Read news from:
Austria
SHARE
COPY LINK
MY SWEDISH CAREER

JOBS

How Malmö inspired this Scot’s amazing book gizmo

Attention spans may be shorter than ever in the digital age, but Charlotte Ormston is determined to make people pay attention to quality writing. The Scot explains how Malmö and the Swedish spirit of collaboration inspired her unique new publishing venture.

Published: 4 July 2016 06:59 CEST
Updated: 4 July 2016 10:00 CEST
How Malmö inspired this Scot's amazing book gizmo
Word-o-Mat mastermind Charlotte Ormston. Photo: Charlotte Ormston

Many expats end up in Sweden due to love, but for Ormston, it was curiosity – combined with help from the European Union – that opened the door to Scandinavia. Little did she know, it would also enable her to fulfill her dream of launching an unusual take on publishing.

“During the Scottish independence referendum there was a lot of talk about how Scotland was more similar to Scandinavia than England. And that seemed fine, but I was curious to see if it was actually the case,” she recalls.

“I wanted to learn more about the people and culture, and I was asked to do a ten-month EU-funded residency programme with an organization called the Connectors Society in Malmö.  So I worked there, spending half my time as an event manager, and the rest of the time working on my own project. Which was the Word-o-Mat.”

Word-o-Mat is not only an independent publisher of new short writing, but also a zine vending machine. Ormston’s idea is to use the machine to sell small, handmade boxes containing handmade zines to draw attention to the work of new international writers selected by the publishing company.

“The aim of the project is to take some of the amazing short writing being produced online, and make people pay attention to it through attention to detail. So, by making this beautiful object, spending time on choosing good work and making the user experience fun, people might be able to pay more attention to the work,” she says.


The handmade Word-o-Mat zines. Photo: Charlotte Ormston

It’s an idiosyncratic concept, and one that would never have gotten off the ground if it wasn’t for the enthusiasm the idea was met with in Malmö.

“I had been dreaming about the kind of machine I needed. Did I have to make it, find it, transform one? How could I do it? I really lucked out when I came to Malmö and started telling people about it,”

“I was working at STPLN, an open office and collaborating space with a lot of really handy people. I told people about the concept and within two days I had a message from someone saying ‘I’ve found the perfect machine for you in a second hand shop, go and buy it!’. And that was that, the project was born.”

Ormston had her machine, but she also needed to modify it, make it suit her needs, and get her publishing company off the ground. Once again, Malmö and Sweden delivered.

“Sweden was an amazing place to do the project. There are so many resources available to help these things happen. A wealth of tools, space, a place for me to put the machine and work on it. Then the people who know how to use tools, makers,”

“There’s a real makers spirit in Malmö. It was really exciting to spend time with people who know how to build things, know about hardware and software. They know the right apps to use, how to build websites, and are excited to share knowledge and collaborate. I couldn’t have done this without the amazing people I met in Malmö.”

The Scot also found the enthusiastic reaction of locals to be particularly inspiring during the early stages. Perhaps unsurprisingly, the Swedes seemed particularly keen on the unique design of the machine.

“People were really excited about the user experience and the design in Sweden. They were really enthusiastic about the distribution possibilities, the design, the whole concept. I had really great chats with people working at the library and running community literature projects in Malmö. There was a lot of support, it was a great place to birth the project.”

Inspiring as it proved to be, Sweden wasn’t perfect however. While the country facilitated the technical side of the project, the business side of things proved to be more difficult.

“I moved to Malmö at the same time as most of the refugees did. It was a lovely welcome: I arrived at the station tired, exhausted and confused, and there were loads of people ready to welcome lost, confused and tired people, which was nice to see,”

“But it did mean I struggled to get myself established into the Swedish system. It was very difficult to get a personnummer [personal identity number] and set up a company. So in the end, while the project was born in Sweden and will continue to have a large base there, I’m going to move it to Scotland as it’s much easier to have a business here.”


The Word-o-Mat machine: Coming to a European city near you. Photo: Charlotte Ormston. 

Ormston says that Swedish form-filling meant that in the short term it was easier for her to move a cumbersome machine back to Scotland than continue to run her affairs in Scandinavia. That doesn’t mean she’s finished with Malmö however. Quite the opposite.

“We’re taking the machine from Sweden to Scotland on a grand literary European tour in a van, providing the walls haven’t come down yet.”

“We’ll publish new editions every three months, which is four editions a year, totaling 24 writers a year. Our base will be in Glasgow, and we’ll hopefully get another machine set up in Malmö after that.”

The publisher’s goal of establishing a second base in Malmö doesn’t look too far-fetched if the initial interest in their project is anything to go by. In June they launched a crowd-funding campaign to help put the finishing touches on the machine, as well as pay for the first edition of the zine.

With just over one week left to go the campaign has already met its funding target. The founder says the next step is to try and find more international contributors. Unsurprisingly, she’s keen to work with Swedes, and in particular writers from her beloved Malmö.

“We’ll release a second call for submissions after the campaign, and I’d really love to have more Swedish writers. At the moment we publish in English, but somewhere down the line I’d like to do more translation. It would be great if we could have more Malmö writers and writers from Sweden submitting their work. I have a big soft spot for Malmö. The next call for submissions will be in August, so any Malmö writers should come my way.”

In general, the Word-o-Mat founder couldn’t be happier with how her venture is going so far, and at a turbulent time for Europe in particular, she sees it as a small but important way of promoting links between different European nations.

“It feels like a very clear, positive thing I can do in my own way to combat the fear and hatred at the moment. A direct link between Scotland, Sweden, and the rest of the world. I’m really excited that it’s happening now, more than ever.”

“It was my dream about a year ago, so I’m ecstatic it has become a reality due to the people and resources I had access to. I’m so excited about the future, on so many different levels.” 

For members

READER INSIGHTS

How to find a job in Sweden: Five tips from those who’ve been there, done that

The Swedish job market poses unique challenges for newcomers. The Local's readers share their best tips for cracking the career code.

Published: 10 April 2024 11:32 CEST
Updated: 13 April 2024 15:50 CEST
How to find a job in Sweden: Five tips from those who've been there, done that

Network, network, network!

A statistic that often gets tossed around is that seven out of ten jobs in Sweden are obtained through personal connections, and there’s no doubt that a good network is crucial to your job hunt, making the labour market extra challenging for newcomers to the country.

In fact, networking was the main tip mentioned by The Local’s readers.

“The job market is quite hot in Sweden, and talent is in short supply. People hiring do not have a lot of time to find the right talent, and tips from friends, colleagues and former colleagues are the way to first, find out organisations are hiring, and secondly, get your CV on the short list,” said Kyle, a Canadian reader who works in innovation management in Gothenburg.

“If you are going for a major employer like Volvo, network gets you in the door, as HR does not have much to do with hiring… the hiring managers do all of it and have no time, due to the insane number of consensus meetings. If you are looking for smaller organisations, they have even less time to find people, and networking is their primary way to find talent,” he added.

NETWORKING IN SWEDEN:

Some of the networking tips readers mentioned were going to job fairs, getting an internship to help you establish connections in your preferred field, joining clubs (this could be anything from your local gardening association to meetups for coders, but focus on clubs that may be popular among people working in your chosen field), and drawing on your organic network of friends, neighbours and others.

Don’t neglect the groundwork

The saying “dress for the job you want, not the job you have” is getting worn out (and people may look at you funny if you turn up to interviews in a Batman suit), but there’s truth to the notion of making sure you know what you want – and preparing for it.

In other words, don’t wait for a job ad to appear before you start to customise your CV and figure out what skill set you need. Create your CV now so that you’re ready to tweak it to your dream job – you could even have a general look at job ads in your field to see what requirements are needed. And don’t forget to spruce up your LinkedIn profile so that it fits with your career goals.

“I believe that several factors contribute to successfully landing a desirable job in Sweden. It’s essential to prepare to meet the requirements beyond just having a university degree. Many individuals realise these requirements only after completing their studies when they start searching for a job, which can be too late,” said Adnan Aslam from Pakistan, who works as a food inspector.

“I recommend identifying the job advertisements for positions you aspire to hold in the future and then preparing for those requirements during your studies. For me, acquiring a basic level of proficiency in the Swedish language and obtaining a Swedish driving licence were crucial. I pursued these goals during my studies and was able to secure a desirable job before graduating,” he added.

READ ALSO:

Felipe Cabral even has a GPT assistant trained on his own CVs and old cover letters, and said the set-up only takes ten minutes if you already have your documents. “With that in place, you can give instructions like: Read this job description and create a tailored version of my CV and letter for it. (…) Remember to always review and ask it not to create data aside from your documents.”

Be flexible and ready to adapt

Moving to a new place inevitably means having to learn not just the practicalities such as how to write a CV or which websites to use to look for job openings, but also learning how to navigate a new culture with all its unspoken expectations.

Swedish workplaces are generally less hierarchical than many other countries, but that doesn’t mean you can say whatever you want whenever you want without anyone raising an eyebrow. Swedes are usually direct, but be careful of being too abrasive or boastful: raising your voice, even during a spirited argument, or banging your own drum to show off your skills may not go down well.

“Talk, deliberate, complain like a Swede and you’ll come across like you know what the job entails, so your trustworthiness increases,” said an Indian data analyst who preferred to remain anonymous.

“Office politics are just as strong in Sweden as anywhere else. The flat hierarchy is deceiving as social hierarchy is enforced quite a bit in that lack of formal hierarchy. Take your time in learning these dynamics wherever you work before revealing your talent and capabilities. Expect those internal politics to happen, and they won’t hurt so much when they do,” said Kyle, the Canadian reader in Gothenburg.

This article about Swedish office politics may be useful.

Stay true to yourself

Adapting to your surroundings is one thing. Completely changing who you are is another.

For one thing, your happiness is as important as your career progression, and for another, your foreignness need not be an impediment: it’s also a skill that sets you apart from the rest. It means you have unique experience, and also, in the right setting, provides an opportunity to sometimes violate those social rules we mentioned above, because people assume you will, anyway.

“Trust is key. Build trust in your network, work with integrity. It’s OK to violate jantelagen if you are maintaining integrity. Sometimes your outsider and more honest/open opinion will burn bridges, especially those that may feel threatened by talent. But it will build trust with other colleagues who see it as brave and more trustworthy to work with,” said Kyle from Canada.

Hunker down for the long haul

We don’t want to scare you, because there are plenty of examples of people who quickly find their dream job in Sweden and settle into their new workplace, enjoying perks such as long summer holidays, generous parental leave and the famous work-life balance.

But if you do find it tougher than you expected: know that you’re not alone.

Several readers who responded to the survey said they were still trying to find a job in Sweden.

“I found jobs all over Europe but not here. They say they have a lack of experienced senior engineers but the don’t seem to be doing much to solve this,” said a Brazilian in Gothenburg.

A reader from Bangladesh said she was “at a loss” as to how to make a career change from her current AI role in Stockholm, despite many years of experience as an IT project manager.

“Over the past 18 months, I’ve submitted over 600 applications to various organisations. Unfortunately, despite being overqualified for some positions, I’ve faced rejections at every turn, from both large and small companies. The job market here, especially for foreign-born women, feels overwhelmingly challenging,” she said, adding that the struggle had impacted her mental health.

The Local has on several occasions reported on foreign residents’ struggle to get a foot on the Swedish job ladder, with many facing hurdles such as employers’ unfamiliarity with international degrees, discrimination, or a lack of network that can provide paths into a company.

So during the job hunt, don’t forget to care for yourself. Share your concerns with fellow job-seekers, ask for help and join networking groups – this is good not just for creating new contacts, but also in terms of your social well-being and meeting people who are in a similar situation.

And finally, as one British reader in Stockholm advised, keep looking: “Be open-minded with the opportunities that present themselves. It isn’t an easy market to enter and doesn’t feel inclusive.” But he added, “don’t give up”.

SHOW COMMENTS