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-   -   47 Year Old Bus/Coach Driver (https://britishexpats.com/forum/scandinavia-174/47-year-old-bus-coach-driver-798955/)

wimpy Jun 3rd 2013 12:04 pm

47 Year Old Bus/Coach Driver
 
really looking at a new fresh challenge in life, narrowly missed out due to property crash a few years back from a dream move to New Zealand but have never given up on the idea of a new life. And Scandinavia is a damn site nearer, so at 47 have I missed the boat or would employers be willing to give me a chance.:fingerscrossed:
Should add that I would be bringing my wife,I have 2 children a daughter who is about to start 4 years at Sheffield Uni and a son who is 16. Obviously my daughter would stay here in the uk but my son would be coming with us. He is about to start college with a human biology and sports management programme. he is also a very accomplished athlete so would need somewhere to train and a club to find so rural would be no good to us. My wife works as an MDT co-ordinater at the urology department at Southampton General Hospital

wimpy Jun 4th 2013 8:13 am

Re: 47 Year Old Bus/Coach Driver
 
Form an orderly queue ;)

Catchafire Jun 11th 2013 7:21 am

Re: 47 Year Old Bus/Coach Driver
 
Hiya.

I lived in Sweden for a couple years, before heading out to New Zealand.

Sweden is beautiful and clean. But if you want to get anywhere with employment, you really need to get a competent level of Swedish, before anyone will consider you for any serious employment.

There is work for a "handy man", I got a lot of casual work in construction and hospitality if you are prepared for labouring/dishwashing. Got paid cash and often took back more than my social working girlfriend (much to her annoyance).

It is also, really, really, really expensive.

Adjusting to life in Sweden was a challenge, would suggest a reccie if you have a chance.

wimpy Jun 16th 2013 10:54 am

Re: 47 Year Old Bus/Coach Driver
 
Sound advice, thank you:starsmile:

MHayes Jun 30th 2013 12:59 pm

Re: 47 Year Old Bus/Coach Driver
 
Your son will adapt much more easily than you will, his generation will happily accept him and actively teach him the language, assuming he's just finished secondary school he will likely be accepted to a gymnasiet (college or older high school of sorts) which could be good for him.

As for his athletic requirements, sweden can most certainly give him what he needs, a lot of the more science orientated courses are actually taught in english so assuming his grades are good enough he may qualify for the courses here.

As a bus driver (which incidentally as my profession also) you will have a much harder time, jobs in sweden are much more about working your way into the system. As a driver you would start your time with a company as "Timanställd (hourly employed)" which is essentially the swedish version of a zero hour contract. You would be called up as and when you were required and would be guaranteed nothing. After some time as hourly employed and assuming that there is a position available you would be offered a vistidsanställd position (a preset contract) assuming that goes well you would then be either offered fastanställning (fixed employment) or be returned to timstanställd.

When I came here in 2009 I was expecting to walk into a job driving buses, 2 years later I was still unemployed and running down to my last penny in savings. It was by pure luck that I got a job offer as a carer for a disabled man, having a mother in a wheelchair with a similar condition to him gave me all the care experience I needed.

In England getting a job is about the paper qualifications and "recorded experience" but here its about the practical experience you gain in life, your qualifications count of course but I have seen people get jobs with zero education simply because they proved they could do it, and other people with qualifications coming out of the ass get turned down because of no practical experience.

I'm not sure how to answer regarding your wife, her medical skills would likely serve her well but also be her akilles heal as she would be required to relearn all of that terminology in swedish, we do share a lot of scientific words in both languages (for example terminology/terminologi) it might be worth chatting with the hospitals and such to see if an english speaking practitioner can be of use.

If you worked it out so that you were both able to find jobs before coming here you would probably enjoy it, however sweden is a very closed knit community, its up to the immigrant to integrate with the swedes and you will find them open and willing as long as you are! (most people seem to think swedes are hard to integrate with but I've lived here for years, learned the language and have no problems at all :))


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