Habibul “Mursaleen” Chowdhury traveled from Bangladesh to Norway in 2021, to take a master’s in computer science at the University of Southeast Norway (USN) in Kongsberg. In the summer of 2023, he completed his civil engineering degree.
But when kode24 wrote about him in February, he was still without a job, after sending around 1,200 applications.
For Chowdhury, this could get big consequences: If he did not get a job, his residence permit expired and he had to return to his home country.
Now Chowdhury reports that he can stay – because he has got a job.
Got a lot of help
– My first permanent position in Norway has rewarded me with a feeling that I am on the threshold of succeeding in Norway, against all odds and all uncertainty, says Chowdhury to kode24.
Our article about his uncertain future engaged several people in the industry. Among other things, NITO, who contacted Vigdis Lamberg at the Career Academy, to ask if she could contribute.
– She, and many others, helped me improve my Norwegian job applications and CV, says Chowdhury, who was also able to take part in this year’s code24 day.
Then an interesting position appeared on LinkedIn, and another application was sent. This time it worked, and now he works as a full-stack developer at Kapital Kontroll, which makes financial systems for Norwegian municipalities, among others.
Wednesday 21 February 2024
Tougher times
Managing director Kristoffer Blom Årvik in Kapital Kontroll says that they had many applicants for the position. But Chowdhury stood out in several ways.
– He has a varied and exciting background, and has shown a great commitment to software development through activities in his spare time and published Github repos. And good quality in the work he has done before, Årvik tells kode24.
As Chowdhury has only lived in Norway since 2021, his knowledge of Norwegian is somewhat limited. But he will be far from alone in this at Kapital Kontroll, which offers Norwegian courses for its employees, and how much of the collaboration among the developers now takes place in English.
– What do you think about how difficult it was for him to get a job here in Norway?
– We have received a lot good applicants for the positions we have had recently, it may seem that times are tougher with many and fewer employers increasing their workforce, he replies.
– It probably agrees with much of what you read; times are tougher for many, both the consultants and the system suppliers, and thus fewer new hires. This is probably particularly demanding for new graduates.
«He has a varied and exciting background.»
Future in Norway
Chowdhury is therefore looking brightly at his future, after it looked very dark earlier this year.
– And it is a very proud feeling, both for me, my family and my friends, says the Bangladeshi, who received a lot of help from home to manage the journey to Norway.
– So this job means a lot to me.
– Where do you see yourself in five years?
– Honestly, this job offers me quite a lot. I can finally show off my skills on the front end, and work with scaled projects in .NET and Azure. In the next five years, I want to master these technologies and become a mature and experienced developer, answers Chowdhury.
– And yes, I see myself in Norway.
Wednesday 24 April 2024
