The Danish job market

Photograph: iStock

Text: Carman Chan

Carman Chan from Moving Talent shares her Nordic recruitment expertise.

One of the essentials on the relocation checklist is job searching. However, the job search journey in Denmark can be long and frustrating. As an international who moved to Denmark to pursue a master’s degree, it took me a while to land a job as a recruiter in Moving Talent. From my own experiences, and other local and international recruiters I met, here are three main tips, which hopefully can help you.

Tip 1: Try new keywords search

When searching for new professional opportunities, we naturally input the job titles/categories in the job board search engine. Hundreds of results pop up, and many of them are relevant. Although we have sent several applications, we are not called for an interview.

Our primary concern, as recruiters, lies on the relevance of candidates’ experiences and abilities. Rather than previous job titles, we focus more on adequate experiences and competencies to perform job responsibilities. If you fulfil most of the requirements, you are more likely to be called for an interview.

"According to Rekrutteringsanalyse 2019, 51% of Danish companies use LinkedIn as their recruitment tool."

Therefore, a good strategy is to search for jobs, in which you fit most of the requirements. Searching with keywords such as “business development”, “account management”, instead of “sales” for a sales position, could be an effective way to filter job openings. Your core competencies could sometimes be a perfect fit for a position that you have never considered before.

Think and prepare your personal list of expertise and core competencies, use them as keywords for job searches.

Tip 2: Make yourself visible

Instead of applying for jobs, you might wish a miracle to happen: a job will come directly to you. That could be possible if someone who knows your profile, refers you to a position as a good fit.

As a recruitment agency operating in three Nordic markets, my team regularly reflects on our talent acquisition strategies. We need to build a network by keeping regular contacts with our talent pool so that we can locate a quick match once a position arises.

If you are actively seeking a job or not, make yourself visible. Professional social media is a useful tool to bridge the gap between candidates and hiring managers/recruiters. According to Rekrutteringsanalyse 2019, 51% of Danish companies use LinkedIn as their recruitment tool. Rather than a static and standardized CV, we have access to more information to understand candidates’ interests, opinions, and field of expertise based on online activities, comments, or even by interacting with them.

Develop your branding as a professional by managing your SoMe profile. Be the first one to pop-up in our minds when a position arises.

Tip 3: Networking is a necessity

In Denmark, networking is one of the most successful techniques for getting a job. 58% of the Danish employers search their next employee through a network. Some of the positions are filled without openings.

As a recruiter, it is crucial to find relevant networks to source candidates promptly for our portfolio of clients. For Moving Talent, International Dual Career Network (IDCN) is one of those networks, where we connected several candidates to work in our clients’ companies.

Do not only sit in front of the computer but also go for networking and coffee meetings! Reach out to some associations, be involved in social activities, no matter if those are within your professional field or not. You will be informed about opportunities, then the magic of matchmaking will eventually happen.

Living in a foreign country where the culture, language and society are built differently from your own, will require you to adjust your job search strategies to be successful. I hope these tips can help you. Good luck!

https://ballisager.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/08/Rekrutteringsanalysen-2019.pdf