How Did I End Up Here?

A Journey of Applications and Interviews

At the start of 2024, I made a bold move - at least digitally. I changed my LinkedIn location from Budapest, Hungary, to Stockholm, Sweden. Technically, I was still in Budapest, but my decision was made: Stockholm was calling. Of course, when someone asked where I was actually living, I always came clean.

With that virtual relocation in place, I started applying for every position LinkedIn could throw at me. I also zeroed in on companies I knew had offices in Sweden - mainly in Stockholm. Unfortunately, all I received in return were polite “thank you, but no” emails.

Every so often, I’d get a random message like, “We’re hiring in Stockholm” or “New project opportunity in Stockholm,” but none of these ever made it past the initial message exchange. It was disheartening. Then, sometime in Q2, a Swedish recruiter reached out via InMail. I replied in English, and to my surprise, they wanted to talk.

You can probably guess how thrilled I was. This time, I decided to prepare like never before. I looked up “common interview questions for test managers,” reviewed my CV, and practiced my career pitch. I was ready. Or so I thought.

The interview started, and to my shock, they didn’t dive into my skills or career at all. Instead, they asked about me - my personality, my hobbies, even my childhood dream jobs. It felt less like an interview and more like a casual chat with old friends over a beer. By the end, I wasn’t sure how to feel. It was a great conversation, but did it go well?

Two weeks later, they called back to schedule a second interview - a more technical one this time. A week after that, we had a call filled with simulations like, “What would you do if the customer…?” Again, I left with no clear idea of whether I’d passed or failed.

Then came the good news: they wanted to hire me! There was some initial hesitation about the start date, but after some back-and-forth about contracts and packages, they decided to take the plunge. The agreement was set: I’d start no later than September 1st.

So, the Migration Saga Begins

With the contract in hand, I headed to Stockholm to kick off the migration process as an EU citizen. Here’s where it got a little tricky. To apply for a Swedish personnummer (personal ID number), I needed an address. But to rent an apartment, I needed a personnummer. Classic catch-22!

Thankfully, a friend in Stockholm let me use his address temporarily, and the migration process went surprisingly smoothly. I prepared my documents the night before, showed up on time, and 15 minutes later, I was done.

While waiting for my personnummer, I began the apartment hunt. I stumbled upon a promising place in a Facebook group, and the landlady even sent me a video walkthrough. It seemed legit, so I took the leap.

Three weeks later, my personnummer arrived, and my new apartment was almost ready. In the meantime, I moved into a hostel with my essentials to sort out my bank account and BankID (a must-have for life in Sweden). Opening an account required some coordination with the local branch, but after a few calls, emails, and two visits, I had my bank card and BankID set up.

Just in time, my landlady let me move into the apartment, even giving me two weeks rent-free - a gesture I’ll always appreciate. With the keys in hand, I updated my address on Skatteverket’s website, and with that, my migration to Sweden was complete.

Looking back, the journey was a mix of persistence, uncertainty, and occasional moments of luck. From navigating job applications to overcoming the bureaucratic quirks, it was all worth it. Now, with my new life in Stockholm taking shape, I’m excited to see what’s next on this adventure.