“Underestimated potential”

Swedish companies do not know what they are missing out on. Kerstin Fredriksson and Alma Sandberg are convinced that the potential of international students is underestimated. Therefore, they set up a recruitment agency exclusive to internationals.

The two Lund students soon realized that many non-Swedish students struggle to find jobs in Sweden that equal their professional expertise.

This is why Kerstin Fredriksson and Alma Sandberg came up with the idea of “jobgration,” a recruitment agency.  On the one hand, they offer Swedish employers highly skilled labor. On the other hand, they assist international students with getting a foot in the Swedish labor market.

“Our target group is international students from all areas of study that are interested in jobs appropriate to their skills. We help those students get in touch with possible Swedish employers and coach them in things such as creating CV:s. Sometimes we simply explain Swedish working habits”, says Alma Sandberg.

Both entrepeneurship students, the two girls did not hesitate long and adopted the idea of the recruitment agency for internationals as their final project. Currently, they are negotiating with Swedish employers to convince them to set up partnerships.

Aiming at an intermediary role between the job-seeking international and the Swedish employer, they created a website and a database with working profiles of students that are used to present students to different companies.

“Immigration is not a burden, but a source of skilled labor; it’s time that Swedish employers realize that”, says Alma Sandberg.

Kerstin Fredriksson adds:

“About 70 percent of all Swedish jobs are offered through different kinds of social networks. This is why international students need our help.”

Having had their first successful placements already, both girls are really confident about the future of “jobgration.”

“We are just waiting for more students to contact us” concludes Kerstin.