​Getting ready for the Swedish job market with MINE mentorship program

I’ve got a recommendation from a friend about MINE mentorship program. Since I have just arrived in Sweden and I was looking for a job but barely knew the culture and also the job market, I’ve decided to apply to the program. In the end, this was a great decision. A little bit further you will see why.

People in MINE created this program for you who are a newcomer, like me, to introduce you and teach you everything you need to know when looking for a job, from learning about the culture and how it can influence your search, job application, and interview process to effectively and efficiently sell and market yourself. Every workshop was focused on one theme e.g. what are the good CV and cover letter and how to create them, how to shine on your interviews, how important are networking and the ways of doing it, prepare and practice your pitch etc. During the way, the team of MINE was there to give you feedback and support, but that is not the best part yet.

For me, the best part of this experience was meeting and connecting with people from different cultures, besides people who are in the same position as you but also mentors, people who have already managed to navigate their way to the job and to be successful in it.

With your mentor, you could work on your individual strategy for finding a job. There should be two meetings in between workshops. I was lucky for being paired with a great and energetic mentor and woman Mimmie Wicksell. During our meetings, we set goals, explored options regarding opportunities in the job market but also in education. In between meetings I have worked on those goals with her support when needed. The learning experience went both ways, so my mentor also had insights on its own culture from a perspective of a foreigner, but also practiced her mentorship skills and grew through this as a person, the same as me.

I just want to say to all people involved in this experience, thank you for your open-mindedness and readiness to help and offer support during such an important time in our lives. 

Written by Katarina Zunic