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‘One has to wait for a sober invitation from a Swede to make it really count’

German entrepreneur Matthias Kamann came to Sweden over ten years ago for a semester abroad in Småland. Now, he has turned his experiences of the culture clash as an international into something productive, explaining Swedish habits and traditions through websites and a book.

Published: 24 July 2017 06:59 CEST
'One has to wait for a sober invitation from a Swede to make it really count'
After ten years Matthias Kamann is still passionate about Sweden and its characteristics, including the elk. Photo: Private

“It's more easy to interact with Swedish people when you are prepared and you get deeper insights into the Swedish society. It's important to learn about the meaning of fika, about the different areas where Swedish people will agree or disagree with you and how to respect that. I think this is basically the book I wish I had read before I came to Sweden. It would have made it much easier for me.”

He learned from his own experience that there are other people like him, who come to Sweden and would be happy to have a “survival guide” of sorts for the new culture they are trying to understand and adapt to.

“I met many international students here in Sweden, since my office is also situated on campus and I often talk to other international students about their experience of Swedish culture and pitfalls, and culture clashes.”

Kamann tells The Local he came up with the idea of starting a blog, and now a book, after people kept asking him the same questions about his experiences in Sweden ever since he first moved there ten years ago.

“So I give over and over again the same answers and I feel there is the need for this information,” he says.

“I thought okay, I could just skip the answers and just send them all straight to my website or just give them a book. So I felt I have something to tell to people also because I felt after ten years I lose a little bit of the outside perspective, so I wanted to get it out right now and thought this was the time for that.”


“How to be Swedish” by Matthias Kamann was published this year. Photo: Private

After finishing university with a degree in business administration Kamann didn't choose the easy way for his career by only sending applications to already existing companies. After his master's degree he started to promote his own ideas and work on explaining Sweden and Swedish culture to the world.

“I started as an online marketing consultant and made websites for other people. Nowadays it's basically content creation and search engine optimization for myself, to tell other people about Sweden through the blog, the book and other channels like YouTube.”

“I just released my book, published it this year and I am working on the book marketing and approaching stores to sell it. But I'm mostly creating content for my website. Hejsweden.com is my blog. And soon I'm going to launch a web shop called 'Shop of Sweden', with products made in Sweden: souvenirs, design products and interior stuff. Those are the main areas I'm working on right now.”

Kamann speaks enthusiastically about his work and his passion for Sweden in general. He sees his work as some kind of a service to prepare people for what will await them in Sweden, targeting tourists and people that are planing on moving to Sweden, either for study, work or love.

Before starting his career as an entrepreneur he moved to southern Sweden as a university student in Växjö, Småland. That way he experienced firsthand what it means to enter the Swedish society as a foreigner.

“I came to Sweden 2005, I was studying in Germany before. It was about time to go abroad, so I was checking all the options. I chose Linnaeus University in Sweden because they had a course in international marketing, which I liked, so I came to Sweden. It was loosely just one semester, but then I extended it to a second semester to do the bachelor's degree and then even to another year to do the master's here in Sweden. So yes, in the beginning I mainly came to study here in Sweden.”

“After that I went back to Germany for a year. In that year I started working in online marketing. But I felt more at home in Sweden than in Germany, because I was still rooted here and had connections. I thought okay, then I will start my Sweden experience again in the place I left, so I came back to Växjö and continued with my studies but also continued working on my own business. The courses I took were Swedish and web design, so just single courses which I wanted to do on top.”

Kamann at his office located at the University campus of Linnaeus University in Växjö, Småland. Photo: Private

When Kamann talks about his early years in Sweden and all the cultural things he writes about nowadays, it brings back memories of a few difficulties he experienced back then. He jokingly describes the two things that made it hard for him to adapt to the Swedish culture and that he had to learn about in the beginning.

“I think the hardest thing for me was the language barrier. The language opens up so much, for example talking to older people who don’t know English that well and understanding the media, what's going on on the radio and so on. I think the language was the biggest part that helped me to get a better understanding of the people and Swedish society,” he says.

“Also smaller things that I call culture, getting used to that Swedish people, when they are drunk they get very different from when they are sober. It took a while for me to understand that when a Swedish person maybe invites you over for paintball when they are drunk, it doesn't necessarily mean that the invitation still is valid the next day when they are sober. I learned that one has to wait for a sober invitation to make it really count.”

One part of Kamann's work is to describe and analyse quite a few cultural stereotypes. From his personal experience the highlights two characteristics: “You can see the Viking in a Swede when you go out to parties. I think this is totally confirmed. And yes, many people have Ikea furniture, that is true.”


Kamann feeling Swedish by visiting an Ikea store in Sweden. Photo: Private

While Swedish and other northern and western European cultures may appear to be similar at first sight, when Kamann is asked to compare Swedish culture to other nations he finds clear differences.

“I mostly compare the Swedish to the German culture and many Germans, when they come here in the beginning, think the culture is quite similar to ours. But then, after month or years, I think there are differences that surface. For example the biggest difference between the Swedish and the German culture is that in Germany people are very competitive and they are striving for perfection and in Sweden they have more the 'lagom approach' that things can be good when they are good and then it's fine. In Germany people focus much more on the things that are leaking to make it perfect. In Sweden they are more relaxed.”

READ ALSO: Stop! This is what lagom truly means

Kamann is often asked if he would describe himself as more German or Swedish, after living abroad for such a long time. He struggles to give a clear answer to that but can summarize his thoughts about it.

“When I'm back home and ask my parents they say: oh, you've become so Swedish. But here in Sweden I hear things about certain aspects like tidiness and timing. But I would say between 60-70 percent I'm still German. So about 30-40 percent I have become Swedish in how I act and behave.”

Kamann experienced it can be quite challenging at times to fit in with the Swedish culture. Photo: Private

Kamann is aware that describing societies in terms of certain characteristics may reproduce stereotypes, and urges people not to let prejudice determine how they view a country. In some ways stereotypes help us make sense of the world, but he explains that he would like his readers to look at them with a degree of flexibility.

“Before you come to a certain culture you have a stereotype and then you try to confirm if the stereotype is accurate or not. But then of course be open to adjustments, maybe it's not at all like it is written in the comic books. One has to go out and make a real-life experience of the culture. One should be open to changes.”

Sweden's startup scene has made an international name for itself in the past few years, and as a blogger, author and soon-to-be owner of an online shop, Kamann is happy that he chose the country as his home.

“I started my company in Germany and you had to deal so much with like Behörden (German word for Public Administration) and here in Sweden it went so much faster, just apply to Skatteverket (Swedish Tax Agency), hand in the papers and it was done. So much faster and easier.”

“And here in Sweden I had so much support from other organizations like 'Drivhuset', it's from the university to support students who want to start their own company. And I also got help from Almi (European Investment Fund), they also gave me great support. It was fantastic that I could go to the offices and talk to the people when I had some problems with filling in forms for applications and also with the book keeping and so on. I found it very helpful, that those organizations are there and I didn't have to pay for anything. The Swedish state basically supports that kind of entrepreneurship and I found it much easier than in Germany.”

His future plan is to stay in Sweden and to stay focused on promoting Swedish culture.

“I like the nature and the Swedish mentality. I like to spend time with Swedes, and get to know new Swedes or other people, that are also passionate about this country. Through the website so many people contact me that share the passion and there are so many interesting exchanges.”

“I love it here, I'm very passionate about Sweden and I like talking about it, so I hope to make that hobby my full-time work later. Right now I still also have to do quite technical things like the search engine optimization and setting up the web shop, but once that is done I can focus more on filling it with content. I hope to travel and tell the people about the beauty of this country.”

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”.

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