If you would like to try your hand at a job in another country or company inside Egmont, there are various forms of support available for employees wishing to make an internal job change.

 

Most Nordic Egmont companies use the web based recruiting system Easycruit. In addition, a CV database has been set up through Insight, where internal as well as external candidates can upload their CV. Easycruit and the CV database, however, are not entirely enough you still need to build up a good network and look after it, because networking is still a common way to find a job.

“Being registered in a database is no guarantee of a job offer. There can be a huge difference between a targeted, committed application where the applicant’s strengths shine out and a standard CV in a candidate database. So keep your eyes and ears open and don’t hesitate to let HR know which jobs you’d like to be considered for – even if you’re registered in the CV database,” says Peter Bøndergaard, HR manager at Nordisk Film.

 

You may find the transition to a job at an Egmont company abroad quite daunting, because internal recruits are hired on the same conditions as local employees and have to handle the actual move and other practicalities themselves.

 

“You should consider yourself a local employee. Naturally, the HR departments are always ready to help new employees, but we encourage new staff to ask their colleagues and others for advice. Many Egmont employees have either lived abroad or served short-term internships in other countries, so it makes sense to use this network,” says Peter Bøndergaard.

 

Three years ago Søren Therkildsen was Nordisk Film’s commercial director in Denmark when he agreed to pull up stakes and move to Stockholm. Today he feels more at home in Sweden than in Denmark, and the experience has made him more aware of his leadership role. But starting afresh in a whole new country was not all smooth sailing.

 

“Things were difficult in the beginning, and it took time to understand the financial ground rules, the tax system and the public authorities. Of course, you learn a lot from having to do things yourself, but you need to know where to go. Some sort of contact person would have been nice for help with all the practical issues,” Søren Therkildsen recounts.

 

The opportunity to learn something new spurred Søren’s move to another country – an ambition that has been fully realized.

“Leadership is about creating results through other people, so as a leader you have to adapt yourself to the culture you live in. People in the Nordic region work and make decisions in a multitude of ways. Even in the same company we have extremely different ways of working. So moving to a different culture has made me a better leader because I am more aware of what I want to say and how I should say it. You’re more likely to act impulsively and on gut feeling when you’re on home turf. That’s not possible when you’re away from home and constantly forced to be conscious about everything you do,” says Søren Therkildsen.

 

Søren Therkildsen’s advice to others venturing out into the world is ‘get yourself a network’. He means a professional network, but more particularly a social one. Even though you still have family and good friends back home, you need to live your life ‘on location’. You have to accept the price of relocating and make forging social relations a priority, because the sudden shift to a new culture and a new language can be overwhelming.

 

After five years with Serieforlaget Janne Andersen decided it was time for a change. On an equal footing with external applicants, she submitted an application for a job advertised by Egmont Magazines. Janne Andersen was selected as the best candidate and hired as a new product manager in May 2008.

 

Janne Andersen’s boss was prepared for her decision to seek opportunities outside Serieforlaget, and Janne refers to the openness surrounding her employment with Egmont as a positive experience. “At Serieforlaget I was in continual touch with my boss about how I could develop in the job.”

 

Janne Andersen started at Serieforlaget as a marketing assistant, and after five years she was promoted to be the company’s marketing manager. She applied for a new position not because she was dissatisfied with her old job, but because she welcomed the prospect of working in a large editorial office and with an adult target group.

 

Workplaces can differ greatly, even those in the same group. However, transitioning from one division to another does not automatically mean total upheaval. Janne Andersen had already worked at Egmont for five years, and although Egmont Magazines and Serieforlaget are two very different companies, they have some things in common.

“I didn’t consider looking for a job outside the group, because it’s a really good place to work, and on top of that it offers excellent opportunities for professional and personal development. As I see it, knowing the group’s different areas is a strength that keeps you from having to start all over at a new company,” explains Janne Andersen.