Accept (or Decline) A Job Offer In Norway

by Dejan Mladenovic | Last Updated: April 30, 2021

If you come to a stage to get a job offer you are very close to getting a job. Before you accept or decline Job offer you should take your time and read it thoroughly. If you have any doubts, questions, something that is missing, or not clear to you then ask for clarification.

Like in many other countries the yearly salary amount is before taxes and it is a gross amount. The employer will deduct the taxes based on your tax card which you will get from the tax office.

Be aware that in some companies salary levels are the same for the same position. However, some companies do not so make sure that you are satisfied with your offer. Prepare yourself to negotiate a better deal if you feel your offer is not a good match.

In the job offer, the employer will write when you will start. Take into consideration the time needed to get working and residence permits. Personally, I have arrived in Norway two weeks before starting with my job and that was enough time for me to get a work permit, tax card, residence permit, etc.

Now let’s see which documents are usually included in the job offer so you know what to expect and pay attention.

What Documents Are In Norwegian Job Offer

The employer decides to hire you and sends you several documents that you will sign in. Here are these documents:

1. Job Offer Letter from the HR department
2. Contract of employment
3. General information about the contract of employment
4. Job description

1 – Job Offer Letter From HR Department

This is usually a short one-page letter. The employer will list enclosed documents that come with the job offer in the letter. In this letter, you will get an explanation of which documents you will sign and send back to the employer. You will get the name of the contact person in case you have any questions.

2 – Contract Of Employment

Contract Of Employment needs to be read thoroughly, signed, and send back to the employer. Here are the major points in the contract of employment:

• Position
• Place of work
• Date of appointment
• Period of probation
• Salary
• Bonus
• Pension schema
• Staff insurance
• Travel and daily allowance
• Holiday
• Evaluation
• Termination

3 – General Information About The Contract Of Employment

This is the document that in more depth explains additional information about the contract of employment. Usually, includes the following sections:

• Salary deductions
• Hours of work
• Professional secrecy
• Copyright
• Other work
• Amendments in the terms of employment
• No-compete clause

4 – Job Description

Most of the data in the job description is information posted in Job  Vacancy. Here are the usual sections of the Job description:

• Job Title
• Department
• General responsibilities and information
• Scope
• Prerequisites
• Responsibilities / Daily Work

How To Accept Norwegian Job Offer When Outside Of Norway

My first job offer came to me when I returned to my home country after the job interview. My experience was as follows. I got the job offer in the email and I have printed out and signed the Job offer and faxed it back to the employer.

After the signed copy arrives you will get a congratulations email or phone call, most likely an email.

Now is the time to take your family to dinner and celebrate your success. Start packing your suitcase into the new future.

Useful Vocabulary

Here are some useful words in Norwegian used in this text.

Good To Know

If you did not get a job I can feel with you very well since I was rejected many times. Try not to lose your motivation and to move on and look for other opportunities. I have always tried to learn something from my experience and enrich myself so I can be even better.

The most important thing for me was never to give up and believe in myself because I knew that quality would have found the path to shine and achieve the goals.

Next Step

If you got the job offer and accepted it.

Congratulation! Welcome to Norway.

Now you can read my experience of my first day at work. You will know what to expect on your first day. How Was My First Day At Work In Norway?

If you do not get the job or decline the job offer then take the lessons learned approach and move on to other opportunities just do not stop believing in yourself. Look at your Job Log what is the stage of other job applications in your job search portfolio and continue the journey while enriched for one more important experience.

Good Luck with your Job Search!

Find Job In Norway By Following These Easy 19 Steps

Don’t forget that this article is part of a text serious about finding a job in Norway. Depending on the phase you are in at the moment maybe you can find some articles useful for yourself. So please check them out.

Below you can see the infographic with an overview of all the texts in the series. If you click on the link above you will be sent to the page where all these steps are listed.

Author: Dejan Mladenovic

I moved my family of 3 to Norway in 2008 and created this website so that I can share what I’ve learned with anyone that’s thinking of moving or traveling to Norway. It’s such an awesome place, and I want you to get the most out of it!