Lise Amalie Christensen is well on her way to looking for jobs. This despite the fact that she has one full year left on her education. She studies industrial economics (Indøk) at NTNU. The course is popular – last year there was a grade point average of 6.8 to enter the ordinary quota. But the competition doesn’t stop there. More and more companies want to capture the best candidates as early as possible. The application deadline is usually one year before commencement. Lise Amalie Christensen scrolls through job advertisements on her phone. She is surprised when she sees the application deadline. Photo: kristin Thrane / news Christensen says it is nice to get things cleared up early, but also sees that there is a flip side to the medal. – It can also create a bit of that kind of pressure. If you don’t have a job in October, then there is a problem, even if there is one year left in the course. – I think I would have felt a lot of stress if I had arrived after the autumn and not had a permanent job, she says. Christensen says that the vast majority of those on her course get a job before they finish. This summer, Lise has had a summer job in her home town of Oslo. Photo: kristin thrane / news Will soon have 200 new employees Christensen is targeting the large consulting companies. There is a lot of competition there. EY, PwC, Deloitte, BDO and KPMG are both Norway’s and the world’s five largest auditing and consulting companies. Rune Sjøhelle is director of communications at PricewaterhouseCoopers Norway (PwC). They have already advertised several positions starting in the autumn of 2025. In the next few months, they will hire 200 master’s students. There are mainly two reasons for early recruitment, he says. 1. There is great competition for the best students. 2. The hiring process itself takes a long time. Communications director at the consulting company PwC, Rune Sjøhelle, says they have an application deadline of August. Photo: Benjamin Ward The best are taken first When some start recruitment early, the others follow. – All the students leave at the same time. And it is clear that many of the big companies are looking to get hold of good people, says Sjøhelle. – Then it is an advantage that they are available, he adds. In addition, it takes time to get the new employees in place, according to Sjøhelle. PWC expects between 1,000 and 1,500 applications. – Therefore, we base ourselves on experience and grades from the fourth year. In that sense, it is the fourth year that becomes the most important, he adds. Lise Amalie Christensen thinks it is strange to apply for a job while she still has 60 credits and an entire master’s thesis to go. – If you have a subject you know you will get a bad grade in, then you can wait to take it, adds the student. Student Lise Amalie Christensen hopes she will land a job as quickly as possible. Photo: kristin Thrane / news Shortage of labor and expertise Where there is a shortage of labor and expertise, there will always be a struggle to get hold of the best minds. Researcher Arild Henrik Steen is associated with Oslo Met. Photo: BENJAMIN A. WARD This is explained by researcher Arild Henrik Steen, who is affiliated with the Labor Research Institute at Oslo Met. – Companies will probably look at the student job market to see which promising candidates will come out next year. These are very good times for Norwegian exports, which is largely due to the low krone exchange rate, he adds. – Demand is increasing, and then this business needs more labour. Can fall behind on salary – For students, it feels very safe to be able to have a permanent job to go to as early as a year in advance, says Elisabet Haugsbø, president of the Technical and Natural Sciences Association (Tekna). However, she warns against signing a contract without talking to the union. Tekna president, Elisabet Haugsbø, emphasizes that all students should talk to their trade union before signing a contract. Photo: Mikkel Moe / Mikkel Moe If the students sign a contract with this year’s recommended starting salary, they risk being up to two years behind when the salary is adjusted next time. news has previously written about students who have lost their jobs shortly before starting, because the company no longer has the money to take on the new hires. Christensen also tells of friends who have had similar experiences. – You feel that you are really on bare ground. All the other application deadlines are August and September, she says. – That’s how it is in the labor market. It is easy to dismiss employees in Norway if you have a valid reason, and that also makes the labor market quite flexible, says Steen. Published 25/07/2024, at 05.40
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Many companies advertise jobs for master’s students over a year in advance – news Norway – Overview of news from different parts of the country
