Denmark is a great place to live and work, but your life will be much easier if you learn Danish Andrea Maria Gino
Why did you choose to study in Denmark?
Having previously enjoyed an experience as an exchange student in a Danish high school, I decided to come back for my university studies; the project-based teaching method with a strong focus on real world usability of the imparted knowledge and the highly international environment lead me to choose Architectural Technology & Construction Management at VIA.
The 3 best things about living and working in Denmark:
- Great work-life balance
- An open and fair society
- Awesome infrastructure for cyclists!
My job
I work as a constructing architect at DISSING+WEITLING architecture in Copenhagen. Here my main responsibilities are BIM modelling and production of drawings, mainly for the schematic and detail design phases. I enjoy the larger independence and responsibility I have, compared to my previous job: with it comes even greater satisfaction in seeing the projects I have worked on being built.
How I got my job
My experience with large BIM projects and my knowledge of the Danish language made it easy to show my worth and get hired for this job, when I decided to go back to Denmark after working in Saudi Arabia and Norway for 3 years.
My advice
If you want to study and settle in Denmark, know your goals, and use them to specialise your studies. There is much to be learned which is not necessarily in the basic curriculum of your studies, focusing on specific skills might help you getting ahead of other candidates for a job opening.
Denmark is a great place to live and work, but your life will be much easier if you learn Danish: even if everyone speaks English, you will never really be part of the society unless you learn the language.
My inspirations
I feel inspired by working in a bustling office that always offers interesting projects to work on; I particularly appreciate the focus that we put on sustainability and quality in every detail of the finished buildings