"I've been working in the profession for 12 years. What more do I have to prove?"
That feeling is understandable.
For twelve years:
you repaired cars,
you drove trucks,
you welded,
you managed a warehouse,
you worked with customers,
you led a team.
You know what you can do.
There is only one problem.
The Norwegian employer doesn't know that yet.
They receive your CV alongside a dozen or several dozen others.
They don't know your previous company.
They don't know whether "production operator" means you packed products or independently operated a line worth several million kroner.
They don't know what lies behind the name of a school in Poland.
Your task is therefore not to tell your whole life story.
Your task is to make them think, after a quick glance:
"This person could be a fit. I want to talk to them."
A CV is not an autobiography
One of the biggest mistakes is trying to include everything.
Every job.
Every course.
Every activity.
Every training since 2004.
A good CV should not be a repository of information.
It should be a selection of information needed specifically by that employer.
NAV recommends tailoring the CV to the position and primarily showing the experience and competencies relevant to the given job.
Utdanning.no also points out that a CV should be simple, legible, bulleted and basically fit on one–two pages.
That is, not:
the more, the better.
Rather:
the faster the employer finds what they're looking for, the better.
Start with your most recent job
The Norwegian standard is simple.
For work experience you start with your most recent position and then go backwards in time. NAV recommends providing the job title, the employment period, and the main duties and scope of responsibility.
But don't write only:
2020–2026 — warehouse worker, Company XYZ, Poland
That says very little.
Better:
2020–2026 — Warehouse worker / forklift operator
receiving and dispatching goods,
operation of high-reach forklifts,
warehouse scanner,
order picking,
inventory control,
working in SAP,
forklift license.
Now the person on the other side understands what you actually did.
Don't translate job titles word for word
This is especially important for Polish experience.
A Polish job title can sound odd in Norwegian or tell the employer nothing.
It's not about inventing a higher-sounding job title for yourself.
The point is to name the actual function using language understood in the Norwegian job market.
If you are not sure what your occupation is called in Norway, return to our previous guide:
Searching for work in Norway: how to start when no one here knows you yet
There we also show how to search by different job title names on Twoja Norwegia, Arbeidsplassen and FINN.
The employer looks for the words they used in the job ad
Let’s assume the job ad says:
forklift operator certificate T4,
experience with SAP,
shift work,
Norwegian or English,
driver's license B.
And all of these things are in your CV.
You just hid them halfway down the second page.
That’s a loss.
Karriereveiledning.no recommends using words and requirements from the ad in your CV if they truly match your experience. This helps the employer recognize the sought-after skills more quickly.
It’s not about copying the entire ad.
If you have T4, write T4.
If you have worked with SAP, write SAP.
If you have driven a bus, enter the appropriate driver's license category.
If you don’t have a given skill, don’t add it just because it appears in the ad.
“I am hardworking, punctual and responsible”
Almost everyone writes that.
And that is exactly why those words alone mean little.
It’s better to show something concrete.
Instead of:
“I am responsible.”
you can write:
“For three years I was responsible for independently opening the shift and checking shipments before transport departed.”
Instead of:
“I can work in a team.”
better:
“I worked in a five-person assembly team on industrial projects.”
You don’t have to prove every trait.
But concrete detail is more credible than an adjective.
What about education from Poland?
Enter it as usual.
The school name.
The field of study.
The period.
The obtained profession or qualification.
If the Polish name means nothing to a Norwegian employer, you can add a short explanation in Norwegian or English.
You don’t have to attach a pile of documents right away.
NAV points out that diplomas and certificates can be presented at the employer’s request and originals should not be handed over.
If the profession is regulated, the formal recognition of qualifications may be a separate matter.
Courses and certifications? Only those that add value
Do you have:
T1–T4?
HMS?
lift course?
welding certificate?
driver's license C+E?
ADR?
authorization?
first aid course?
If it is relevant for the job, don’t hide it at the end of the document.
NAV explicitly recommends including the relevant in the CV:
courses,
fagbrev/svennebrev,
authorizations,
certificates,
driver's licenses.
For some positions one line:
“Forklift operator certificate T1–T4”
may be more important than half a page of description.
Languages: don’t just write “Norwegian — good”
What does “good” mean?
For one person it’s a conversation over coffee.
For another it’s negotiating a contract.
NAV recommends indicating languages and the level in speaking and writing.
You can therefore write, for example:
Polish — native language
Norwegian — B1, comfortable communication at work
English — conversational
If your Norwegian is weak, don’t try to hide it.
But also don’t write:
“Norwegian — none”.
If you are learning and can already make yourself understood, describe the level honestly.
Should a CV have a photo?
It doesn’t have to.
Utdanning.no states plainly that a photo on a CV is voluntary. If you decide to add one, it should be simple and clearly show the face.
Some companies even conduct recruitment without photos to limit the influence of information unrelated to competencies. In current job postings you can find systems where adding a photo is not even possible.
So:
a photo is not a mandatory element of a Norwegian CV.
If a specific job advertisement asks for a photo, of course you follow the advertisement. Such offers also exist.
References matter, but ask the person first
A good former supervisor can be a very valuable reference.
But don't list the phone number of someone who doesn't know they have just become your reference.
Ask first:
“May I list you as a reference?”
Utdanning.no recommends obtaining the consent of the person you list as a reference.
If you don't want to list names right away, you can write:
References provided on request
that is:
references available on request.
Do you have a Polish reference? It's still a reference
Don't dismiss it just because your former boss doesn't speak Norwegian.
If they can communicate in English, indicate that.
If they cannot, you can still have written references or an attestation.
Over time it is also worth obtaining your first Norwegian reference.
But don't make it up.
On the first day in Norway no one has a Norwegian previous employer.
And what exactly is an application?
It's a place where many people turn the application into a motivational letter straight out of a literary contest.
You don't have to.
An application has one main goal: to convince the employer to invite you to an interview.
NAV says this very similarly and recommends that the application:
respond directly to the job posting,
be short and specific,
show relevant experience and strengths,
preferably fit on one page,
be prepared specifically for the given job.
You can find official guidance here:
Arbeidsplassen NAV — how to write a good application
Don't start with “In response to the advertisement…”
The employer knows you are responding to the advertisement.
They have just opened your application.
You can use the first sentences better.
Let's assume the company needs a CNC operator.
Instead of:
“In response to your advertisement, I would like to submit my application for the position of CNC operator.”
you can write:
“For the past six years I have worked as a CNC operator in the production of short and medium production runs. I operated Mazak and Haas machines, performed tool adjustments and inspected finished parts.”
After two sentences the person knows why it's worth reading on.
Answer three questions
A good application does not have to be complicated.
It should above all answer:
Why do you want this particular job?
Which of your experiences match what the company is looking for?
Why is it worth inviting you to an interview?
Don't write:
„I've always dreamed of working in a dynamically growing organization.”
If that is not true.
Write like a human.
For example:
“The position interested me because most of my experience is in refrigerated transport. I have a C+E driving license, a valid YSK and for the past four years I have worked on international routes.”
That's enough.
Should you write in Norwegian if your Norwegian isn't good?
You need to use common sense here.
If the position requires Norwegian and you send a perfect, literary application in Norwegian, but during the first phone call you don't understand a simple question, the employer will quickly see the difference.
A simpler, authentic language is better than a text you yourself don't understand.
You can use help with proofreading.
You can use a translation.
You can use AI.
But the application should describe your real experience.
Arbeidsplassen is currently drawing attention to this exact problem: AI tools can help organize the text, but the application should remain credible, personal and based on the candidate's real experiences.
So AI can help you write:
better.
It should not invent:
a better you.
Don't paste everything into AI
If you use AI tools to improve your CV or application, there is no need to submit:
fødselsnummer,
full address,
health data,
document numbers,
other information that is not needed to write the text.
Arbeidsplassen recommends limiting shared personal data to what is actually necessary.
You can write:
“I have 8 years of experience as an industrial electrician. Help me tailor the description of my experience to this job posting.”
You don't need to provide an identification number for that.
Does the recruitment system make you re-enter your whole CV? Unfortunately, sometimes it does
You have a beautiful CV in PDF.
You enter the recruitment system.
And you see:
add experience
add school
add course
add language
You think:
“But I just attached my CV!”
It's annoying, but do not ignore these fields.
Karriereveiledning.no points out that employers use the information entered into recruitment systems, among other things, to compare candidates and search for competencies. Automatic PDF parsing does not always transfer everything correctly.
If the form requires data, fill it in.
Even if some of it repeats what is in the PDF.
Sometimes a CV won't be needed at all
That's also worth knowing.
Some job postings on Arbeidsplassen have the option:
superfast application
Then you don't send a traditional CV.
You answer questions about qualifications and briefly describe why you fit the position. If the employer is interested, they will contact you later.
So before you prepare a package of five attachments:
read the application instructions in the job posting.
One base CV, several draft versions
You don't have to build the document from scratch for every application.
Make one good:
base CV.
Keep all your experience in it.
Then for a specific job ad:
change the short summary,
move important qualifications higher,
shorten irrelevant details,
use real words related to the vacancy,
check the contact details.
It’s still you.
You are simply showing the employer the most important fragment of your experience.
What might the first 20 seconds with your CV look like?
Imagine the recruiter.
They open the document.
Seeing the top of the first page, they should quickly find:
Steve Kowalski
phone
e-mail
place of residence
CNC Operator — 6 years of experience
Mazak / Haas
measurements and quality control
tool correction
serial production
driving licence B
Polish / English / Norwegian A2
And only later:
employment history,
education,
courses,
other information.
They shouldn’t have to search for a minute to answer the question:
“Who exactly is this person?”
Before you send, do a simple check
Open the ad again.
Then your CV.
And answer:
Does my CV show the three most important requirements from this ad?
Did I write what I actually did, and not just the company names?
Is the most important experience easy to find?
Is the phone number and e-mail correct?
Does the application talk about this specific job?
Did I remove phrases I wouldn’t say to someone in an interview?
If yes, send it.
Don’t edit the document for three days trying to reach perfection.
An application you never sent won’t get a reply.
Where can you find an ad now and practice immediately?
Go to our database:
Twoja Norwegia — job vacancies in Norway in Polish
Choose one job ad that really suits you.
Not ten.
One.
Open the employer’s requirements next to your CV.
And see:
what in my experience matches this ad?
This is the best exercise.
Not writing a fictional CV.
Just working on a real vacancy.
What next?
The CV is ready.
The application sent.
The phone finally rings.
You get the job.
And that’s when a very important question appears:
What rights do you have from the first day of employment?
Contract.
Working hours.
Overtime.
Salary.
Breaks.
HSE.
Working time documentation.
What is the employer’s duty, and what shouldn’t be left to:
“we’ll agree later”.
OFFICIAL SOURCES
NAV / Arbeidsplassen — good CV
Current guidelines on CV structure, experience, qualifications, languages, courses and adapting the document to the ad.
Arbeidsplassen — job application
Tips for a short, concrete application that responds directly to the ad.
How to write a job application — Arbeidsplassen
Utdanning.no
Up-to-date information about CV structure, its length, the photo and references.
Karriereveiledning.no
Up-to-date advice on adapting your CV to a specific position and using recruitment systems.
