Finding success in Sweden: five inspiring career stories to read in 2018
These were the most-read interviews from The Local's weekly My Swedish Career series in 2017.
'Sweden is not a place to come and try your luck'
Name: Anibal Brunelli
Does: Co-founder and customer relations developer for BMP Innovation
Sweden's image as a haven for entrepreneurs is accurate, at least in Argentinian Anibal Brunelli's experience, whose startup is using tech to revolutionize farming. But success in Sweden doesn't come as easily as it seems, so we asked him for his best tips for those wanting to move here and get a job.
Smart-farming entrepreneur Anibal Brunelli. Photo: Private
'Sweden is a really easy country to settle into. I'd recommend it to anyone'
Name: Laurie Bell
Does: Professional footballer and freelance writer
British midfielder Laurie Bell's career has taken him from the UK to the US to Örebro in central Sweden, where he immediately fell in love with the country. "One of my mates came to visit who is a coach in English football and he's so sold on it he's looking at coaching opportunities in Sweden. I've absolutely endorsed it, I've been trying to get friends out, my parents have been, my sister, my brother-in-law, they're all impressed."
Footballer and freelance writer Laurie Bell. Photo: Private
'I wanted to show Sweden what India is to me'
Name: Ananya Dutta
Does: IT engineer and artist
Ananya Dutta's day job is as an IT consultant in Stockholm's tech industry, but she is also heavily involved in bringing Indian culture to Sweden to strengthen the countries' friendship, put an end to prejudice and show Sweden her India. "My experience from working in Sweden so far is that many don't have relevant knowledge of India. When you say 'India' they think of poverty, population and pollution. That is not what India is."
Ananya Dutta moved to Sweden more than a decade ago. Photo: Private
'Don't move to Sweden just looking for a job, move for the whole experience'
Names: Mia Salazar and Georg Bungard
Do: Film makers at Bungard Film
Not many people can say that their time in Sweden started with being in the same room as Paul Simon, First Aid Kit, Yo-Yo Ma and Swedish royalty, but that's exactly how Georg Bungard's move to the Nordic nation got under way, with his now wife Mia Salazar eventually following. The creatives from Cologne and Barcelona, respectively, have since climbed the ladder even further with their own filmmaking company in Sweden.
Georg Bungard and Mia Salazar. Photo: Private
'How do you find a job in Sweden? Talk to people'
Name: Roula Bazerbashi
Does: Marketing specialist at Mynewsdesk
When Syrian marketing strategy specialist Roula Bazerbashi moved to Sweden to join her husband who was studying here, she was despite her qualifications careful not to get her hopes up about finding work in a job market notoriously tough for foreign-born to break into. But thanks to a mix of fearlessness, being in the right place at the right time, a love of talking to new people, hard work and talent, she landed her first job in less than a month and continued to rise through the ranks at Stockholm-based PR company Mynewsdesk.
Roula Bazerbashi shared her best tips for finding a job in Sweden. Photo: Emma Löfgren/The Local
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'Sweden is not a place to come and try your luck'
Name: Anibal Brunelli
Does: Co-founder and customer relations developer for BMP Innovation
Sweden's image as a haven for entrepreneurs is accurate, at least in Argentinian Anibal Brunelli's experience, whose startup is using tech to revolutionize farming. But success in Sweden doesn't come as easily as it seems, so we asked him for his best tips for those wanting to move here and get a job.
Smart-farming entrepreneur Anibal Brunelli. Photo: Private
'Sweden is a really easy country to settle into. I'd recommend it to anyone'
Name: Laurie Bell
Does: Professional footballer and freelance writer
British midfielder Laurie Bell's career has taken him from the UK to the US to Örebro in central Sweden, where he immediately fell in love with the country. "One of my mates came to visit who is a coach in English football and he's so sold on it he's looking at coaching opportunities in Sweden. I've absolutely endorsed it, I've been trying to get friends out, my parents have been, my sister, my brother-in-law, they're all impressed."
Footballer and freelance writer Laurie Bell. Photo: Private
'I wanted to show Sweden what India is to me'
Name: Ananya Dutta
Does: IT engineer and artist
Ananya Dutta's day job is as an IT consultant in Stockholm's tech industry, but she is also heavily involved in bringing Indian culture to Sweden to strengthen the countries' friendship, put an end to prejudice and show Sweden her India. "My experience from working in Sweden so far is that many don't have relevant knowledge of India. When you say 'India' they think of poverty, population and pollution. That is not what India is."
Ananya Dutta moved to Sweden more than a decade ago. Photo: Private
'Don't move to Sweden just looking for a job, move for the whole experience'
Names: Mia Salazar and Georg Bungard
Do: Film makers at Bungard Film
Not many people can say that their time in Sweden started with being in the same room as Paul Simon, First Aid Kit, Yo-Yo Ma and Swedish royalty, but that's exactly how Georg Bungard's move to the Nordic nation got under way, with his now wife Mia Salazar eventually following. The creatives from Cologne and Barcelona, respectively, have since climbed the ladder even further with their own filmmaking company in Sweden.
Georg Bungard and Mia Salazar. Photo: Private
'How do you find a job in Sweden? Talk to people'
Name: Roula Bazerbashi
Does: Marketing specialist at Mynewsdesk
When Syrian marketing strategy specialist Roula Bazerbashi moved to Sweden to join her husband who was studying here, she was despite her qualifications careful not to get her hopes up about finding work in a job market notoriously tough for foreign-born to break into. But thanks to a mix of fearlessness, being in the right place at the right time, a love of talking to new people, hard work and talent, she landed her first job in less than a month and continued to rise through the ranks at Stockholm-based PR company Mynewsdesk.
Roula Bazerbashi shared her best tips for finding a job in Sweden. Photo: Emma Löfgren/The Local
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