Compared to other countries, what is it like to work in Norway? I asked my Northern Irish friend and former DNV colleague, Gary. Here is his story.
By Gary Couser, University of Strathclyde
Before the summer of 2012, I had never really considered ever going too, let alone work in Norway. However, that particular summer I met a Norwegian who subconsciously persuaded me to apply for a place in DNV, the Norwegian Classification Society. As I am a student of Naval Architecture, it made a lot of sense.
Fast forward one year later, and there I was, standing outside Oslo Central Station, with my backpack, suitcase and a hangover from a mental weekend in London. Initially I had a week or so to find my bearings, get settled into my accommodation and plan my route to work. Luckily I had a few university friends living in Oslo, so things went smoothly and I cannot deny that I felt at home within 1 week!
As the weeks went on, I gradually started to realize what a pleasure it was to work and live in Norway.
Working Compared to working environments I had experienced before, everyone seemed relaxed, confident in their abilities, and extremely happy to help each other. The open office arrangement, whereby heads of sections where sitting at a normal desk like anyone else, was something that I initially found strange. However gradually I noticed that this idea does not instill any form of hierarchy within the office, and almost treats everyone equal, thus maximizing the camaraderie and relationships between staff to get the best results. As a summer student, I was immediately treated with the respect and belief from senior staff. Unlike previous work placements where the common idea of the “intern” was apparent, i.e. print copies and make coffee. In Norway I only printed and made coffee for my own needs, which turned out to be quite a lot.
The location of work was for a better word, amazing, lying just outside Oslo in a small town called Høvik. Everything that you could possibly need was a 5-minute walk away, including the beach (yes, DNV has its own beach!) Travelling to and from work was also extremely easy, and free! Between the hours of 7.00 -9.00 and 15.00-17.00 regular coaches arrived and stopped off at a number of locations, both too and from work. This is something that would never be seen in the UK! However, this service would not be possible if it were not for Norway’s tax system. Taxes in Norway are high compared to most places, however this does mean that services such as the free bus to work are catered for. On the subject of taxing, this was probably the only downside to working in Norway, by getting taxed the highest amount, 37%, it actually made a major dent in my finances.
But overall, I would highly recommend working in Norway.
Living in Oslo I will begin by saying that during the summer I stayed in Oslo, it was the best weather on record in 7 years or so. So this most likely added to one of the best times I have ever had.
One major benefit of Norwegian people is their excellent English; this made life a whole lot easier in terms of going to the store, meeting new people and just general everyday things. I must admit that a lot of them put me to shame, as my English is something that needs a lot of attention. With regards to learning Norwegian, all I will say is I tried……..and failed. But you quickly realize that the locals didn’t care, and almost got annoyed if you tried to speak Norwegian to them.
Oslo surprised me so much with the ease of life and variety of things to do. Not far from where I stayed were the Holmenkollen ski jump and museum, Bygdøy beach and plenty of parks to go and run, play sport or just chill with a BBQ. The transport system was fluent and could get you anywhere in the city.
I managed to meet a lot of new people, mainly through work, and through them discovered Oslo’s bars and clubs. If I can give any advice, it would be to bring your wallet, at the equivalent of £9 for a pint of beer; I can safely say I never drank enough to get drunk…. Coming from Glasgow where the price of beer is around £2.50 in most places, this was most certainly a shock. In fact, basically everything is a lot more expensive, food, clothes and even McDonalds! But when spending money in Norway, you always have to remember that your salary from work is relevant to the cost of living.
Overall, Oslo was a great city with beautiful looking people and beautiful scenery, with plenty to do. As I said previously, I was there during one of the best summers (weather-wise), so this probably enabled me to do a lot more things than I would normally have considered.
If you are looking for a place to work where you can excel, and constantly be at your best, whilst having the time of your life: Go to Norway!
