How to Land a Norwegian Placement and Turn It into a Job

Finding Unadvertised Practice Placements

Most students and newcomers assume that every placement is posted on a job board, but many Norwegian companies prefer to fill short-term roles through informal channels. Start with the two main public portals: Finn.no and arbeidsplassen.no. Use the search term praksisplass and then filter by region (e.g., Stavanger for energy, Oslo for tech, Ålesund for maritime) and sector. Narrow the results further by selecting “internship / trainee” under contract type – this removes full-time listings that would drown your query.

Do this:

Save the search as an alert so you receive an email each time a new posting appears.
Export the list to a spreadsheet and add a column for “contact person” – many listings already name a hiring manager or department head.

University career services are another hidden goldmine. Most campuses maintain a partnership portal where local firms post practice-placement opportunities that never make it to the public market. Schedule a brief meeting with the career advisor, bring a one-page summary of your skills, and ask for a list of companies that have taken interns in the past year.

Local NAV offices (the public employment service) also host “student-job” boards that are not mirrored online. Walk into the nearest NAV office, ask for the studentjobb board, and scan for entries that mention “praktikant” or “praksisplass”. The staff can often point you to companies that are actively looking for short-term help but have not advertised widely.

Finally, leverage LinkedIn and industry meet-ups. Join groups such as “Energy & Offshore Norway” or “Oslo Tech Start-ups”. When you see a post about a new project, comment politely asking whether the team might need a praksisplass for a few months. A short, concrete message – e.g., “I have experience with Python-based data pipelines and can contribute to your upcoming feasibility study” – often opens a door that a generic application never will.

Avoid sending the same generic message to dozens of contacts; Norwegian recruiters value relevance over volume. Tailor each outreach to the company’s recent news or project focus, and you’ll increase response rates dramatically.

Writing an Effective Open Application

When no vacancy is posted, an åpen søknad (open application) is your chance to create a need. The letter should be addressed to a specific person whenever possible. If the website only lists a department, use “Head of [Department]” – recruiters appreciate the effort of personalisation.

Structure your letter:

Opening line – state the type of placement you seek (praksisplass) and the sector, e.g., “I am seeking a three-month practice placement in offshore wind project management.”
Concrete fit – pick two or three recent projects the company has announced and match them with your own experience. Use exact terminology from the company’s press releases; if they mention “digital twin modelling”, write that phrase verbatim in your letter.
Value proposition – explain what you will deliver during the short-term period. Rather than saying “I am a fast learner”, say “I will deliver a prototype of a data-visualisation dashboard within six weeks, using the same tools (Power BI, Azure) that your team employs.”
Future orientation – close with a brief sentence indicating openness to a longer contract, e.g., “Should my contribution align with your goals, I would be eager to discuss a permanent role after the placement.”

Keep the tone modest: focus on the team’s needs, not on your achievements. Norwegian workplaces value collective success over individual bragging.

For a step-by-step template, see our guide on How to Craft an Effective Unsolicited Application in Norway. It shows where to place each paragraph and which keywords survive the applicant-tracking system used by many larger firms.

Do-this checklist:

Use the company’s exact legal name and address.
Mention your work-permit status only if it is a requirement for the role; otherwise, keep it brief.
Attach a one-page CV that mirrors the same terminology (see the next section).

Avoid generic phrases like “I am a hard-working individual” or “I have a strong passion for the industry”. Recruiters see those as filler and may discard the letter before reading the details.

Preparing Your CV and Supporting Documents

A Norwegian CV is a factual snapshot, not a marketing brochure. Keep it to 1–2 pages, ordered reverse-chronologically, and use a clean, sans-serif font. The most important sections are:

Contact information – name, phone, email, LinkedIn URL. Do not include a national ID number, marital status, or birthdate; these details are unnecessary and conflict with GDPR best practices.
Professional summary (optional) – two sentences that state your field, the type of praksisplass you seek, and one key achievement that aligns with the target sector.
Relevant experience – list internships, project work, or part-time jobs from the past three years. For each entry, use bullet points that start with an action verb and include a measurable outcome where possible (e.g., “Reduced data-processing time by 15 % using Python scripts”).
Education – degree, institution, graduation year. If you are still studying, note the expected completion date.
Skills – list technical tools, languages, and certifications that match the sector (e.g., “AutoCAD, SOLAS safety training”).

References are handled differently in Norway than in many other markets. You can either list the name, role, and company of two referees, or write “Referanser oppgis ved forespørsel” (references available on request). This satisfies the recruiter while keeping your document concise and GDPR-compliant.

A photo is optional and increasingly omitted, especially in tech and energy firms. If you choose to include one, make sure it is a professional headshot with a neutral background; do not use a casual selfie.

When you need a concrete example of a student CV without prior work experience, check out How to Build a CV Without Experience for Norwegian Students. It walks through how to turn coursework, group projects, and volunteer work into compelling bullet points that still respect the 1-page limit.

Do-this:

Export your CV as a PDF to preserve formatting.
Name the file “FirstName_LastName_Praksisplass.pdf” – recruiters often sort files alphabetically.

Avoid using decorative graphics or multiple fonts; ATS software used by larger companies may fail to read them, causing your application to be discarded before a human ever sees it.

Converting the Placement into a Permanent Job

Securing the praksisplass is only the first step; the real challenge is turning the short-term role into a full-time offer. Norwegian employers value concrete results and a collaborative attitude.

Deliver measurable results

At the start of the placement, agree on two or three clear objectives with your supervisor. Document progress weekly in a short report that includes:

The task,
The method you used,
The outcome (preferably quantified).

For example, “Implemented a predictive maintenance model that identified 12 % of potential failures before they occurred, saving an estimated NOK 250 k in downtime.” Such numbers give your manager concrete evidence of your impact.

Request feedback early

Two weeks before the placement ends, ask for a formal feedback session. Prepare a list of questions:

“Which of my contributions added the most value?”
“Are there any skill gaps I should address to be considered for a permanent role?”

Take notes and incorporate the feedback into your final report. If the manager praises a specific achievement, quote it verbatim in the report – this creates a written endorsement that can be referenced later.

Signal your interest in a full-time role

In the closing paragraph of your final report, state clearly that you are interested in continuing with the company. Phrase it modestly: “Based on the results achieved and the positive collaboration with the team, I would welcome the opportunity to discuss a permanent position that builds on this work.”

After you submit the report, follow up with a brief email thanking the supervisor and attaching the report. Mention that you are happy to provide additional information or attend an interview. This follow-up demonstrates professionalism and keeps you top of mind.

If the company does not have an open position yet, ask whether they would be willing to keep your CV on file for future openings. In Norway, it is common for recruiters to maintain a “candidate pool” for later needs.

Do-this checklist:

Keep a folder of all deliverables (reports, code snippets, design drafts) that you can share if requested.
Update your CV immediately with the new experience, using the same language and metrics you employed in the reports.
Add the supervisor’s name to your references list, noting the role and contact details.

Avoid waiting until the placement ends to mention your desire for a permanent role; early signalling gives the employer time to consider budget and staffing needs.

By treating the praksisplass as a project with defined deliverables, you align with the Norwegian workplace’s focus on concrete outcomes and modest communication. This approach greatly increases the odds that a short-term placement becomes a long-term career step.

Ready to put this into practice? Build your CV with CV Pro Maker using ATS-friendly templates that put these principles to work. Building, editing and previewing are free — no credit card to start. To download a polished PDF or DOCX, grab a one-time pack: pay once, no subscription.

New to the site? See what's free and what you pay for.

Finding Unadvertised Practice Placements

Do this:

Save the search as an alert so you receive an email each time a new posting appears.
Export the list to a spreadsheet and add a column for “contact person” – many listings already name a hiring manager or department head.

Writing an Effective Open Application

Structure your letter:

Opening line – state the type of placement you seek (praksisplass) and the sector, e.g., “I am seeking a three-month practice placement in offshore wind project management.”
Concrete fit – pick two or three recent projects the company has announced and match them with your own experience. Use exact terminology from the company’s press releases; if they mention “digital twin modelling”, write that phrase verbatim in your letter.
Value proposition – explain what you will deliver during the short-term period. Rather than saying “I am a fast learner”, say “I will deliver a prototype of a data-visualisation dashboard within six weeks, using the same tools (Power BI, Azure) that your team employs.”
Future orientation – close with a brief sentence indicating openness to a longer contract, e.g., “Should my contribution align with your goals, I would be eager to discuss a permanent role after the placement.”

Keep the tone modest: focus on the team’s needs, not on your achievements. Norwegian workplaces value collective success over individual bragging.

Do-this checklist:

Use the company’s exact legal name and address.
Mention your work-permit status only if it is a requirement for the role; otherwise, keep it brief.
Attach a one-page CV that mirrors the same terminology (see the next section).

Preparing Your CV and Supporting Documents

A Norwegian CV is a factual snapshot, not a marketing brochure. Keep it to 1–2 pages, ordered reverse-chronologically, and use a clean, sans-serif font. The most important sections are:

Contact information – name, phone, email, LinkedIn URL. Do not include a national ID number, marital status, or birthdate; these details are unnecessary and conflict with GDPR best practices.
Professional summary (optional) – two sentences that state your field, the type of praksisplass you seek, and one key achievement that aligns with the target sector.
Relevant experience – list internships, project work, or part-time jobs from the past three years. For each entry, use bullet points that start with an action verb and include a measurable outcome where possible (e.g., “Reduced data-processing time by 15 % using Python scripts”).
Education – degree, institution, graduation year. If you are still studying, note the expected completion date.
Skills – list technical tools, languages, and certifications that match the sector (e.g., “AutoCAD, SOLAS safety training”).

Do-this:

Export your CV as a PDF to preserve formatting.
Name the file “FirstName_LastName_Praksisplass.pdf” – recruiters often sort files alphabetically.

Avoid using decorative graphics or multiple fonts; ATS software used by larger companies may fail to read them, causing your application to be discarded before a human ever sees it.

Converting the Placement into a Permanent Job

Securing the praksisplass is only the first step; the real challenge is turning the short-term role into a full-time offer. Norwegian employers value concrete results and a collaborative attitude.