You could attend a SFI class for free:

Svenska för invandrare SFI: free classes for immigrants. You can register for these classes with the local authorities/ colleges/universities and other providers once you have your Swedish Residence Permit.

Information about SFI in the city of Göteborg: (which is great)

http://www.vux.goteborg.se/vux/sfi_English.htm

Lighthearted article on learning Swedish in Sweden:

http://www.sweden.se/templates/cs/Article____15612.aspx

Lycka till! (Good Luck)

Also, how did you find the job? And the interview?

* as you can probably I am quite curious about the whole working in Sweden thing*

I've been to Sweden twice before, and have Swedish friends in England. Most Swedes I met had a perfect command of the English language so I don't think communication as a barrier would be a problem at first. Of course, as a GP patients have a right to be able to say to you 'Aj det gor ont' instead of ' Aww it hurts' so over time you would probably have to learn. I think 3 months being immersed in Sweden beforehand would be plenty of time to learn good robust conversational Swedish.

...in Sweden?

Are you learning Swedish too?

I tried to get a museum job after my MA and found it tough - I had interviews but never had enough experience. I hope my PhD will make a difference - though it is very academic and not experiential as such. Still, secondary teaching and academia would be good alternatives. I'll work on the foreign language too. Gruuu.......

Rick - I have been teaching myself Swedish ( with the help with some Swedish firends too) for the past year.

Where will you be going in Sweden?

Mmmmm discounted biscuits and bread......mmmmm precious filling fibre and refined sugar...filling the void of phd study

The suburb I grew up in had the choice of either Waitrose, M & S or Sainsburys. Now I shop at Lidl. Which can be suprisingly good.

Mmmmmm cookies......

Waitrose? Are you sure you're a PhD student?

Hmmmm, I suspect there may be a 'Chelsea Tractor' parked outside your house...

Ack! I know. My boyfriend is an aspiring academic too. We must both be crazy.

There would be more jobs for me in the US...but there I would compete with art history PhD's who had gone through the US system, have done classes, for 6 odd years and learnt foreign languages as they went along.

I fear I'll end up with a PhD and not be able to get a job in the field - and then struggle to get one elsewhere.... eeek

I had better start thinking of alternatives....I still want this PhD...but I need to prepare myself for the eventuality of it not leading to employment in academia. Whatever happens, I can't end up in a call centre again. It was awful.

Ja tack.

Earl Grey, a splash of milk and a gentle squeeze of lemon...

...and then a digestive to dunk.

Please.

I am quite worried. My tutor today asked me whether he/ they/ the department was 'training me out of a job' - apart from academia and academic posts, there isn't much of a place for my PhD (minus those 'transferable skills' in the job market. I had thought about this before, but now it has brought it home - I do want to make it in academia, but I know that it is a matter of there being the post available and my PhD being suitable for that post, not to mention the competition. I love my PhD and my discipline - but do worry about what I am going to do afterwards...

I am quite worried. My tutor today asked me whether he/ they/ the department was 'training me out of a job' - apart from academia and academic posts, there isn't much of a place for my PhD (minus those 'transferable skills' in the job market. I had thought about this before, but now it has brought it home - I do want to make it in academia, but I know that it is a matter of there being the post available and my PhD being suitable for that post, not to mention the competition. I love my PhD and my discipline - but do worry about what I am going to do afterwards...

I think that if I make it to viva stage in around 2.5 years time I will keep it secret from everyone except my housemate and boyfriend (because, they'll have to know I'll be so stressed). Some of my friends have told people and arranged parties on the night of the viva for theirs...I couldn't bear to do all that and be told that I have failed... I would then call people afterwards and hope they were free for a pub crawl! (or sophisticated dinner to celebrate my emergence from the chrysallis of academia as a butterfly....)

Learn Swedish. It's great!