The Office

I've been full-time for three weeks now and there are some things about working in a Danish office environment that are very different from an American one. In ode to the British and American TV Show, I thought I'd take the opportunity to share them here. First of all, working in an office in Denmark is just as much about your personality, your interests, and who you are as a person, as it is about your professional or technical skills. The Danish word "hygge" comes to mind here. The Danes like to create a cozy environment at all times, and there are many social occasions or rituals in the office throughout the week where personality becomes a factor.

The first being daily lunch. In a typical office environment food is provided or catered in, and all employees contribute financially to it out of their paychecks. It is served at 12pm every day and it is a group event. No running out to grab lunch, or bringing in food from home. In the US it would be very normal to sit at your desk and go online during lunch, or continue to work while you eat. In DK everyone sits down together and has interesting conversation about work, personal interests, or whatever current events are happening in the world. My experience as one of the few American employees in the office, is as the "official sponsor" for my country. Meaning, whenever there is something happening in the world where the US has had some sort of involvement, you will be asked your opinion or viewpoint "from the American people." This has taught me to pay attention to current events, for which I can thank my news junkie of a husband!

The second very social event of the week is the Friday breakfast. Every Friday morning Danes all across the country go to their local Baker before work to pick up fresh bread and pastries. Typically beginning at 9am or shortly thereafter, everyone gathers to have breakfast together. Juice, coffee, bread, cheese, marmalade, butter and nutella are common items served, and sometimes some pastries are also offered. This is also where I became addicted to the very Danish breakfast concoction of bread, butter, cheese, and marmalade on top. (Don't knock it until you try it!) It is nearly impossible for me to just have plain old bread with butter anymore, especially when cheese and marmalade are involved. At Friday breakfast, we usually catch up from the events of the week or talk about weekend plans, another very social event. Some Fridays in the offices across Denmark are officially finished off with a Friday bar, or drinks in the office typically beginning at 3pm. So with breakfast, lunch, and happy hour on Fridays, that makes for approximately 4 hours to get your work done that day. Not bad!

Besides lunch and breakfast, another lovely habit I have come to enjoy is the communal fruit basket. Danes have a high focus on health and instead of a vending machine packed with sugar and salt filled snacks, fresh fruit and vegetables are replenished every Monday morning for employees to snack on throughout the week, free of charge. However, a not so healthy habit that I have picked up on is the daily dose of insane amounts of coffee. I went from only having one cup of coffee in the morning in the US (usually brought to work from Starbucks or Corner Bakery) in addition to an afternoon tea, to having one cup of coffee at home in the morning and another at the office when I get in, to a mid-afternoon coffee (usually decaf or black tea) to a final cup of coffee in the evenings (always decaf) in Denmark. I partly blame that on the cold and damp weather but I would be lying if I didn't also say there was a social factor involved that began with my husband's parents. There is not an evening coffee event to this day where they don't have a bottle of Bailey's nearby so I can enjoy that in my coffee, and therefore consider it a more of a nightcap. One wouldn't want to disrupt their sleep by having caffeine after 3pm! A family joke of which I have often (and happily) bore the the brunt.

Which brings me to my final point. A sense of humor (or humour) is another key ingredient to living and working in Denmark. The Danes have an odd sense of humor at times, but one that I have come to thoroughly enjoy. They love to laugh and in general have a good time whether they are at work or play. Hygge is not such a bad thing after all. Even though in the US it could 'officially' never be allowed to be a selection criteria.

Back to Reality

This past Monday reality set in as I began working a full-time job again. Since May, 2009 my life has been a series of adjustments given my new status as an expat. I went through a period of several months after first arriving in Denmark where I didn't know what the future held for me in this foreign land. However, all signs pointed towards learning the language. Not only so I could understand the world around me, my temporary residency and/or immigration contract pretty much required language lessons before I could be considered a permanent resident. Despite the rules, I wanted to learn the language as I had married into the culture and wanted to be able to speak to my Danish family one day. After 6 months of looking for work in Denmark, I quickly realized the fact that not having my Masters or the ability to speak the native language were two strikes against me, preventing me from finding work and/or being just as successful in Denmark as I had been in the United States. So Danish lessons began and so did the application process for business school.

Three years later, I have worked hard to 'level the playing field' between Denmark and the US when it comes to career and the enjoyment of everyday life in general. I can understand approximately 80-90% of what is spoken and can make my way through most social situations. In-depth conversations and/or work concepts are still difficult but I know once I take the final fifth module in Danish that will only get easier. I received my Masters in Economics and Business Administration which I've been told lies somewhere between an MBA and a PhD in the US. I'm not the sort of person that brags, but I am proud of what I have been able to accomplish. However, despite my hard work the current employment economy is hard for the average Dane to find work just graduating from university, not to mention a foreigner. What I didn't anticipate post graduate degree, was that I might be considered just another recent graduate, versus an experienced professional with over 10 years experience on top of her recent education.

So while I was lucky enough to find full-time work, the level of success in terms of my career in Denmark remains to be seen. Recent conversations and other expat experiences have given me the impression that the language barrier will continue to be an issue and while organizationally the flat hierarchy of the Scandinavian culture makes for a 'cozy' work environment, financial success may be harder to achieve for an experienced professional. However, the jury is still out on that last statement as I know several Danes that would attest to financial success being greater for them in Denmark versus other countries. The only conclusion I can make from that is when it comes to developed countries in general, citizens may always have a greater impression of perceived success in their native land. The reality could in fact be very different. On the other hand, perhaps it all comes down to how you define success.