Norway calls for freelance developers

What if your next dream project is in Norway? No problem, says Talented. Let’s do this!

It’s never been a better time to consider a freelancing gig in Norway. There’s a huge demand for senior developers, especially DevOps experts, solid frontend developers and seasoned Java programmers. “But frankly, if you have +5 years of experience as a developer, there’s definitely a job for you in Norway regardless of what technologies you prefer”, says Isaac Gray, CTO of Witted Norway.

When it comes to complex, high level IT competency, the market of supply is pretty small in Norway. “Clients send us requests and then we scout the Norwegian talent pool. But more often than not, the perfect candidate is found outside Norway.” As was the case with Christoffer Lindevall.

A year of freelancing in Norway

When Witted’s customer in Norway had a need for a DevOps expert, Christoffer Lindevall from Finland was a good match. “He was such a great fit for the role and the customer loved his CV. I knew it was an onsite role but luckily Christoffer was at a point in his life where he was interested and could consider moving to Norway for a year”, Isaac begins the story.

“I was searching for a new project and ran into the announcements in Witted Network. The gig in Norway sparked my curiosity. I had been working with Swedes previously, travelling to Stockholm often and I thought that Norway can’t be way more different than that. So I decided to take the leap of faith and try”, says Christoffer.

Norway has proved to be an easy adventure. “Norway is very similar to Finland, especially the IT sector. There’s no high hierarchy, people are very nice and the culture is familiar. You don’t need to know any Norwegian, everybody speaks English. Everything is very Nordic. But when you live in a new city, next to the stunning Holmenkollen, it’s definitely a new experience”, he continues.

Witted made relocating as easy as Covid would allow

Christoffer’s move to Norway was set to happen during the first lockdown in 2020. “It was when everything started to shut down, quarantines were put in place and things started to get harder. Many times the easiest decision would have been to call it a day and cancel everything”, Isaac recalls. “But Christoffer was such a good talent we really wanted him here and wanted to see some extra effort to make it possible”, he concludes.

“Witted helped me a lot in the beginning. Of course relocating includes things that are somewhat tricky. I needed a Norwegian social security number and to set up a Norwegian branch for my company to pay taxes to Norway. I had to set up a bank account, find a place to stay, learn where to shop and how to use public transportation. But Witted made it fairly easy and it wasn’t so bad”, Christoffer says.

“We try to make it as easy as possible for people relocating here and help navigate through the tricky parts. We also help with becoming a software freelancer, if you haven’t done that before – like Christoffer had”, Isaac adds.

Norway is a freelancer's market

As IT is no longer a department in the basement, but the cornerstone of business, the need for senior IT people is growing as we speak. “At the same time it’s really hard to hire people in Norway. The quitting periods of employees are extremely long so it takes way too long to hire a person if you need somebody for a 12 month gig. Freelancers make projects more flexible. This is why freelancers have become very attractive among companies in Norway”, Isaac explains.

Norway has tempting opportunities for freelancers as there are lots of projects available and the pricing is a bit higher than in Finland. “A senior developer can expect to be paid over 100 €/hour. Not to mention other things Norway has to offer, like outstanding outdoor possibilities, booming street food and microbrewery culture and a bubbling tech scene, which all will rejuvenate after Covid”, he continues.

“By coming to Norway for a year I have widened my market as a freelancer and it brings more options in the future. It’s way easier to get a new gig from Norway once you have one under your belt and the companies can see that you’ve worked with a Norwegian company before. Many companies allow doing the work remotely, so maybe my next project is to Norway but mainly from home, travelling back to Norway from time to time”, Christoffer muses.

In any case he enjoys his freedom as a freelancer. “For me the most important part is the possibility to decide for my own career and life. And if you never throw yourself into anything new, you cannot know what it would have been like. Freelancing gives me that freedom and Norway was definitely something new to try”, he concludes serenely.

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