Whether you apply for advertised positions or send an unsolicited application, you will be expected to have knowledge about the company you're applying to.

The hiring manager will expect you to have researched their company before you approach them. If it is obvious that you have not done your homework, it is likely that you will not be considered.

Take the time and effort to find out what the company is about, for example, regarding core competencies, product strategy and corporate values before you send an application or call the hiring manager. Make sure you target the specific company (and position) and describe how you can contribute to the company. Be as concrete as possible.

In Denmark, it is not a good idea to send a standard CV and application to as many companies as you can find. Rather, you need to tailor each individual application to the specific company and role. 

Only about half of the positions in Denmark are advertised on job boards. The remaining half of jobs are filled via unsolicited applications, word of mouth, and networks. Therefore, it can pay off to also focus on unsolicited applications and to reach out to relevant companies directly. 

In Denmark, it is often considered a good practice to call companies and speak to a hiring manager or the HR department.  Most companies will be happy to answer your questions if they are relevant.  

For example, you can ask companies about potential future plans, about their prospects for expansion in the coming years, if they aim at new markets or how they prefer unsolicited applicants to apply. In many cases, you will end up with the email for the hiring manager and the possibility to send your CV directly. If so, make sure to referernce your conversation.

If your questions are relevant, they might even ask about your profile on the phone and thus offer you a chance to tell them about you and your ideas on how you can contribute to the company. 

Most job seekers approach the big corporations, and thus the larger companies receive many unsolicited applications. It is often a good idea to also focus on small- and medium-sized businesses so you are competing with fewer applicants. 

When you apply for an advertised position or even call a company unsolicited, you are likely to be considered a salesman advertising yourself.  It is of course an advantage that they know what you want, but it is also a possible disadvantage since it may make them reluctant to offer you a job if it feels to much like a sales pitch. 

When looking for a job, it can be a good idea to get out and meet people socially. Danish people are usually very willing to help the people they know and to use their network to look for opportunities for them.

It can be a good idea to take part in activities where you meet the same people again and again.  For example, through a leisure activity, hobby or via volunteering. After some time, you will get to know your new acquaintances and vice versa. The more people you know, who know that you are looking for a job, the bigger your network will become. And your chance of getting a job can increase. 

There are many ways of expanding your network. Take part in activities at your children´s school or kindergarten, offer a helping hand in the local community or join a local club. Joining a club or a local network might be the easiest way of expanding your network. Clubs and networks are where Danish people socialize, and this is a good way to socialize with Danes. You can find clubs/associations in Esbjerg Municipality at www.explore.esbjerg.dk

Denmark is one of the top 10 countries for people being active on LinkedIn. Danish companies use LinkedIn to search for and research candidates, and candidates use it for connecting. If you do not already have a LinkedIn profile, now is the time to create one! 

Many companies will look you up on LinkedIn when they receive your application, and some companies even say that if you are not at LinkedIn, they will not consider you.

If you do not know the local business landscape, it can be a jungle to find out which companies to approach. The obvious option is to use search engines and check out job boards to get an idea about companies with openings.

You will find many local companies are a member of the business organisation Business Esbjerg, who lists its members by branch and maintains an updated job board with local openings..

Some analyses have shown that hiring managers in general use between 8 and 20 seconds at the first glance of a CV, before deciding whether to look further at the profile. Therefore, you can choose to match the expectations on a CV´s layout in Denmark, and thus make it easier for companies to find what they are looking for in your CV. In Denmark CVs are expected to show (in this order):

• Personal details (Name and address, contact information, nationality, civil status etc.)
• Personal profile
• Career path (including start/end date, title, company and former job roles plus tasks/responsibilities) often in descending order of date shoving the most recent experience first
• Education
• Skills (such as language skills or IT skills)
• Interests

Danish companies expect cover letters to show what you can contribute with and the added value you can offer to the company. One way to do this can be to create a scenario that makes it visible what you can offer them in regards of for example problem solving, tasks, value, personality, ideas, innovation etc.  If you can also enable your cover letter to reflect who you are as a person and what the company can expect from you in the given position, you are on the right track.

In Denmark, companies tend to focus both on professional skills as well as personal qualities when looking at potential employees. Keep this in mind when you apply for a job or attend a job interview.  

In a job interview or coffee meeting, connecting is important. Although you may be nervous, it's best to be yourself and let your personal qualities show.  One way of creating a good connection and open dialogue can be to show interest and ask (relevant) questions about the company, the department, the strategy, the company market, the position you are interested in or people working at the company. You are not expected to talk about yourself until you are asked. 

When asked for information about yourself it is a good idea not only to provide a sales pitch, but also to offer them an insight into who you are. You can either allow your answers to reflect your personality or give competence-based answers by providing concrete examples when you describe yourself, your experience, or your ideas.

In Denmark, unpaid internships (virksomhedspraktik) are a tool to help international candidates gain experience, get exposure to Danish workplace culture, use the Danish language in a professional setting, and more. 

Internships can give you a chance to expand your network and to experience the Danish workplace from the inside. And sometimes internships can even lead to a job afterwards.

If a company offers you an internship, you can reach out to Jobcenter Esbjerg to organise the necessary paperwork. You will find the details for Esbjerg Jobcenter here. 

Work in Denmark offers tips and guidance via e-learning to help you adapt your CVs and Cover letters to the Danish job market:

CV's & cover letters with Work in Denmark