Starting a Career in Sweden: International Students’ Perception regarding Future Careers and Diversity in the Swedish Corporate Environment

Sammanfattning: In an increasingly globalized world, the contact with diverse individuals on a daily basis is unquestionable. Individuals regularly seek intercultural experiences and skills as a way to enrichen their professional and personal approaches and stand out in today’s competitive markets. This study focuses on international master students from Lund University’s School of Economics and Management (LUSEM) that wish to stay in Sweden post-graduation and start their careers abroad. It describes their main perceptions regarding what type of work challenges they believe they will encounter when applying for jobs and working in Sweden, in addition to their overall perceptions on professional approaches and diversity, which include topics such as culture, values, teamwork, management and leadership styles. The research found that language barriers, interpersonal attraction behavior and networking are the biggest perceived challenges and that culture and values possess a significant influence in their overall perceptions on the challenges and opportunities of starting a career in Sweden. Furthermore, a sizable proportion of respondents believe their master programmes can assist them in overcoming some of their perceived challenges.