, volunteering.dk.
However, only few organizations post volunteer positions in English, so if you know some Danish or can use Google Translate, the Danish portal frivilligjob.dk is a good place to start.
Otherwise, contact the organization you are interested in to ask for a possible volunteer position that fits your skills and interests – a proactive approach to job search, also when it comes to volunteer positions, is often welcome.
Frivilligcenter Odense, the local volunteer center located at Borgernes Hus, will also be able to guide you regarding volunteer jobs. You can book an individual meeting with one of the volunteering advisors to discuss possibilities for volunteer work.
Volunteer opportunities in local sports/activity clubs are not listed in the links above, so If you are interested in volunteering as a coach, treasurer or similar visit the club or contact the chairman to hear if they need help.
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