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‘The Danish job market is not the easiest – but once there, you have a solid foundation’

There are plenty of reasons to be positive about finding work in Denmark, says a Lithuanian business student in Copenhagen who started his own company and helped fellow students find jobs – all in his spare time.

Published: 21 June 2017 17:10 CEST
'The Danish job market is not the easiest – but once there, you have a solid foundation'
L: Startup founder Valentinas Civinskas. Photos: L- Desk Research Group; R- Iris/Scanpix

Valentinas Civinskas took time out from his financial economics degree at the University of Copenhagen to create a consultancy startup that is now helping both internationals and students to break into the Danish job market.

Faced with the prospect of finding a job to support his studies, and having sent several dozen applications, the 23-year-old says he realised that there was a clear problem and gap in the market.

“After a couple of months of searching, I finally managed to find a job as a business development assistant. While working, I noticed that Danish companies often turn to consultants for advisory help. After observing the nature of their work and having several discussions with my employer, I concluded that there is nothing in particular that students aren’t also capable of performing,” Civinskas told The Local.

The entrepreneur came up with the idea of starting a consultancy service offering the skills of students – initially as a side business for learning purposes and personal development, he says.

READ ALSO: Marianne Vikkula: the unlikely Nordic startup star

“I decided to create a young professional community which provides consulting services to companies on a project basis, meaning that companies with a specific problem turn to us and receive advice at a competitive price in exchange for recommendations and experience,” he said.

The resulting company, Desk Research Group, now helps young consultants to gain experience and develop skills that can “open the desired employer's door,” Civinskas says.

Desk Research Group, which was launched in autumn last year, now boasts 15 young professionals of eight different nationalities and with 14 different degrees.

The company has so far provided consultancy to 22 completed projects.

Several team members have also been offered part-time jobs after successful projects, Civinskas says.

READ ALSO: These are Denmark's top ten undiscovered startups

The startup director says that he was driven by the difficulty many young professionals experience in breaking into the job market.

“Students and graduates, after years of intense studies, countless hours of projects and exams, still struggle to find a suitable internship or job afterwards.

“Our company consists of ambitious and highly performing students. We often think of a consultant as an expert in a particular field that has many years of experience. We are changing the consultant definition and at the same time breaking the stereotype,” he said.


The company has chosen a birds eye view of Copenhagen for its website design. Photo: Desk Research Group

Desk Research Group does not have any special requirements regarding speciality for students wanting to join. But there is one condition, says the company’s founder – the student must be willing to grow and learn. 

“We are a diverse and international team, which makes us dynamic and allows us to deal with cultural differences before cooperating with companies,” Civinskas said.

Having experienced the daunting prospects of both finding work – albeit part time – and setting up his own company in Denmark, the MSc student says that there is plenty for aspiring young international professionals in Denmark to get their teeth into.

“Don’t hesitate for fear of being rejected. One should always remember that there is nothing to lose by giving it a try and sending an application. Networking events and social gatherings are definitely one of the best ways to show off and reveal your personality. The Danish market is not the easiest one to get into, but once you are there, you have a solid foundation for your future prospects,” he said.

Denmark is also a country prime for startups and entrepreneurs, he added.

“Opening your own startup has never been easier. It takes roughly up to 15 minutes to get your own company code and you are pretty much ready to go. Before getting started, be confident and precise about what value your product or service brings to society,” Civinskas said.

READ ALSO: Danes show entrepreneurs how to 'startup everywhere'

Although Desk Research Group initially experienced challenges securing clients without prior references, Civinskas says that he found Danish companies very open to new ideas and innovation in general.

The startup founder is now finalising his studies by writing his thesis, which he expects to complete later this year.

“After that, my future plan is to carry on Desk Research Group activity as a side business,” he said. 

For members

WORKING IN DENMARK

Ten ways to improve your chances of finding a job in Denmark

Job searching in Denmark can be a daunting and lengthy process with many hurdles to overcome. The Local spoke to Kay Xander Mellish, author of 'How to Work in Denmark', for her tips on submitting a successful CV and application.

Published: 12 January 2023 09:44 CET
Updated: 24 October 2023 16:36 CEST
Ten ways to improve your chances of finding a job in Denmark

CVs in Denmark often have certain aspects of layout, presentation and content in common. By writing a CV that sticks to some of these recognisable customs, you may improve your chances of catching the eye of a potential employer.

1. Length

“Keep it to one excellent page, or two if you’re more senior. I’d say if you’re aged 30 and under, one page will be enough. Only add the jobs that are relevant. Employers don’t want to hear about that restaurant server or babysitting job if it’s not relevant to the role,” Mellish said.

2. Format

At the top of your CV, a paragraph describing your experience, skills, education and character is a common way to lead into a CV. This text can be adapted depending on the job you’re applying for and how you want to present your skills.

“Add three adjectives about yourself that you can support with an example, rather than ten adjectives with no story. For example, say you are innovative for this reason. People don’t like hot air in Denmark,” Mellish said.

Aside from the profile text, chronological lists of qualifications, relevant employment history and other relevant experience should be kept brief enough to fit the one to two pages.

3. Show your personal side and a photo

It is expected that applicants include a section about their hobbies, even family situation on their CV in Denmark, as well as a photo, to give a sense of who they are as a person.

“Danish employers are interested in you as a human, more so than employers in other countries so include information about yourself, including your age and your hobbies.

“Choose a good quality photo that is not too serious but shows you looking friendly and approachable,” Mellish said.

4. Story telling

“Think in terms of story telling”, Mellish advised. “Pure letters and numbers don’t mean a lot to employers in Denmark, they need to know what projects you’ve done, what role you played and what kind of person you are through your CV.

“So rather than writing ‘I have these grades’, it’s better to say ‘I worked on this project, it took this long, I achieved this'”, Mellish said.

5. Hit the ground running

Mellish called this “plug and play”, where you show you will slot right into the company and get going with the role.

“When employers are reading your CV, they want to know what you can do on day one of the job. Sell your ability to solve someone’s problem. You need to give the impression you can add value straight away.

“In Denmark the average length of time in a job is two and a half years, because you can take your pension when you move, so employers don’t want someone they need to spend time training,” Mellish told The Local.

READ ALSO: Five tips for writing an effective Danish CV

6. Teamwork

“Group work is very important in Denmark, more than individual achievements. So talk about your teamwork and how you worked with a group to produce a good business result. It shouldn’t be ‘me, me, me’ – that’s a turn off,” Mellish said.

7. LinkedIn

“People in Denmark love LinkedIn so you need a fabulous LinkedIn profile with a good picture. Before anyone calls you for an interview they’ll have looked at your LinkedIn profile.

“In your profile, include the storytelling, explaining the projects you’ve worked on. If your job involves a uniform, I recommend wearing it in your LinkedIn photo so people get that impression of you right away. Your background photo should also be work-related, not rainbows or puppies. Use it to tell the story of who you are,” Mellish advised.

8. Unsolicited application

This is when you approach a company or department you would like to work for, without a job being advertised. The Danish term for it is uopfordret ansøgning. 

“Many people make contact on LinkedIn and ask to meet for a coffee, where they chat and rather than pitch for a job, they ask if the person knows anyone looking for someone like them. Danish employers welcome this and many people are hired this way,” Mellish said.

Another way to network is to join a union, Mellish advised. They often have career events but can also help read your contract when you get a job offer, or help with any problems in the workplace. 

9. Ring the recruiter

The phone number of the hiring manager will often be in the job advert. Mellish advised finding a quiet place to ring them from and spending ten to fifteen minutes asking some good business questions.

“This also helps you work out if you might want to work for this person,” Mellish said.

“Send your CV within 24 hours of the phone call and mention you spoke to them in your application,” she added.

10. Patience

“On average it can take six months to find a job in Denmark. If it’s under this, you’re lucky. If it takes a year, it’s not you, it just takes a long time because employers are looking for someone to fit into their team.

“I wrote 100 letters, I got ten responses, three interviews and one job which I had for eight years,” Mellish told The Local.

“Danish employers are not always good at getting back to you. If you don’t hear anything, just keep applying for other jobs. If you sent an application on June 1st, you could send a follow-up email on June 15th, then you’ll have to leave it and move on,” she advised. 

Kay Xander Mellish’s book ‘How to Work in Denmark’ offers both job-searching advice and tips on how to succeed in the Danish workplace.

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