Since relocating to Malmö, expat partner Bright Le has focused on studying Swedish and learning about Swedish culture: “If I’m to enter the workforce here, I need to understand as much as I can!”
Change of scene
“Relocating to a Nordic city has been a big change for me. I must admit that I miss the food from home. Asian food is not so authentic in Malmö! But I love the environment – the clean air, beautiful parks, the long evenings, the multiculturalism… Malmö is a really amazing place in my eyes,” says Bright. “My Chinese name is Huiming Le, which literally means ‘bright’ in case you were wondering!”
Language studies
“In terms of my future, I have to be patient. My background is sales (for the IT industry) and there are less opportunities for me here compared to in China where the IT industry is vast. Obviously, if I can speak fluent Swedish, I will be more employable. So learning the language is one priority. My teacher at Berlitz is excellent and I have found that the language lessons are also helping me to understand more about Swedish culture.”
A soft landing
“I have also been making use of a ‘soft landing’ programme for newcomers that has given me great insights into the job market and the local culture. In China, skill sets are much more important than personality for recruiters/HR. But in Sweden, employers really want to know who you are, and what you like to do (even if it’s unrelated to the job). In my experience, they don’t even verify your skillset, which came as a huge surprise to me!”
Gaining confidence
“Talking to my coach, who is from Asia and has experience of living in Sweden, has been very beneficial. She has given me a very clear overview of the culture and the job market, and also provided me with so many great insights,” says Bright. “I have also been very impressed by all of the governmental and municipal-level support that is made available to foreigners coming to Malmö. It’s still early days here for me and I am not sure what kind of job I will find or even when that will happen. But I feel like I am laying the groundwork for success which makes me optimistic about the future!”
Photo: Bright Le
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