October 29th, 2016

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First and foremost, let’s be honest about A-kasse: it only exists because there are unemployed people. Thus, to put it short, but maybe it’s not obvious enough, it doesn’t have a particularly good incentive to find you work! Because if it did – then they would be out of a job! Duh!

Wasting time and talent
I have yet to meet a client who has said: “My A-kasse is great; I got super help and I am very satisfied.” Normally it’s the complete opposite.

I am consulted by job-seekers for whom I find interviews and employment, after previously having no luck on A-kasse. Many spend a year or two, and some end up on A-kasse for the full duration of two years until the payments stop.

One person who was on for the full duration (back when it was three years) now works for a leading energy company! It took us less than six months to accomplish that – what a waste! And I even get those ‘horror stories’ from non-clients.

Inverted insurance
As much as it is nice to receive help from these governmentally-supported private institutions, it is my experience (and that of friends and colleagues) that A-kasse is nothing but a pure insurance company.

So ask yourself the question: “How many insurance companies want you to crash your car or burn your home down?” In short, the answer is none. So why would A-kasse want you to find a job, if the justification of its existence is you being unemployed?

Fatal for foreigners
That’s not to say jobs are recommended. I’ve lost count of the number of jobs as a cleaner or a dish washer that have been recommended to candidates who have a master’s degree or vast foreign language skills.

If they’re lucky they might be advised to work in a kindergarden, as was the case with one of my clients who had a PhD! Imagine the mental state this kind of advice nurtures in the job-seeker and how they feel about their skills!

The reason that Copenhagen Career Consulting is so successful is that the approach of the A-kasse is unfortunately not designed to help foreigners. That is why I strongly recommend internationals to contact us.

We will help them change their approach to the job market in Denmark and be successful and confident while working here.