Filip

From uncertainty and low expectations to a clear plan ahead. For Filip, his time with Sandson became the starting point for a new career choice and a pathway into a field with strong opportunities.

Can you tell us about your background - your studies, work experience, and what your situation looked like before you came to Sandson?
I studied at university for a while, but quickly realised it wasn’t for me. I also worked as an HVAC installer, dealing with valves and heat pumps, but it never really felt like the right fit either. I worked through recruitment agencies, moving between different assignments. Eventually, I was made redundant and became unemployed. That’s when I started applying for jobs again and thinking more seriously about what actually suits me.

How did you come into contact with Sandson?
I chose Sandson through the Swedish Public Employment Service (Arbetsförmedlingen). I was quite sceptical at first, but decided to go with Sandson because the company felt more personal when I read about them both on the Employment Service website and their own site.

What expectations did you have of Sandson?
I had very low expectations, to be honest. 

What expectations did you have of your coach?
Not particularly high either, as I didn’t really know what to expect.

In what way did Sandson exceed your expectations?
Sandson exceeded my expectations. It genuinely felt personal, as if my coach was working just for me. Every time we spoke, she had a clear overview and a plan for what came next. There was always a purpose behind everything we did.

What was the most valuable part of the coaching at Sandson?
That things never stood still. There were always new ideas, new perspectives and new ways forward. It meant I constantly felt like I was moving in the right direction.

How would you describe your coach?
Someone who is always thinking ahead. If you suggest one idea that may work, she immediately comes up with many more. She picks up on things in passing and builds on them. Everything was well thought through and tailored to me. It never felt random or unmotivated, there was always a plan.

Did you take part in Job Forum and the in-person networking events?
I joined on one occasion. The topics were often interesting, such as AI, but sometimes they clashed with other commitments.

What did your path forward look like during your time with Sandson?
I started to reflect more on what I actually wanted to do. I’m more practically inclined and enjoy variation, problem-solving and physical work.

Following a suggestion from my coach, I eventually applied for a floor-laying course. I attended study visits, met teachers and a careers adviser, and gained a good understanding of the vocational programme.

I was accepted and am now studying full-time. It’s an intensive one-year course, with three days in the workshop and two days of home study each week. There are 11 of us in the group, and it’s a good group in a mature learning environment.

The course is eligible for student finance (CSN) and leads into an industry with strong prospects. Many floor layers are retiring, and there is a high demand for new workers. I’ve already made contacts for future placements.

Is there anything you would like to add?
Sandson delivers a high level of quality and should be the standard of what the Swedish Public Employment Service (Arbetsförmedlingen) can expect from its providers. My coach was very skilled at what she does. Thanks to her, I’m now on a course I would never have thought to apply for otherwise, and one that will lead to a job.