We have asked the Head of Startup from Copenhagen Capacity, Anshul Sharma, on how foreign students can get a job in Copenhagen. He also shares his view on Copenhagen as a startup hub.
ARYZE is a Danish fintech startup company and we have met Anshul Sharma of Copenhagen Capacity at the first +25 events at least. He holds a Master’s Degree in International Business and is very much in touch with the startup scene in Copenhagen, especially within tech.
We asked him for his view of the Copenhagen startup scene and for his best advice to international students looking to land a job in Denmark’s capital.
What does Copenhagen Capacity do and what is your role?
“Copenhagen Capacity is the official investment promotion agency for Greater Copenhagen. We support, advice and attract foreign companies and talents to Greater Copenhagen and for those who are already here, we make sure they stay and hopefully expand their activities. I am the Investment Manager and Head of Startups and my role is to advise and consult foreign companies to expand into Copenhagen with a focus on startups.”
What is it like to be a startup in Copenhagen in your opinion?
“The startup scene in Copenhagen has a lot of great potential as the advantages of being a startup in Copenhagen are many. One of them I have noticed is the strong start-up community we have in Copenhagen. A very open community with many highly-skilled talents that has a great reputation of trust. The business culture in Denmark is known for its flat organisation structures and cooperative mindset which also reflects on the startups.
To be a startup in Copenhagen today has begun to be trendy and very popular. The general population now recognise and applause startups which were not the culture some years back. By having sustainability and design thinking as part of the Danish business DNA I believe the startups will lead the way on that particular front and will be an example to the world.”
Why is Denmark and Copenhagen a good place to start a tech company?
“Denmark is a highly digitised society with a tech-savvy population, a leading digital public sector and a strong private sector that are focusing immensely on digital transformation. Together with that, we are the easiest place of doing business in Europe according to the annual ranking of the World Bank. So even when Denmark is a small country, we have a lot of great potential. That is the reason we have seen some great success stories in Denmark such as Just Eat, Trustpilot, Zendesk, Unity, Podio and Pleo.”
What is your advice to people thinking about moving to Copenhagen to work?
“My advice would be to come and visit Copenhagen to get a feel for the strong work/life balance and the vibrant business environment. And to get connected to the local ecosystem as fast as possible.”
We meet many foreign students wanting to work in Denmark. What are your five best tips to land a job in Copenhagen?
1. Make sure all the formalities and paperwork are done, so you are eligible to work in Denmark.
2. Find open and relevant student and graduate positions for internationals in Denmark on the Greater Copenhagen Career Portal.
3. Attend local career events
4. Network, Network, Network
5. Prepare for interviews by formatting your CV the Danish way.
Which upcoming companies do you have big expectations to?
“I think the next couple of big startups we will have in Denmark will be within the FinTech and HealthTech verticals. We have a strong financial and life science sector in Copenhagen which also have to lead to a strong FinTech and Health tech industry. “
If you are a student you can also look into the ARYZE ambassador program which is a diverse community that empowers students and prepares them for entering the job market.