How to build a network with LinkedIn in Sweden
Part 2
Building a professional network is an important part if you are seeking a job in Sweden, as contacts in your own industry are very valuable on the Swedish job market. LinkedIn offers a useful platform for connecting with others and is therefore very popular. In this second of three articles on job searching in Sweden, I share the advice I received on creating a network when I was new in Göteborg. Among them is also my extra tip!
It is not easy to network in a foreign country, and it is of course important to also make contacts beyond the professional level. Both can open up long-term opportunities on the Swedish job market! When it comes to getting a job, it is very appreciated if you have been in contact with someone before applying or if someone can recommend you. The following points helped me to establish an initial professional network.
To begin with, you should take every opportunity to make personal business contacts. This can be achieved by attending trade fairs and conferences related to your field, as well as job fairs in general. There you can meet companies, their representatives and job seekers in person. Afterwards, you can send a request via LinkedIn after the event with a short message thanking them for the talk and saying that you would be happy to connect. The same applies to other networking events, for which the International House and CreativeMornings Gothenburg are great places. It is useful to mention your professional background sooner or later when you introduce yourself to someone and that you are looking for new opportunities. That way, people will remember you when they notice an opportunity for you! And of course you should also keep an eye open for opportunities for your new contacts!
Now let's move on to LinkedIn, which you can use to network in your industry. Follow relevant companies, news pages, groups, associations and organisations in your field. This will keep you updated and you can interact with others under postings. You could also post in a group who you are, your qualifications, that you are new in Sweden and looking for a job. This will help you reach many more people who can help you in your field.
Send contact requests to widely connected people from companies and organisations as well as a short message with information about you and your background. This way, people in relevant positions will see your profile. And just as important - you see what they post, perhaps a job. Even if you had an interview or were in contact with a recruiter about a job, you could send an request afterwards with a short message saying that you would like to connect.
Finally, I introduce you to my extra tip: Yrkesdörren. It literally opens the door to the business world ;-) . I had a very good experience with it and think it offers a very good advantage for job seekers in Sweden. The website matches internationals with experienced people in the same industry. You then meet once online or on site for a little chat. This allows you to get to know a person from the industry personally who can give you valuable tips! They might also give you feedback on your LinkedIn profile and CV. You can then connect with this person on LinkedIn, which will provide you with a good source for your industry. You can see who they are connected to and send out requests to some of them, which pages, groups or companies they follow, and more. This provides a lot of useful information for you! And maybe the person knows someone they can recommend you to?
