Is this course for you?
Building a career in a new country can be challenging. Understanding local workplace culture, recruitment practices, and employer expectations often requires knowledge that may not be immediately accessible to newcomers. If you are a foreign-born woman seeking practical guidance, professional support, and new strategies to strengthen your position in the Swedish labor market, this program is designed for you.
This program is specifically for you if you:
- have professional qualifications or previous work experience.
- have lived in Sweden for some time and are actively seeking employment.
- have been looking for work for six months or longer.
- want to better understand Swedish recruitment practices and employer expectations.
- are curious about learning how AI can support your job search and career development.
- want to connect with other women facing similar challenges.
Course overview
Sweden faces a significant labor market paradox: while many employers report difficulties finding qualified talent, a large number of highly skilled international women remain underrepresented in the workforce. In many cases, the challenge is not a lack of competence, but a lack of familiarity with local recruitment systems, professional networks, and workplace norms. This program is designed specifically for skilled foreign-born women who want to strengthen their position in the Swedish labor market.
What you will learn
Through a gentle, step-by-step approach, we will focus on four main goals:
- Navigate digital recruitment systems
Gain an understanding of applicant tracking systems (ATS) and other recruitment technologies. Learn to optimize your CV and application materials with formatting and relevant keywords to improve visibility throughout the recruitment process.
- Use AI as a career development tool
Explore how AI can help you translate your experience into language that resonates with Swedish employers. Learn effective prompting techniques to refine applications, clarify competencies, and align your skills.
- Understand Swedish workplace culture and expectations
Develop insights into the values that shape Swedish working life, including collaboration, consensus-building (konsensus), flat organizational structures, and professional humility (prestigelöshet).
- Create your personal AI career toolkit
Collaborate with peers in a supportive environment to build, test, and refine a collection of practical AI prompts tailored to your career goals. Create a customized toolkit you can continue using throughout your job search and professional development.
Learning format:
We meet in supportive peer-learning groups that encourage collaboration, reflection, and shared learning. Each session combines practical knowledge with interactive activities, including presentations, guided discussions, hands-on exercises, and opportunities for feedback and peer exchange.
Participants will learn in a welcoming environment designed to build confidence, foster connections, and provide practical tools that can be applied immediately to their job search and career development.
Prerequisites
To ensure a comfortable experience for all participants, one should be:
- Open to sharing experiences and engaging in collaborative learning with others.
- Comfortable communicating and participating in discussions in English.
- Interested in exploring new technologies and AI tools.
- Willing to actively participate in exercises, discussions, and group activities.
Course schedule
The course runs for 3 weeks.
We meet twice a week, on Tuesday and Thursday.
Click on "Visa övriga tillfällen": "Show other sessions" on the right-hand side to view the schedule.
Time
- 10:00–12:15 (lunch break)
- 13:00–14:30
Price
The course is free of charge and is part of an initiative called "Study Circles in Course Format," where we offer free courses with voluntary participation.
The aim is to provide more women with the opportunity to invest in their own development, strengthen key skills, and take steps closer to the job market. See our other courses here.
Course leader
Kimberly Andersson is a consultant at Folkuniversitetet, where she develops and delivers initiatives that support women in expanding their professional and social networks through increased confidence, community engagement, and meaningful relationship-building.
Drawing on her own experience of relocating to a new country, she brings a nuanced understanding of the opportunities and challenges associated with integration, belonging, and professional advancement in an international context.
As a coach, speaker, and consultant, Kimberly’s work focuses on the empowerment of foreign-born women, multicultural integration, cross-cultural communication, and diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI). She helps individuals and organizations navigate cultural differences, strengthen inclusive practices, and foster environments where diverse perspectives can thrive.
Her experience spans collaboration with newly arrived international women, international students, professionals, and job seekers, as well as partnerships with public and private sector organizations, NGOs, and non-profit institutions. Through her work, she supports individuals in building sustainable networks, enhancing employability, and successfully navigating both personal and professional life.
Questions about the course content?
Contact us via cirkel@folkuniversitetet.se
Important Information
This course is intended as a self-development activity.
It is not recognized as an approved activity for individuals receiving benefits from the unemployment insurance fund (A-kassa) and is not included in the Swedish Public Employment Service’s (Arbetsförmedlingen) activity reporting.
Kursledare
Kimberly Andersson
Har du frågor?
Kontakta Folkuniversitetet i Stockholm