Looking for a job in Norway can feel like a puzzle at first. The market is transparent, the hiring process is structured, and there are a few platforms that do most of the heavy lifting. If you learn where Norwegians actually look for work, what keywords to use, and how to present your application in a Norwegian way, you will save time and land better interviews.
The short answer is that you will find most advertised jobs in Norway on Finn.no and NAV Arbeidsplassen, with LinkedIn, company career pages, and reputable staffing agencies filling the gaps. Use Norwegian keywords and set up alerts, tailor your one to two page CV and a concise cover letter, and do not be shy about calling the contact person in the ad. That small call is often the difference between an interview and silence.
Let’s take a deeper dive into how to find jobs to apply for in Norway.
Understand the Norwegian Job Market Quickly
Norway’s job market is steady and relatively small. Many roles expect at least conversational Norwegian, although there are English first teams in tech, research, energy, maritime, and some finance and startup environments. Healthcare, education, construction, public sector, and customer facing roles often require Norwegian. Seasonal work across tourism, hospitality, fisheries, and agriculture is common, especially in summer and winter peak seasons.
When you search, it helps to know a few common terms that appear in listings. Heltid means full time, deltid means part time, fast means permanent, midlertidig means temporary, vikar means temp stand in, fjernarbeid or hjemmekontor means remote or hybrid, søknadsfrist is the application deadline, og snarest means as soon as possible.
The Big Two: Finn.no and NAV Arbeidsplassen
Finn.no is the country’s most used marketplace for jobs. Click the “Jobb” section, then filter by title, location, salary, contract type, industry, and remote options. Create a profile, upload your CV, and set up saved searches with alerts. The strength of Finn is sheer volume and well written job ads, including roles from small companies that might skip international platforms. Try searching in both English and Norwegian. Good pairs include “project manager, prosjektleder”, “developer, utvikler”, “sales, salg”, “customer service, kundeservice”, “marketing, markedsføring”.
NAV Arbeidsplassen is the official public employment service. It aggregates a huge number of postings and is especially strong for public sector, healthcare, trades, logistics, and regional roles outside the biggest cities. Build a profile, add your skills, and enable job matches. You will also find internships, work practice schemes, and training information here. The site helps you search across municipalities and counties with more granular filters.
Use both platforms. They overlap but not perfectly, and each has unique listings. Set alerts on both Finn.no and NAV Arbeidsplassen with your top keywords and locations, then check daily when the market is active.
LinkedIn: Quietly Powerful in Norway
LinkedIn is widely used by Norwegian recruiters, especially in tech, finance, engineering, and leadership roles. Keep your profile in English, add Norwegian keywords to your skills and summary, and toggle “Open to work.” Follow companies you care about and turn on notifications for new postings. Recruiters here appreciate polite, direct messages. A short note that names the job, one sentence about your fit, and a question about the timeline is enough. No essays.
Company Career Pages and “Åpen Søknad”
Many Norwegian employers post jobs on their own websites and nowhere else. Search “karriere” or “ledige stillinger” plus the company name. Some companies welcome an åpen søknad, which is an open application when no perfect ad is live. This works best for smaller firms, creative agencies, and companies you can name a clear value for. Keep it brief and specific. Mention the problems you can solve, then ask whether they are open to a short chat.
Recruitment Agencies and Temp Work
Staffing and recruitment agencies, called bemanningsbyrå, are a normal part of the market. They place temps and hire for permanent roles as well. If you are new to Norway, a temp assignment can be the fastest path to local references. Pick agencies with a focus in your field, for example office admin, construction, healthcare, finance, or IT. Register your CV, complete the skills tests, and set expectations about language and availability. Agencies move quickly, so answer phone calls and emails the same day.
Niche Job Boards Worth Knowing
Several sectors have their own hubs. Jobbnorge is widely used by public sector, universities, and research institutions. Tech and engineering roles often appear on industry specific portals and professional association sites. Hospitality and tourism employers post in local Facebook groups, municipality pages, and regional tourism sites. If you are targeting a clear niche, learn its preferred posting channel and check it weekly.
Seasonal, Student, and Early Career Roles
Look for keywords like sommerjobb for summer jobs, sesong for seasonal work, trainee for graduate programs, praktikant for internships, lærling for apprenticeships in trades. University career centers and student associations publish internships and part time positions during the academic year. In tourism heavy regions such as Lofoten, Tromsø, Svalbard, Geiranger, and the fjords, hotels and activity operators start hiring several months before the season.
Search Like a Local: Keywords and Filters That Work
Search in both languages. Some roles are advertised only in Norwegian. Useful pairs include:
- “English, engelsk”, “international, internasjonal”, “customer service, kundeservice”, “front desk, resepsjon”, “warehouse, lager”, “driver, sjåfør”.
- Contract terms like “heltid, deltid, fast, midlertidig, vikar”.
- Location plus region. Try “Oslo, Bergen, Trondheim, Stavanger, Tromsø” and counties like “Viken, Vestland, Rogaland, Trøndelag”.
- Remote work filters. “Fjernarbeid” or “hjemmekontor” finds hybrid and remote friendly listings.
Use the date filter so you see newest first, then set alerts so the good ones come to you.
What Norwegian Hiring Managers Expect In Applications
Keep your CV concise, ideally one to two pages, clean layout, and a short summary on top. Titles and bullet points should reflect the words used in the ad. Achievements are better than responsibilities. Norwegian CVs often include a small photo, this is optional, and many candidates skip it. Include languages with your level and the most relevant tech or tools.
Your cover letter, called søknadsbrev, should be brief, usually half to one page. Talk about why this role, how your skills match the tasks in the ad, and one example that proves it. Avoid flowery language. If a contact person is listed, it is normal to call with one or two practical questions before you apply. That call signals interest and helps you tailor the letter.
Attach vitnemål and attester if asked. Vitnemål are diplomas or transcripts, attester are reference letters or confirmations of employment. List references as “References available on request” unless the ad asks for names up front. Many employers collect references only after the interview.
Make Your International Profile Easy To Hire
If you are not a Norwegian or EU citizen, mention your right to work status clearly. A simple line in the CV header or cover letter about your permit, or your eligibility to work without sponsorship, reduces guesswork for busy recruiters. If you are an EU or EEA citizen, say that you have the right to live and work in Norway. If you need sponsorship, be transparent and focus your search on larger employers that regularly handle permits.
How To Stand Out Without Overdoing It
Norwegians appreciate modesty with substance. Use numbers and simple language. Replace “led complex cross functional initiatives” with “coordinated 4 teams to deliver a new reporting tool, reduced month end close by 2 days.” Replace “excellent communication skills” with “presented weekly status to management and customers, satisfaction score 4.7 of 5.”
If the ad says Norwegian required and you are learning, be honest. Add “Norwegian A2, currently studying B1” or similar. It shows respect for the language and progress.
Networking That Actually Works Here
Networking in Norway is practical and low drama. Start with alumni groups, meetups, and professional associations. Join local Slack or Discord communities in your field. Attend a breakfast seminar, a fagdag which is a professional day, or a free webinar hosted by a company you like. After an event, send a short thank you and one thoughtful question. Offer something in return where you can, for example a connection, an article, or a perspective from your previous market.
Avoiding Scams and Red Flags
Most Norwegian listings are legitimate, but keep your guard up. Be skeptical of ads that skip interviews and ask for personal documents immediately, or employers that refuse written contracts. A proper arbeidskontrakt is standard. Pay is usually stated as annual gross, lønn, or as an hourly rate for temp work. If a number feels far below market for the role and region, ask for the pay range or tariff information.
Simple Weekly Routine To Keep Momentum
Create two or three saved searches on Finn.no and NAV Arbeidsplassen with your best Norwegian and English keyword combinations. Turn on alerts. Spend 30 minutes daily scanning new ads and another 30 minutes tailoring one application. Make one call a day to a contact person, short and purposeful. Keep a simple tracker of applied roles, dates, follow ups, and outcomes. This rhythm beats a once a week marathon and helps you learn the market quickly.
Quick Checklist Before You Hit Send
- Job description mirrored in your CV bullet points and cover letter, especially the top three tasks.
- Dates, job titles, and locations consistent across CV and LinkedIn.
- Norwegian words checked for common mistakes, for example søknad not søknade.
- Right to work status stated clearly, if relevant.
- Attachments named professionally, for example “CV_Firstname_Lastname.pdf”.
- One friendly but direct call or message to the contact person if listed.
With the right platforms, the right keywords, and a Norwegian style application, you will find strong jobs to apply for in Norway. Start with Finn.no for breadth and NAV Arbeidsplassen for comprehensive coverage, then layer in LinkedIn, company pages, and agencies. Keep your search steady, learn from each application, and you will feel the market open up.