If you are unsure what kind of job or education is right for you in Norway, you can get free career guidance. You can chat with a counsellor at karriereveiledning.no or meet the career centre in your county. The service is free for everyone over 19 years old, and this guide shows how to use it.

Many newcomers have education and experience, but don't know how to use it in the Norwegian job market. A career counsellor helps you see the opportunities and make a plan. HK-dir (the Directorate for Higher Education and Competence) is responsible for the public service. At SamfunnPrep, we want you to know about this free offer.

What is career guidance?

Career guidance is help to make good choices about jobs and education. A counsellor is a neutral professional who does not decide for you, but helps you think through what you can do, what you want to do, and which paths are available.

The short answer to what you get: a conversation that gives you an overview and a concrete plan for the next step. It can be about finding the right education, understanding which jobs need people, or how you use the skills you have brought from your home country.

Two ways to get guidance

You choose how you want help:

  • karriereveiledning.no is a national, digital service. You can chat, call or send an email to a counsellor – free and anonymously, without booking an appointment. The website also has tools that help you map out interests and jobs.
  • The career centre in your county gives you a face-to-face conversation. Each county has a career centre that offers free guidance for everyone over 19 years old who lives in the county. Here you can meet a counsellor in person.

Both are free. The digital service is good when you want quick answers; the career centre is good when you want a thorough conversation.

Who is it for?

Career guidance is useful in many situations, for example when you:

  • are new to Norway and want to understand the job market
  • are considering having your education recognised or studying again
  • have lost your job and need a new direction
  • want to change careers, but don't know to what

If you are taking part in the introduction programme, career guidance is often already part of your arrangement.

What happens in a conversation?

A guidance conversation is a calm and confidential chat. The counsellor asks questions to get to know your background, your interests and what you want. Together you look at:

  • what you can do – education, work experience and skills from your home country
  • what is available – jobs and educations that need people where you live
  • the way forward – concrete steps, such as courses, recognition of education or applying for a job

You don't need to prepare anything special, but it helps to think through what you want to ask about. The conversation is free, and you decide for yourself what you want to do with the advice afterwards. The guidance does not give you any decisions or obligations – it is only to help you move forward. Many find it useful just to talk through the choices with someone who knows the Norwegian system well.

Getting started

  1. Think through your questions. What do you wonder about jobs or education?
  2. Choose a channel. Go to karriereveiledning.no for chat and phone, or find the career centre in your county to make an appointment.
  3. Have a conversation. Tell the counsellor about your background and your goals. The counsellor is bound by confidentiality.
  4. Follow up on the plan. Use the advice to apply for education, courses or jobs.

After guidance, the next step is often to write a good Norwegian CV and application. At SamfunnPrep we collect guides like these in our tools.

In brief

Free career guidance helps you choose the right path to a job or education in Norway. You can chat or call anonymously at karriereveiledning.no, or meet a counsellor at the career centre in your county. The service is free for everyone over 19 years old and is especially useful when you are new to the country.

Work life and education are also subjects on the citizenship test – practise for free on SamfunnPrep.