Job in Norway

Of course you will have to do your own investigation depending on the salary and benefits you are being offered.
Any chance you can take a trip there if you have not been?
I found that when moving to the USA from my home country there were more differences that I thought. But I did lengthy research about the cost of living, best locations for housing, importing or buying a car, having to do a new written and in car driving test, getting social security card, health benefits, researching new credit cards option (had to start getting credit again in new country), research cell phones carriers, insurance providers, etc. By doing at of that well ahead of time, I had a good idea of what to expect. Sadly I cannot provide all that info about Norway. But I have been there and LOVED it. I thought the people were very nice...loved how Oslo was walkable...did not get to explore the whole country. You may have to look into electric cars...I have never so many in my life! Good for them. (gas is very expensive I believe)

Are you ready for not much daylight during winter...amazing landscapes...and to sit outside on a patio when it is -15 and sharing a drink with a friendly Norwegian? Then it may be for you. :)

Good luck!

Have a look at "The Local" edition for Norway. That might be helpful.
http://www.thelocal.no/

Thanks for the replies. I enjoyed The Local. Have been doing some research and a few things have me concerned but since I don't have any details on the job yet it's hard to say which way I'll go with it.

I can offer virtually no advice on living in Norway, but as an ex-pat living in Germany (and having spent an extensive amount of time in Norway on business), here's what I can say... living in Europe is a very different experience from visiting as a tourist. Just drill that into your head and get ready for all sorts of things you may not have expected. That being said... if I could choose any country in the world to live in, it would probably be a first place tie between Norway and Switzerland. The quality of life there is fantastic

Hi Ron,
I've never been an expat in Norway, but I did spend two years in Sweden and had a number of Norwegian colleagues. These two countries are definitely two different cultures and you can get in trouble comparing the Scandinavian countries to each other or treating them as a single culture; however, there are things from my experience that I think apply. For me, the most difficult thing about living in Scandinavia was the winter ... not because it is cold, but because there is so little daylight. It can be really depressing to look out the window at 3pm and see total darkness outside. After spending a couple of winters in Stockholm, I truly believe in Seasonal Affective Disorder. On the other hand, it just makes the summers really wonderful. The cost of living is very high; I definitely lived more simply there. My Swedish work experience was the most collaborative working environment I've ever experienced. Read up on "Jante's Law" which I think explains quite a bit about how people behave in both business and social settings. Finally, one piece of practical information ... you never wear shoes inside people's homes. When you go to someone's house, they usually have a shoe rack right by the door. You are expected to take your shoes off. Always wear socks without holes :)

Thanks again for the replies guys. Much appreciated. I'm not sure how I'll react to the daylight situation if it happens. I'm definitely a summer type of person and I always find the short winter days kinda blah. I'll be sure to buy new socks if I go! LOL.

Hi Ron, I've been a bit inactive on these forums lately, but came back today and happened upon your thread. My wife and I (both Americans) moved to Norway at the end of January for at least two years. Feel free to send me a private message if you want more information. I'm happy to lend any advice I can!

Geoff

Still waiting to see if the company got the contract but will definitely take you up on your offer Geoff if it happens. Ciao!