Trondheim Expat Guide

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Trondheim can be loosely considered the home of the oldest religious civilisation in Norway. Having been founded in the year 997, Trondheim  has a long religious history evidenced by the towering Nidaros Cathedral. The Cathedral stands out not only in Norway but also the entire Scandinavia as the largest medieval building. This fact places Trondheim at a high position as an historical city. Moreover, the city also served as a historic port. The traces of this chequered history still remain in wrecked vessels along the harbour. 

Trondheim is located in central Norway within a sheltered peninsula  south of the Trondheims Fjord. The city was founded by King Olaf I Tryggvason as village of Kaupangr. After founding the city, the King then built a church and a royal residence, Kongsgård. Over time, the city gained popularity and attractiveness to become an important pilgrimage centre. 

Renting House in Trondheim

With the required residence documents, you are ready to enter into a tenancy agreement with a housing company of your preference in Trondheim. You must always do proper checks of the company and check the specific houses before committing in a tenancy agreement. Beware that there are also scammers in the housing industry which means you cannot afford to be naïve when looking for a house in Trondheim. 

Though there are various ways to get a proper hosing in the city, here we offer you a list of some places to start with as an expat or someone new to Trondheim. Check;

  • Camp Trondheim
  • Voll Student Village
  • Falkenborg Studentby
  • General accommodation sites
  • Finn.no
  • Hybel.no

Getting jobs and working in Trondheim

Just like in the rest of Norway, there are specific occupations that often have shortages and seek out new employees including expats to take up such employment opportunities. Nonetheless, it is important to remember that most of these jobs are highly professional meaning that only experts can apply for them and stand a chance of being accepted. Some of these occupations that have shortages include building and construction, healthcare and nursing, manufacturing, engineering, tourism, information technology and tourism. 

Apart from the professional jobs, you can also apply for and get a placement in temporary or seasonal employments especially during Summer. The summer jobs range from agriculture, fishing processing, hospitality and tourism. With a  good pitching of your abilities and convincing the employers that you can deliver in the specific positions, you are likely to get a chance. Most Summers in Trondheim are very busy with a lot of activities and jobs to go by. 

Important to know…

An important advise for an expatriate moving to Trondheim without a prior arranged work placement is never to be so choosy on which opportunities to take. Interestingly, it is easier to get a second and better job after taking up the first one even if it was not the preferred choice. With a job, you create a necessary network which then easily refers you to the other available jobs elsewhere (finding a job in Norway). The starter jobs in Trondheim such as cleaning, fruit picking or working in the warehouse should not be disregarded by an expat since they initiate you into the whole stream of job market there. 

Increase your chances

To increase your chance of getting a job placement as an expat in Trondheim, it is important to diversify your search, tailor your resume, thrill the potential employers and most importantly create networks. Some of the first places to look to for possible vacancies are the job websites. In Trondheim, look through The Local, Glassdoor and Nav. In addition, look up the various Norwegian newspapers for job advertisements at norske-aviser.com. the Norwegian recruitment agencies are also another alternative to focus on as a job seeker interested in getting your hands in at least an entry level job in a foreign job market. For such recruitment agencies in Trondheim, check gulesider.no and look up for “rekruttering” or “vikartjenester. ” 

Most important in the application for and job search in Trondheim is the need to be upbeat about what the cover letter and C.V should be like. A professional and acceptable application must be accompanied by a customized cover letter and explicit CV. Always makes sure that the C.V shows your unique abilities for the specific job you are applying for instead of focusing much on other qualifications, skills and experience which do not necessarily feed into the active job being applied for. 

Shopping in Trondheim

Depending on what exactly you intend to buy in Trondheim, there are always outlets that will offer you quality on a budget. The shops and malls over various products including drinks, apparels, and foodstuff. In Trondheim, you should always pass by Trondheim’s Solsiden district for your beer drink and bites. You can also take your shopping adventure to the galleries, cafés and independent shops at the Bakklandet. For rush buying so that you can quickly catch the bus, Trondheim Torg should be your choice. There are various such outlets spread across Trondheim which you can always spare time to explore, compare the prices and pick one or two items that please you affordably. 

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