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JOBS

How to write the perfect Swedish CV and cover letter

Personal networks account for a lot of career opportunities in Sweden, which makes the job-hunt a daunting task for foreigners even at the best of times. But with the right CV and cover letter, you can impress hiring managers in Sweden – here's how.

a woman working at a computer
Looking for a new job in Sweden? Here's how you should structure your application. Photo: Tim Aro/TT

Generally speaking, Swedish business culture is informal compared to working life in many other countries, and your job application should reflect that.

This means that when you send your email, you don’t need to address a “Sir/Madam” or even a “Mr/Mrs”. Instead, open with “Hej” (or “hi/hello”, if you’re writing in English) and the first name of the person you’re applying to, if you have it.

So, English or Swedish? You’ll hear different advice from different people, but unless you’re extremely confident in your Swedish skills, or know a native speaker who will check it for you, it’s best to stick to English. Well-written English will always give a better impression than mistake-filled Swedish, but make sure to mention your level of Swedish, any classes you’re taking, or at least your willingness to learn.

The exception is if the job advert is written in Swedish, and/or there’s an explicit request for applications to be sent in Swedish. In that case, you should definitely follow the instructions, and take the time to translate your documents. 

Another option is to write the CV and cover letter in English, attached to a brief introductory e-mail in Swedish. 

Keep scrolling to read some of the fundamentals to keep in mind.

1. The Swedish CV

First, the basics. Your CV shouldn’t be longer than two pages (if you can condense it down to one, even better) and should be clear and simple to read, outlining your professional experience and qualifications.

Personal details

Include your personal information at the top; that’s your full name, phone number, and email address. Try putting it in a header or footer for a clear layout, and to ensure it shows up on each page.

If you’ve already moved to Sweden, it’s a good idea to include your address (just the street name will do), as this will set you apart from any candidates applying from abroad. However, it’s advisable to leave off your date of birth, particularly if you’re starting out in your career. Swedes typically stay in education longer than those in other countries, so a hiring manager might not take a close look at a 26-year-old’s application, for example, on the assumption that they wouldn’t have enough work experience. 

If you’re applying for a marketing role or similar, include links to your public social media accounts (LinkedIn, Twitter, and possibly Instagram). Turn these into hyperlinks to make it easy for employers reading your CV on the computer.

Photo or no photo?

A lot of Swedish CVs include a photo; it’s not necessary to do this, but if you choose to, make sure it’s a professional image. That means not blurry or grainy, not a shot from a party where a wine glass has clearly been edited out with Photoshop, and a neutral, non-distracting background.

Summary

Some job-seekers like to start out their CV with a summary or “career objectives” section, which is also optional, but particularly useful if you’re just starting out in a new field. Be sparing with the buzzwords; just give a clear description of who you are and what you’re looking for, that will instantly grab the hiring manager’s attention.

Experience and education

Lead with your professional experience, in reverse chronological order. Depending on how much experience you have, and how much of it is relevant to the position you want, this might include previous jobs, internships, freelance work, or voluntary work.

For each position, list your job title, company, and location (city and country, if outside Sweden), as well as the relevant dates.

For those jobs which are relevant to the position you want, include a few bullet points outlining your key tasks, responsibilities, and/or accomplishments in the role. Replace “did” and “worked on” with stronger verbs such as “responsible for”, “developed”, “wrote”, or “trained”, particularly if your past responsibilities overlap with those listed in the job ad. Cut down on superlatives and adjectives unless they’re absolutely necessary; you’ve probably heard about the Swedish concept of “lagom”, which means “not too much, not too little; just the right amount”, and it applies to the world of work too. So mention your successes by all means, but don’t boast.

If your experience is in a different industry from the one you hope to work in, think of what you learned there that would come in useful – for example, did you manage a team, interact with clients, or run a social media account? And if you have the opposite problem of too much experience, it’s fine just to include the title of less relevant jobs, with no bullet points. Just make sure not to leave any unexplained gaps in your employment history.

For the same reason, you can add in “parental leave” or “gap year volunteering in South America” to avoid a gap between jobs. Both gap years and parental leave are extremely common in Sweden and accepted as a part of working life, so there shouldn’t be any stigma attached to this. 

Then there’s the education section: include all relevant qualifications, again in reverse chronological order. If you’re a recent graduate or still studying, it might make sense to put this part first.

Additional skills and qualifications

Create a separate section for other relevant skills, such as IT systems you’re able to use, programming languages if not mentioned in your professional experiences, and foreign languages (don’t leave out your native language – this could be a big asset!).

When it comes to describing your ability in each language, use the term “native” or “mother tongue” (modersmål) to describe your native language(s), and for additional languages you can either use the European Language Framework (note: the codes here are different from those used at SFI classes), or stick to general descriptors such as beginner, conversational, intermediate, fluent. If you’re currently enrolled in Swedish classes, make sure to mention that.

A poster advertising for staff in a cafe window. Photo: Tomas Oneberg/SvD/TT

As for whether to include extra interests, such as musical accomplishments, sport, or anything else, it’s generally better to keep this section extremely brief or forego it altogether. However, look at the job ad or company website for clues about the company culture – Swedes value work-life balance, so it won’t be seen as a negative if you have a passion outside the office, and some companies will specifically look to hire outgoing people. If your hobby has taught you transferable skills, for example if you play a team sport or have an organisational role in a voluntary project, it could be worth adding in for that reason too.

2. The Swedish cover letter

The key points for the cover letter are to keep it concise and sharply focused on the task in hand: showing the employer why you’re the right person for the job. That doesn’t mean listing everything you put on your CV, but highlighting why you stand out. Recruiting is a two-way process, so the employer will be keen to know both why you want to work for them, and what you think you can offer the company.

Show that you’re familiar with the company and what it does. Are there areas of the business or particular projects you’re especially keen on? How have your past experiences and achievements prepared you for this? This is also the point to highlight why you want to work in a new industry, if that’s the case, and the relevant skills you’ve learned from previous jobs which will come in useful.

If you’re applying for a job from outside Sweden, or if you’ve just arrived, include an explanation of that as well. This will reassure hiring managers that you haven’t missed the fact that the job’s in Sweden, and understanding your motivation for moving to Sweden might make them more likely to take the chance on a newcomer, whereas if they get the impression you’re firing off applications for dozens of companies around the world without doing your research, they’ll be less likely to make the effort.

A sign in a Skåne branch of the Public Employment Agency lists 13,343 job vacancies in November 2022. Photo: Johan Nilsson/TT

There’s no need to go into too much detail; a simple line saying you moved/will be moving to Sweden because your partner is relocating (or whatever the reason is) and perhaps a sentence saying you’re excited about the opportunities in your field in Sweden will be enough. If you already know the date, or even just the month you’ll be arriving, add that in.

If you’re not currently in Sweden, make it as easy as possible for the company to interview (and hire) you. Some companies will pay travel expenses for an in-person interview, but if you’ve already got plans to visit Sweden, let them know the dates, as well as your Skype and phone number.

Rather than the title “cover letter”, choose something like “Application for [name of position]” as the document title and file name. Use the same format as your CV (for example “Firstname Lastname: CV” and “Firstname Lastname: Application for Position”) to make things as easy as possible for the hiring manager, who will probably have lots of these to sort through.

Final points

Some advice that applies to job-seekers in any country, but is still worth stressing: make sure to check several times that you’ve not made any spelling or grammatical errors, and that you’ve been consistent in your use of fonts/headings/bullet points. These seem like tiny points, but it’s not just about making the documents clear for the hiring manager to read: if you’re applying for a role where you’ll be producing documents of any kind, or if you plan to emphasise your “attention to detail”, you don’t want to find you’ve used three subtly different kinds of bullet points.

Finally, save both documents as PDFs (and proofread once more just to be sure) so there won’t be any incompatibility issues if the interviewer uses a different operating system.

Good luck!

Member comments

  1. Excellent points! However one needs to also keep in mind that you are usually applying to companies in Sweden through their careers website and with the advent of AI in recruitment ,it is important to have resumes in such a way that they are parseable by the systems(which means not having excessive formatting and styling )

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For members

WORKING IN SWEDEN

Ten easy-access cafés and libraries to study or work from in Stockholm

Whether you are a student looking for a place to study or someone who works remotely and is looking for a new atmosphere, Stockholm caters to a diverse range of preferences and needs.

Ten easy-access cafés and libraries to study or work from in Stockholm

At times, it’s necessary to seek out a fresh workspace or study environment to enhance our focus and productivity.

Here’s our selection of Stockholm cafés where you can enjoy a cup of coffee and the aroma of the beans in the air, to libraries where you can completely get into the zone and options that give you a chance to network in an office-like space.

Stockholm City Libraries

If you like to work in a quiet and peaceful place, then one of Stockholm City’s Libraries might be the place for you. It offers work and study places, free Wi-Fi and they also have printing facilities. A library card is not required to access the library, but if you want to borrow or reserve books then it is needed.

More information and to find the closest library to you, can be found here.

Stockholm University Library

The library on Stockholm University’s campus is open to everyone. This library has a mix of quiet work areas as well as noisy sections. Most seats have power outlets available, students and those who have access to Eduroam can use that network, but a temporary login can be found at the library entrance. In addition, there is a café and two shops situated within the same building.

More information can be found here.

Location: Universitetsvägen 14D, 114 18 Stockholm

KTH Library

Another university library which is open to everyone is the KTH Royal Institute of Technology’s library.

Here you can find a number of quiet places to work and study, with the majority of seats equipped with power outlets. Eduroam’s wireless network is available throughout the library along with a guest network, details on how to connect to this can be found at the information desk.

Café Stories is located in the entrance hall, but be aware that no foods, such as sandwiches, wraps or salads are allowed in the quiet sections of the library. Snacks and drinks which have lids are allowed in.

Find additional details here.

Location: Kungliga Tekniska högskolans bibliotek, Osquars backe 21, 114 28 Stockholm

Goto 10

Goto 10 allows its members to access work lounges, hold events, record podcasts and test a 3D printer all within their premises (they’ve also got hubs in Malmö and Linköping). The membership is free and in return you are asked to contribute to creating content for Goto 10.

Their lounges include Wi-Fi, seating with power outlets, microwaves and a coffee machine.

Information about Goto 10 and how you can become a member can be found here.

Location: Hammarby kaj 10D, 120 30 Stockholm

Scandic Hotel

The hotel group Scandic offers co-working spaces and a hotel room office in their hotels. Prices for their co-working spaces start from 99 kronor per day and it includes free Wi-Fi, power outlets, coffee and tea, printing and copying services, and a 10 percent discount on food.
The co-working spaces are available in all 270 Scandic hotels, in six countries and 26 of those are in Stockholm.

More information and a price list can be found here.

Bröd & Salt

The café chain Bröd & Salt has shops all across the city. The chain also offers a workspace subscription called Club Salt, which gives you access to six of their co-working spaces. These workspaces are located in Torsplan, Jarlsgatan, Odenplan, Kungsholmen, Fleminggatan and Uppsala if you want to venture outside the capital. They offer shared spaces to work, with power outlets and Wi-Fi, and the subscription comes with a discount on a variety of menu items sold at Bröd & Salt.

Subscriptions for the co-working space start from 599 kronor per month.

More information can be found here.

Espresso House

You can find Espresso House in many corners of the country. They may be part of a chain with everything that entails, but they are popular spots to work from, which is evident from the many laptops that can be seen when you enter. The cafés usually offer free Wi-Fi and some seats have a power outlet as well. It is important to note that it could get a bit loud in the café.

Find your closest Espresso House here.

Waynes

Another café chain in Sweden and in Stockholm is Waynes. The company has a number of shops across the city and like many cafés it provides free Wi-Fi and a certain amount of power outlets. If you do not want to travel too far, but still want a nice coffee shop to work from then Waynes fits that description.

Find out more here.

ilcaffé

Another popular café to work from is ilcaffé. Located in Bergsgatan, Drottninggatan, Långholmsgatan and Södermannagatan, this café has free Wi-Fi and a number of power outlets. The café offers a range of sandwiches, treats and coffee, so there is no wonder why it has become a popular work hub.

Information about ilcaffé can be found here.

Urban Deli

The hotel, restaurant and café chain Urban Deli has five shops in Stockholm. They are located in Sveavägen, Nytorget, Sickla, Centralen and Hagastaden. The shop in Sveavägen in particular is a popular spot used by those who want to enjoy a coffee or a meal and work or study away. It has free Wi-Fi and power outlets at certain seats.

You can find more information here.

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