Living and working in Stockholm Sweden

[Arran Turner]

I am hopefully going over to Sweden Stockholm to work in mid to late January ( I know it's cold ), curious if anyone on here has worked in Sweden and how they found it, including stuff like sorting digs bits like that. Not only arb related but lifestyle etc etc.

 

Arran

[Andrew McEwan]

It's great, have you thought of further north once you find your feet? Much cheaper housing, and more chance of decent snow so you can enjoy winter (will need a non arb winter job). Allow some time in your week to get into SFI if it's still going, (free govt swedish lessons). Short days are much easier when any light there is is bouncing off snow, rather than UK style grey and wet, which goes for much of southern Sweden. If you are freelance speak to all the local forestry companies, even if just for contacts for dogsbody re-spacing work, as will likely open up other (arb) jobs and you'll learn a lot.

 

If you aren't already get trained up on windblow, and efficient bog standard conifer felling/snedding, as many small pockets of urban woodland.

 

good luck, and start on the swedish early

[Arran Turner]

It's great, have you thought of further north once you find your feet? Much cheaper housing, and more chance of decent snow so you can enjoy winter (will need a non arb winter job). Allow some time in your week to get into SFI if it's still going, (free govt swedish lessons). Short days are much easier when any light there is is bouncing off snow, rather than UK style grey and wet, which goes for much of southern Sweden. If you are freelance speak to all the local forestry companies, even if just for contacts for dogsbody re-spacing work, as will likely open up other (arb) jobs and you'll learn a lot.

 

If you aren't already get trained up on windblow, and efficient bog standard conifer felling/snedding, as many small pockets of urban woodland.

 

good luck, and start on the swedish early

 

 

Haven't thought much ahead of Stockholm will like to work there for a few years I think, it really does sound like a bit of me living wise, the work seems good and the pay good also

 

I am just starting to learn swedish but free lessons sounds like a right result.

[josharb87]

SFI isn't for everyone, chances are you'll be in a group of 30 mixed race immigrants who are there to tick boxes to stay in the country. you get taught whatevers being taught that day and only one tutor.

 

The hardest part about learning swedish is EVERYONE in Stockholm speaks English, will hear you're english and want to talk english to you!

I took 3x5week courses, 2h 2x a week in the evenings, cost about 2500SEK per course+books. 1 tutor to 5 students who actually want to learn.

then just forced people to speak swedish, and most importantly wasn't afraid to cock up - e.g, the swedish for plant bulbs and fxxk is very similar, my girlfriend was looking for a gardening book titled onions and bulbs, i shouted when i found the book (in swedish across a packed stall in a huge trade fair infront of her very serious aunt and cousin) "look marie I've found the book on fxxking!" another was a song with the lyrics "vill du ligger med mig nu" which is "will you shag me now" but my swedish friend translated it as "will you come to bed with me". so trying to show off my swedish, infront of her parents i got up to go to bed and asked if shed like to come for a shag

 

Accommodation in Stockholm is notoriously hard to get. getting a "1st hand contract" on a rental property or apartment in your position will be near impossible - theres a que system with the housing associations, i was normally around 300 in the list, the people at the top had been in the system 10-20 years (you sign your child up at an early age)

Better chances of a second hand contract (sub letting) the only success i had was to put an advert up on Blocket.se (an ebay/gumtree type site) with a picture of myself stating i was English. You can search for places on blocket, but most said they had 30-50 people apply for a room! in my first week of having an advert of myself i had about 15 offers of rooms/appartments. expect to pay around 400quid a month for a room, 550+ for a studio apartment.

Ive brought a house now which including bills is cheaper to pay for than just the rent on an apartment!

 

have you got work sorted?

[Arran Turner]

SFI isn't for everyone, chances are you'll be in a group of 30 mixed race immigrants who are there to tick boxes to stay in the country. you get taught whatevers being taught that day and only one tutor.

 

The hardest part about learning swedish is EVERYONE in Stockholm speaks English, will hear you're english and want to talk english to you!

I took 3x5week courses, 2h 2x a week in the evenings, cost about 2500SEK per course+books. 1 tutor to 5 students who actually want to learn.

then just forced people to speak swedish, and most importantly wasn't afraid to cock up - e.g, the swedish for plant bulbs and fxxk is very similar, my girlfriend was looking for a gardening book titled onions and bulbs, i shouted when i found the book (in swedish across a packed stall in a huge trade fair infront of her very serious aunt and cousin) "look marie I've found the book on fxxking!" another was a song with the lyrics "vill du ligger med mig nu" which is "will you shag me now" but my swedish friend translated it as "will you come to bed with me". so trying to show off my swedish, infront of her parents i got up to go to bed and asked if shed like to come for a shag

 

Accommodation in Stockholm is notoriously hard to get. getting a "1st hand contract" on a rental property or apartment in your position will be near impossible - theres a que system with the housing associations, i was normally around 300 in the list, the people at the top had been in the system 10-20 years (you sign your child up at an early age)

Better chances of a second hand contract (sub letting) the only success i had was to put an advert up on Blocket.se (an ebay/gumtree type site) with a picture of myself stating i was English. You can search for places on blocket, but most said they had 30-50 people apply for a room! in my first week of having an advert of myself i had about 15 offers of rooms/appartments. expect to pay around 400quid a month for a room, 550+ for a studio apartment.

Ive brought a house now which including bills is cheaper to pay for than just the rent on an apartment!

 

have you got work sorted?

 

 

Interesting And funny dude I'm sure I will mess loads of swedish up haha, interesting about the swedish classes will have to see how much I've learnt before I get out there got a while yet but love to be prepared. Sounds popular for renting. 400 quid isn't to bad I pay a bit less in NZ now but wages will be better In Sweden. So swings and roundabouts I guess

 

I have been offered a job to start In January which is a while away yet but as long as all goes well and nothing changes I'm sorted.

 

How do you find the workingIn Sweden?I am actually looking forward to doing a swedish winter. Looks like a challenge to me.

[daga995]

I'm arriving in Stockholm on Sunday, so far I have a flight, my kit and a suitcase... been in touch with a few people regarding accommodation, but had a few dodgy seeming encounters looking for £ up front before I arrive which I don't think seems like the most sensible idea. Fingers crossed one guy I've been e-mailing seems legit. But if not it looks like I'll be hosteling it for a week or 2. Also regards to work nothing set in stone, although understandably I don't think anyone wants to commit to offering me work until they know that I'm definitely going to be there... Guess the next week or 2 will be following leads and pestering people until I find something, I may not have chosen the best time of year to go since most of the Swedes are on their summer holidays but I'm committed now and sometimes the best way to learn to swim is head first at the deep end if anyone's curious to see how I get on feel free to drop me a PM at any point, same goes if you can help a boy out. Cheers D.