Applying for jobs in Norway in English: CV, cover letter and language requirements

You can get a job in Norway without Norwegian as your first language. Many people do every year, in everything from construction and healthcare to IT and research. But the language of your application is a choice you have to make deliberately, for each job. The wrong language can send your application to the bottom of the pile before anyone reads it, and stiff, translated Norwegian can do the same.

This guide covers when you should apply in Norwegian and when English is enough, how to read the language requirements in the ad, and what Norwegian employers expect from an application. At the end we explain how Søknadsbasen helps when the app is in one language and your documents are in another.

Norwegian or English: the ad decides

The simplest rule is also the best: reply in the language the ad is written in.

• The ad is in English. Apply in English. The employer has already told you which language they work in.
• The ad is in Norwegian, but mentions English as a working language. An English application is usually fine. If you want to show that you are learning Norwegian, add one sentence about it.
• The ad is in Norwegian and asks for Norwegian skills. Apply in Norwegian. The employer wants to see that you know the language, and the application is the first proof.
• The ad is in Norwegian and says nothing about language. Apply in Norwegian if you write it well. If you are unsure, a short phone call to the contact person can tell you whether English works.

English is most common in IT, research and universities, oil and energy, and companies with foreign owners. Norwegian is almost always required in healthcare, schools and kindergartens, public administration and jobs with a lot of customer contact.

How to read the language requirements in the ad

The language requirement is rarely in the job title. Look in these places:

• The «Arbeidsspråk» field. Many ads on arbeidsplassen.no have a separate field for the working language. If it says «Engelsk» or «Norsk, Engelsk», English is used day to day.
• The qualifications. Phrases such as «gode norskkunnskaper, muntlig og skriftlig» (good Norwegian, spoken and written), «beherske norsk» (command of Norwegian) or «skandinavisk språk» (a Scandinavian language) mean Norwegian is required. «Scandinavian» means Swedish and Danish may also be accepted.
• A stated level. Some ads ask for a specific level, usually B1 or B2. That ties in with the Norskprøven, the usual way to document your level of Norwegian.
• The word «flytende». «Flytende engelsk» (fluent English) means you will work in English, not necessarily that the application must be in English.

In healthcare and several other professions, the authorities may also require documented Norwegian skills before granting authorisation. Read the ad and the official information for your profession before you apply.

What Norwegian employers expect, whatever the language

The format of a Norwegian application is the same in Norwegian and English, and it is shorter than many people are used to from other countries.

• A CV of one to two pages. Most recent experience first, with concrete results. See the guide on how to write a CV.
• A one-page cover letter. Three to four paragraphs on why you fit this particular job. See the guide on how to write a job application.
• No photo required. You can include one, but nobody expects it. You don't need your date of birth, marital status or nationality.
• Diplomas and references when asked. Most employers ask for them later in the process, not in the application.
• The deadline is in the ad. Many employers only reply after the deadline has passed, so silence in the first weeks is normal.

Many Norwegian employers use recruitment systems that read the CV automatically. That applies just as much to an English CV. Keep the layout simple, with standard headings and real text, not images of text. More on this in the guide on the ATS-friendly CV.

Education and experience from another country

A Norwegian employer does not necessarily know your school, your degree or your previous employer. Make it easy to understand:

• Write what your degree corresponds to, for example «bachelor's degree in economics (three years)», rather than just the name of the degree in your home country.
• If your education has been recognised in Norway, say so.
• Briefly say what the company does and how big it is, if the name does not make it obvious.
• List your languages with a level, including Norwegian: «Norwegian, B2 (Norskprøven)» says more than «Norwegian, intermediate».

CV in Norwegian and English: make both

If you apply widely, it pays to have your CV in both languages. Then you choose based on the ad instead of translating at the last minute. Keep the content the same, so you don't tell two employers different things. Use Norwegian job titles in the Norwegian version and established English titles in the English one, not literal translations.

When an open application is the way in

Many jobs are never advertised, and that also goes for companies that work in English. An open application sent directly to a manager can be a good way in, even before you speak good Norwegian. Write it in the language the company uses publicly.

How Søknadsbasen helps when Norwegian is not your first language

Søknadsbasen separates the language you use the app in from the language your documents should have. They are two different choices, and they are not mixed.

The app in six languages. The app and the sign-in are available in Norwegian, English, Polish, Ukrainian, Lithuanian and Arabic, with Arabic shown right to left. The website and the guides are in Norwegian and English.

Your CV has its own language. You choose the CV's language when you create it, separately from the language of the app. The language controls the headings, the dates and the export. You can use the app in Polish and make a Norwegian CV, or use it in Arabic and make an English one. You write the content yourself, and it is not translated when you change the CV's language. With Pro, the AI can translate the content between Norwegian and English using natural CV wording, not word for word.

Your cover letter in Norwegian or English. You choose the letter's language in the letter editor. When the AI in Pro writes the letter, it writes in the letter's language, not the app's.

Advice in your language. When the AI reviews your CV, analyses a job ad or prepares you for an interview, it explains in the language you use the app in. Suggestions for the CV text itself come in the CV's language, so you can use them straight in the document. The requirements from the ad are quoted as the employer wrote them.

Job ads in their original language. The jobs come from NAV and from employers who advertise with us. They are shown as they were written, usually in Norwegian, and are not translated. That is on purpose: your application should respond to what the ad actually says.

In summary

Choose the language based on the ad, not on habit. Read the working language field and the Norwegian requirement before you write. Keep the format Norwegian: a short CV, a one-page letter, concrete examples. And have your CV ready in both languages, so you can move fast when the right ad comes along.

Ready to start? Browse vacancies, or check your CV for free before you send it.