In March 2026, we completed a project designed to mobilize the workforce and attract skilled migrants to consider opportunities in Rogaland. One thing became increasingly clear throughout the project: for candidates who are able to leave Oslo or one of Norway’s other major cities, opportunities await.
One person who realized exactly what potential rural Norway offers is Jennifer Forrest.
In 2023, Jennifer Forrest, an American project manager, visited Oslo for 10 days with a baby in her arms and her mother in tow. During that visit, she decided to make Norway her new home.
At the time, she was working as a technical project manager in the U.S. Having been headhunted for her last three positions, she was out of the loop when it came to job hunting—let alone job hunting in Norway!
Naturally, she put her project management skills to the test.
Applying for jobs in Norway while still living in the U.S. and trying to build a LinkedIn network relevant to Norwegian positions from overseas led nowhere, so Jennifer quickly stepped up her efforts. In 2024, she enrolled in a summer program at the University of Oslo to learn Norwegian. At the same time, she applied for Norway-based positions in English-speaking work environments and secured a project management role with an international oil and gas software company based in Oslo. She moved to Norway with her son and continued learning Norwegian, as well as studying the Norwegian job market. She already knew this was going to be a permanent move, and her long-term goal was to secure a Norwegian-speaking role.
Over the next year, she made a few interesting observations:
● “Project management” can mean many different things! Applying for project management roles in Norway requires in-depth knowledge. Interesting, isn’t it? Read Jennifer’s insights on project management roles for skilled migrants in a Norwegian context here.
● A minimum B1 level of Norwegian is essential, and perhaps most importantly,
● Competition for jobs decreases significantly if you’re willing to leave the larger cities for a rural area
A smaller place, bigger opportunities?
Jennifer was willing to relocate for the right job. Here’s her strategy: She established a few location criteria that were important to her, and evaluated opportunities and job openings outside of Oslo based on those criteria:
1. Does the location have (non-waitlisted) access to child care (daycare)?
2. Is there a mosque in this location?
3. Is the location connected to an airport or a transportation hub for international travel?
4. Does the area have a diverse enough population to support raising a biracial child?
Ten rural locations in Norway were identified and evaluated based on the criteria. “I was looking for a career move,” Jennifer explains, “but at the same time, stability is important. I don’t want to risk another relocation, so I was certainly open to a lateral career move where I could grow, develop, and gain new skills. I wasn’t just looking for a promotion.”
“I was looking for a career move,” Jennifer says, “but at the same time, stability is important. I don’t want to risk another relocation, so I was certainly open to a lateral career move where I could grow, develop, and gain new skills. I wasn’t just looking for a promotion.”
When she moved to a new role in rural Norway, Jennifer left tech project management to take on a project management position in the public sector’s construction industry (bygg og anlegg). She works in Norwegian—Nynorsk, to be exact!—and was one of 16 applicants, four of whom were hired. She is settling into rural life with access to childcare for her son, affordable housing, a good work-life balance, and the occasional rainstorm. (Hello, Western Norway.)
Interested in pursuing a career in rural Norway? Here are Jennifer’s top tips for other migrant job seekers:
Expand your search! There are plenty of opportunities outside the major cities, and the competition is much less intense!
Consider the public sector, and keep in mind that a lateral or even downward career move is sometimes part of the immigrant experience. You’ll bounce back.
Invest in learning Norwegian. It will open up more opportunities for you, both professionally and in terms of becoming part of the community.
Plus, the scenery is breathtaking.
All photos are the property of Tone Indrelid and may not be copied, shared, or used.
The photos were not taken where Jennifer currently lives.
