Welcome to Absolutely Intercultural, the podcast about all things intercultural, even unexpectedly scented toilet paper! My name’s Anne Fox and this show is coming to you from Denmark, where Mia, who we’ll be hearing more from, also originates. We’ll be talking to Mia about how she was able to get some financial support to go to Switzerland to look for a job, what it’s like looking for a job when you don’t speak the local language and finally some of the little differences that she noticed between Denmark and Switzerland, like scented toilet paper.
absolutely transferable
So we’ll start by talking about a scheme that has been going for decades but which I have a feeling very few people know about and which may not even have an official name. And that is the EU scheme that allows you to transfer three months worth of unemployment benefit, if you are entitled to it in your home country, to another EU country. But how does it work in practice? It is clear that it is not easy dealing with the bureaucratic rules in two different countries at the same time. You may have spotted that Switzerland is not in the EU, but since it is in the European Economic Area, the scheme also applies there.
absolutely job hunting
Having worked out the administrative challenges to be part of the transfer scheme, Mia’s next challenge was actually finding a job. So how did that go? That point when Mia started networking in addition to sending in job applications was key and she is now working for a global company where the working language is English.
absolutely intercultural
We’ll end by asking Mia about the little differences she’s noticed between Denmark and Switzerland. The iconic Danish post boxes are disappearing at the end of 2025 so the digital way of life is totally embedded.
Have you tried job hunting in a new country? Maybe you have some tips? If you have a story to tell on this or any related topic then don’t hesitate to get in touch or leave a comment on our website where you can also listen to all our previous shows. We are also on Apple podcasts and Spotify where you can give us a rating. And if you enjoyed the show, please like us on Facebook too.
Our next show will be coming to you, as usual, on the first Friday of next month.
Until then, stay tuned!
Produced by Anne Fox
