With their cold winters countered by the ‘midnight sun’ of summer, the Swedes know how to make the best of every season. In the winter they sit in warm cosy coffee shops and eat luxurious cakes. In the summer they get out and about into the stunning natural wonderland of Sweden. Swedes value contribution to the common good, making it an optimistic and positive place to spend time in.
Life in Stockholm as a Student and Young Professional
Living
Stockholm is a city of cultural riches. Viking history and royal treasure, completed with storybook buildings and cobbled streets.
English is widely spoken and it’s rare you’ll have any difficulties being understood. It’s always polite to learn the basics, and you can break the ice if you know a few words.
There is an excellent network of buses, underground trains, commuter trains, and trams in Stockholm. Everything is really intuitive and runs through the night on weekends. Regular ferries are great if you’re looking to island hop (there are 14 islands in Stockholm alone!).
The Swedes like their personal space when interacting and tend to be fairly quiet and use minimal niceties and platitudes. Don’t take this as rudeness or coldness. Take their love of fika (coffee and cake) as an example of how they love to chat, laugh and socialise.
Eating
Eating at home is common, and ‘husmanskost’ (‘house man fare’), is a popular style of food. Meatballs, ‘small pieces in the pan’, and ‘Jansson’s temptation’ are all good examples of this. Surströmming (pickled herring) remains popular, but only during special occasions like Christmas and Easter.
Look out for signs that read ‘Dagens rätt” outside restaurant windows – this means “dish of the day” and is usually served at affordable prices. Fusion is the craze right now especially with Asian flavours. Food trucks criss-cross town all day and serve anything from tacos and falafel to banh mi and kebab.
Working
The flat hierarchies, casual style and ‘don’t stress too much’ attitude make for a relaxed work environment. Work / life balance is important with a clear line between work and private relationships. Dress code is often on the more casual side. Start smart and see how others dress, before turning up in board shorts and a t-shirt!
Swedes value integrity and view a promise as a promise. Try hard not to miss deadlines and deliver on any work you’ve agreed on. Useful and fun tip: Always have a diary with ‘week numbers’ ready. Many working Swedes use week-numbers rather than dates (E.g. how about week 35 for our next meeting?).
Our local favourites
Skeppsholmen Island
Some degree of island hopping is a given in Stockholm. Skeppsholmen is definitely one to visit. The old town combines with natural forests and historic buildings to make for a great day out. Take your camera because you can get some great photos.
Rålambshovsparken
Take a stroll to Rålambshovsparken, or ‘Rålis’ as the locals know it. It’s a stunning public park on the beach of the island of Kungsholmen. You’ll see locals playing football, an outdoor theatre, along with restaurants and cafes. There is also some street food, a rarity in Stockholm.
Internships in Stockholm
Step inside the “world’s smallest big city” with an internship in Stockholm, a progressive land rooted in cultural riches.
