How to search for a job in Norway: the whole process from start to interview

Most people think of job searching as sending applications. But that is only one part of a longer process, and usually not the one that decides. A good job search starts before you open the first ad, and continues after you have pressed "send". This guide takes you the whole way, from working out what you want to sitting in the interview.

The idea is simple: job searching is a process with fixed parts, not a series of random shots. When you treat it as a process, every step becomes easier, and you don't have to start from zero each time. If you want a concrete weekly plan for how to keep this going over time, you find it in the guide on making a job search plan.

The six parts of a job search

A job search consists of six parts that fit together:

1. Map out what you want and what you can offer.
2. The CV as a foundation, ready to be tailored.
3. Find the positions that actually fit.
4. The application that links you to each individual job.
5. The follow-up that keeps you visible.
6. The interview where you close the deal.

You don't have to do everything in one day. But if you skip the first parts and go straight to sending applications, you usually end up with many generic applications that get nowhere. Let's take them in order.

1. Map out what you want

It sounds obvious, but most people skip this. Before you apply for anything, spend a little time on two questions: what kind of role do you actually want, and what can you offer?

Be concrete. "Something in marketing" is too broad to give direction. "Content lead at a smaller company, preferably in Oslo or hybrid" is something you can aim at. Think through:

• What type of role. Title, responsibility, level.
• What industry or type of company. Large or small, public or private, established or startup.
• What matters to you. Pay, location, flexibility, professional environment, development.
• What you bring. The three or four things you are best at and that an employer will pay for.

This work pays off twice. It makes it easier to judge which positions are worth applying for, and it gives you the raw material for both the CV and the application later. If you are considering a bigger change, not just a new job in the same track, the guide on changing careers is a natural place to begin.

2. Make a CV that gets read

The CV is the foundation. It should be ready before you start applying, so you only tailor it per position instead of building it from scratch each time.

Three things decide whether a CV works:

• It is tidy and easy to scan. A recruiter spends a few seconds on the first read-through. The most important things should be at the top.
• It shows results, not just tasks. "Increased sales by 20 percent" says more than "responsible for sales".
• It is read by machines first. Many employers use recruitment systems (ATS) that scan the CV before a human sees it. A simple layout and a clean text layer are crucial.

The whole method, from structure to the most common mistakes, is in the guide on how to write a CV. If you want to understand why the format matters so much, and what the systems stumble over, read about the ATS-friendly CV. And before you send, you can check your CV for free to see what could be improved.

Remember that the CV is never completely finished. You have one base version, but you swap the top section, rearrange some points and adjust the "About me" text for each position you apply for. It takes a quarter of an hour, and it moves you up the pile.

NAV (the Norwegian Labour and Welfare Administration) shut down its CV service on arbeidsplassen.no on 1 October 2025. If you are being followed up by NAV, you can still find your CV at nav.no/min-cv. If not, you have to make it somewhere else, and the guide on NAV's CV service shows what you can use instead.

3. Find the right positions

Now the search itself begins. Most people start and finish with advertised positions, but there are three ways in, and you should use all three.

Advertised positions

This is the obvious channel. Search vacancies across industries and places, and use the filters to narrow down. Search more widely than you think you need to, but be selective about what you actually apply for. If you hit the most important must-have requirements, it is worth a try, even if you don't tick every box.

Open applications

Many jobs are never advertised. If you see a company you would like to work for, you can send an open application even if they have no active ad. Then you have to define for yourself which problem you solve for them, but you also meet far less competition. The guide on open applications shows how to find the right recipient, and has a template you can copy.

Networking

A large share of hires happen through contacts. That doesn't mean you have to know the boss. It is often enough to tell the people around you that you are looking for something, and to keep an up-to-date profile. How to build a LinkedIn profile that actually gets found is worth a look of its own.

4. Write a tailored application

Once you have found a position, the application comes next. Here people make the most common blunder in the whole job search: they send the same text to everyone, with the company name swapped. It shows immediately, and it ends up at the bottom.

An application does a different job from the CV. The CV is facts. The application is the argument for why those facts make you right for exactly this position. It should answer one question briefly and concretely: why you, for exactly this job.

A short recipe:

• Open with the position, not with yourself. Skip "I hereby apply". Show instead that you have understood what they need.
• Prove two or three things with examples. Don't claim you are structured. Show a case where you were.
• Connect yourself to the company. One concrete paragraph on why exactly them.
• Close with a clear next step. "I would be happy to tell you more in an interview" beats "hoping for a positive reply".

The whole walk-through, with weak and better wording side by side, is in the guide on how to write an application. If you need to see it finished, cover letters with structure and examples is a good starting point you can build on.

5. Send, and follow up

The application is sent. Most people stop here and wait. But two more things belong.

Keep track. When you apply for several positions at once, you quickly lose the thread of who you have applied to, when, and what you said. A simple spreadsheet is enough: company, position, date sent, status, next step. It makes you confident when someone calls, and it helps you see patterns in what works.

Follow up. If you haven't heard anything after a week or two, a short and polite message is perfectly in order. It shows interest without nagging, and reminds them that you exist. Don't ask for an answer right away, just confirm that you are still interested and happy to come in for a conversation.

This part, keeping several applications going without losing track, is the whole point of treating job searching as a process. The pipeline method in the job search plan shows how to keep flow across several applications at once without it turning into chaos.

6. Prepare for the interview

If you are called in, the CV and the application have done their job. Now it is about meeting well prepared. An interview is not an exam, but a conversation where both parties assess each other.

Three things you prepare in advance:

• The usual questions. "Tell me about yourself", "why do you want to work here", "what is your biggest weakness". You can't memorise answers, but you should have thought them through. See the walk-through of the most common interview questions with examples of how to answer.
• The company. Read up on what they do, recent news, and why the role exists. It gives better answers and shows genuine interest.
• Your own questions. Have three or four ready. It signals that you assess them as seriously as they assess you.

If pay comes up, either in the interview or after an offer, it pays to be prepared there too. The guide on salary negotiation goes through how to argue for what you are worth without coming across as harsh.

If the interview goes well, the employer will often ask for references before they make an offer. The guide on references shows who to choose and how to prepare them.

When you lack experience

A word for you who are early in your career or changing field. If you lack direct experience, that doesn't mean the process above doesn't apply to you. It does, but you place the weight a little differently: on transferable skills, on motivation, and on what you have actually done in your studies, volunteer roles or other jobs.

Two guides take this up specifically: how to get a job with no experience and CV without a degree. Both build on the same idea: show what you can do, not what you lack.

In short

Job searching is not luck, and it is not about sending as many applications as possible. It is a process in six parts: map out what you want, build a CV as a foundation, find the right positions, write a tailored application for each, follow up on what you have sent, and prepare well for the interview.

If you do each part a little more thoroughly than most others, you need fewer applications to get there. That is the whole point. When you are ready to begin, find a position to apply for, or check your CV for free before you send the first one.