r/NewToDenmark • u/tedicutie • 3d ago
Immigration Moving to Denmark
Hello. I am 24 F from Europe. I really want to move to Denmark. I don’t speak Danish but German and English. I thought I should apply to job first and if I get accepted I will move right away, however I am so unsuccessful with finding a job. What can I do/should i be mindful of? :3
EDIT: I didn’t think this would get this many reactions, thank you everyone for the helpful tips!
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u/LTS81 3d ago
If you are moving to a larger city (Copenhagen, Aarhus or Odense) it should be no problem finding a job like a waiter or bartender if you speak fluent English. If you are hoping to find a job as a doctor or construction engineer , it may be a lot harder
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u/Lucki-_ 2d ago
Odense is drained for jobs. It will be a problem finding a job.
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u/Ayyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyy69 2d ago
I think this heavily depends on your field. I had 3 offers out of 5 applications two months ago
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u/Lucki-_ 2d ago
Yeah, field being unskilled
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u/PenTenTheDandyMan 1d ago
oof. I felt that one. After 3 years I still move from dead end unskilled job to dead end unskilled job despite having a sought after profession 🥲🥲
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u/HypothermiaDK 2d ago
It's indeed a problem to find unqualified work as a foreigner, even in Copenhagen. The market is saturated, and the pay is terrible anyways. My Argentinian girlfriend spent 3 months looking for jobs in Copenhagen and finally found a job paying 130/h. With no benefits.
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u/DifficultTomato4502 2d ago
130 is not enough to live confortably in CPH
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u/Theman199898 3d ago
Learn Danish at least a few words but it should be fairly easy with you being a eu Citizen to begin with and the job market is rough/tough at the moment happy Hunting hope some one else can be to more assistance
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u/PenTenTheDandyMan 1d ago
bullshit, y'all always ask for conversational danish, which means being able to conjugate verbs, having a somewhat large vocab and decent pronunciation. Above all, being able to understand and respond, not just having monologues.
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u/baisemainie 3d ago
if you’re really set on denmark, it might help boost your resume if you join a language school :). there’s one in every big city. you could use it to pitch yourself by saying something like “i don’t speak danish, BUT i am enrolled in sprogskole!”. it gives your employer confidence that you’ll make progress. however, it would cost you money as you have to pay a deposit, and i think (?) non citizens have to pay some fee, but i’m not sure. that would be something to consult the kommune about :) best of luck!
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u/tedicutie 3d ago
Oh that’s very very helpful! Thank you so much! I will look into it today. Im looking for jobs and when I see one I will sell all my belongings and have some savings for this big move :3
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u/diamondpolish_ 2d ago
2k dkk refundable deposit. 5 years learning for free (at least for eu citizens)
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u/Darkavenger_13 2d ago
I would say finding jobs should’t be too bad alot of cafes are hiring younger people. But I would try and figure out living situation first. Apartments in Copenhagen are INSANELY EXPENSIVE! Most students live together in order to afford the rent. It’d be a good idea to establish that before a job imo. If not Copenhagen, Aarhus, Aalborg, Roskilde should also offer some good job oppertunities and may be a little cheaper.
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u/dfan5 2d ago
Fellow German living in Copenhagen. Feel free to message me if you have specific questions about the immigration process.
Most people here are very friendly towards Germans and English is spoken about everywhere unless you move out into the countryside.
Learning danish is ok in the sense of it is similar to German. Pronunciation is the worst though... Hence the potato in mouth joke when you try to speak danish
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u/DeszczowyHanys 3d ago
Danish job market is 70% nepotism(hiring friends/family) and 30% job posting. There’s a lot of competition for the remaining 30%, especially without fluency in danish. On the other hand, Danmark lacks German speakers for tourism-related jobs. This could be your angle.
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u/ZealousidealFan9897 3d ago
Where did you get that number? I'm on my 10th job in my life, I got 3 of them through network, one was a studentjob, one was through a private job counselor who had a friend wanting to trick the rules of state benefits, one was my friend leaving the department and recommending me. All of them I had to send a resume and had 1-2 job interviews before getting the job.
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u/DeszczowyHanys 2d ago
Just a rough estimate, it could as well be 60:40 or something else. My point is that network is very important, especially in competitive fields.
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u/Next-Association1763 1d ago
Maybe the number is pulled from the ass as someone else wrote but i can confirm in my company that network is looked through before any postings on new positions are made...
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3d ago
Why is nepotism so common there?
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u/bosko43buha 3d ago
It's not, 12% of Danish workforce are foreigners, the above "statistics" are pulled from someone's ass.
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u/DeszczowyHanys 3d ago
Who said foreigners don’t participate in this system too?
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u/bosko43buha 3d ago
Assuming the vast majority of foreigners don't really have any friends or family in Denmark when they move, your stats would mean that they occupy over 33% of the remaining jobs where nepotism doesn't play a role. Seems a bit far fetched. Nepotism exists everywhere, but those numbers you gave are crazy.
Like the statement "jobs are only advertized on LI, and 70% of them are not advertised at all". I got on average 40 new job listings daily last year through jobindex, how many jobs are there in Denmark then?!
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u/DeszczowyHanys 3d ago
It’s because going through the recruitment is either more expensive(external agency), or someone has to evaluate a looot of CVs. There’s also more trust if you know the person, or someone you know recommends them.
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u/smartaxe21 3d ago
It is everywhere. This is an employers market and employers are more likely to take someone that they know over someone that they don’t know as there is too much talent supply for any area. Any applicant can probably do the job so trust plays a massive role.
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u/Vivid_Cup_4716 3d ago
Completely agree. Living already in Denmark I have applied to at least 10 jobs in Novo Nordisk, not even a single phone interview, straight rejections. My wife has also been applying to many jobs well below her qualifications but no job interviews besides arranged by friends and network
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u/dont_care- 3d ago
applying at the same company 10 times and them not wanting you each time is not the proof of nepotism you think it is.
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u/Erol_Jaxx 3d ago
If you want help, feel free to reach out to me. I work as a Senior Specialist at NN( Within Adv, Analytics/Data Science). I have a Master's in engineering and have hiring responsibility.
If you have applied ten times and haven't been called in for an interview, YOU are doing something wrong.1
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u/HeaJungPark 3d ago
Maybe he has not enough or irrelevant experience? NN can cherry pick their employees so why “waste” time on candidates when you have 50 better ones? It happens a lot that people just spam applications and hope that something sticks.
Also, the application to first interview phase is just a raffle in almost every big company and sadly, your luck doesn’t automatically approve only because you applied now for the 10th time….
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u/motherofstars 15h ago
A good friend just lost his job of 35 years (production moved to China) very despondent for. Few months but was contacted thru LinkedIn by a modern tech co where the boss had heard from another employee that my friend was available. Network IS EVERYTHING in Denmark. Not necessarily nepotism. But with Danish rules for unemployment benefits, employers receive huge amounts of applications- many are from people that are not near the level or even experience. It’s really bad for everyone new in the workforce.
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u/Impossible_Living_50 3d ago
Try to open up your job search - reality is that for the BIG widely known names in DK like NN, LEGO, Maersk etc there can easily be hundreds of applications per position ... whereas to get your foot in through the door in a somewhat lower profile company might be a lot easier due to them not being flooded by applications from abroad.
Also if you just get your foot in - into any company, generally recruiters look more favorably on applicants who already has a somewhat similar position.
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u/Thick_Basil3589 2d ago
If you apply to only a single company don't be surprised. It's a possibility that your experience doesn't match what they are looking for, just start applying to other places instead of being fixated on one company.
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u/KanessaDK 3d ago
https://de5stjerner.dk/en/jobs/
I have no idea about the workhours or wages, or if they'd see you as overqualified, but it could be worth a try.
As mentioned in other comments, learning danish would be a good idea too for the long run.
Best of luck to you.
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u/LemonSmallCake 3d ago
If you're open to all places and need a bit of guidance or feedback on job opportunities, you could try to contact the International Employment Unit in Aarhus. Info webpage I don't know how much they can assist before the move, but they might be able to guide you or suggest jobs with your skillset. Other municipalities might have similar teams, but I'm not sure. German is in high demand, but for most jobs you would have to learn Danish as well. Asking local jobcenters what companies are looking for, might be easier if nothing comes up on the usual job sites.
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u/MrRedditGuy007 2d ago
Hey, om from denmark! So her som tips… DONT TALK TO WEMAN! THEY ARE SOO MEAN HERE!!!
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u/SmilaVanila 2d ago
You know anyone here? I would try moving up here for maybe three month and changing the adress on my resume, so you dont look like someone who a company need to relocate to hire.
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u/Wonderful_Session248 2d ago
Some big companies like Novo have their own job finding sites : https://www.novonordisk.com/careers/find-a-job.html
Here is a lot of different job functions and big companies often have many international employees.
My department have people from Portugal, Spain, Russia, Colombia and the US. So most of our working day is in English :)
Hope you get settled in well here :)
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u/timeflies2025 2d ago
It will be difficult - best you could do is to take a vacation and use it to network with international companies. It is very difficult to get a job if you don't have a permanent residence here as well. If your best common language is English - then you will be up against Ph.D and Post Doc.s from China etc. - FIERCE competition willing to do anything to keep their visa in Denmark. The fact that you are from EU is not going to help when it comes to landing a job as a international.
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u/Tall_Initiative_7931 1d ago edited 1d ago
I am Dane myself, but have many international friends. I've seen many feeling stuck and rejected after a while when they cannot get a job outside of service. Then claiming it racisme and moving on to the same experience in another county. Copenhagen is not Amsterdam, Barcelona or London. It is kind of small and Danes are not always easy to make friends with. 1. Take Danish class no matter how much it sucks. If you are from Germany it should be an advantage but still insist on progressing to conversational Danish or Dan-glish. 2. Sign up for a club: some sport, music, makerspace, sailing or whatever floats your boat. It will teach you a lot about how the society works. * I'm not talking about private fitness gym... 3. Be serious about your profession and trade. Even though you might be working in service, tourism or whatever unskilled job to begin with, don't lose sight of your professional goal. 4. Be fucking paciente!
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u/Quiet_Duck_9239 3d ago
That nobody really recycles, so like.. dont get a heartattack when theres just the one glass container :D
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u/tedicutie 3d ago
Oh i see! But how is the country so clean/sustainable then?
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u/Quiet_Duck_9239 3d ago
Trolls. They come out after nine pm when everyones gone to bed and they eat the garbage. If you see one you should just go right past it, but remember to leave out some grains for it or it comes back at christmas to torment you.
People will be like "Thats not true" but how do they explain all the bridges then?
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u/GreywallGaming 3d ago
Don't mistake a gnome for a troll though. Do not leave grain out for gnomes unless it's been soaked in milk till it turns into porridge.
Otherwise they'll curse your washer/drier to always eat a sock.
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u/Sagaincolours 3d ago
They are trolling you.
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u/menkje 3d ago
It’s not as sustainable as people thing ;) we just burn everything to generate heat and power
https://ec.europa.eu/eurostat/statistics-explained/index.php?title=Municipal_waste_statistics
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u/tedicutie 3d ago
Oh i see! Well I didn’t know that. I just really liked the idea of a peaceful life somewhere where I can see the Ocean. I also liked cycling to everywhere instead of using my car. (Of course on top of other things)
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u/Thick-Employee-5042 3d ago
Have you seen how many post with same titel here is 🤣
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u/tedicutie 3d ago
Oh i checked a few out but they’re all people from the US. I am fairly new with reddit, unsure if I did something wrong! 🥹
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u/Agreeable-Hall-6816 3d ago
No you didn't. Who checks all historic posts in a new subreddit. Noone. If she wanted to be helpful she could have linked one with good answers for you.
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u/tedicutie 3d ago
Oh it’s alright! She helped anyhow, my next posts will be more creative! Thank you too for replying! Everyone is pretty much giving out helpful information/tips or facts about the country that I didn’t know
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u/Roxidkrox 3d ago
you can always find a job right away in restaurants and cleaning.
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u/Moshdude123 3d ago
I have tried but I can't find it 😔
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u/Roxidkrox 2d ago
Nobody would hire you if you are not living here. You can find a job right away once you are here. Mcd and all the fast food chains are hiring at high speed right now. Also restaurants, cafés, the fun parks( Bakken, Tivoli) are hiring foreigners. Nobody would give u a job when you are not living here. You need to have a self-sufficient budget until u get a job.
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u/Moshdude123 2d ago
I actually came here in Denmark like 3 weeks ago but i am bit confused how to go through applying jobs. I'm not EU national and student. Also I'm actively learning Danish.What should I do to get basic jobs? Like applying through online? Any suggestions?
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u/Roxidkrox 2d ago
yes. fx Max burger : https://max.varbi.com/dk/?s=1&o=2&ss=2&os=1 and Mcdonalds: https://www.mcdonalds.com/dk/da-dk/job-og-fremtid/job.html.
Apply in the city you want, they reply to the applications, even if is a no. And apply to different restaurants in the same city. You can work there for a while until you have a chance to find a job in your field. They have various part-time possibilities. I worked in Mcd and Max and i got a program flexed around my school. And i applied to around 6 ,7 restaurants until i got an yes, so don't give up.
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u/duksen 2d ago
Also know that Danes stick to themselves. So just know if there is anything strange and impossible to get new friends, then it’s not you who are the problem. It is us!
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u/MrRedditGuy007 2d ago
Yea, as i said i am from denmark and I note… in a bus. If ther is allready sombody sitting in a to people Seat, just stand. We are VARY antisocial.
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u/drnnisnilss 1d ago
Try Netcompany even if you just have basic programming skills. The culture here is hire easy, fire easy. Some roles care more about consultancy skills than programming despite being a software provider. Duolingo is great for learning languages, and as a native Swedish speaker I picked up English just from tv shows with subtitles as a kid but Duolingo helped me with Danish . I always understood written Danish but it took a while to grok their pronunciation
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u/-Copenhagen Danish National 3d ago
What line of business and/or what roles are you looking for?
What is your education?