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I'm currently doing my Master's in the Netherlands, and interviewed with a company from Sweden for a role that is very much aligned with my previous experience, my degree and my skills. I applied, and thankfully I got through the initial tech interview and the subsequent HR interview. Even my reference check turned out well and they invited me to a final interview.

I'm currently a couple of months away from completing my thesis and graduating, and have about 10 ECTS worth of course-work to complete (with exams in the next two weeks, so hopefully they'll be over). How likely is it that this would cause a problem in the next steps? I'm extremely scared they might see the missing courses in a negative light and rescind any (potential) offer. Is it possible that they might make an offer even if my final graduation date is not fixed?

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    Just talk to them. You are almost over the finish line so it would be shame to let this all go to waste just to start a few weeks earlier.
    – Hilmar
    Commented Oct 24, 2021 at 8:05

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From a Swedish (IT) perspective I would say that about half the people getting far enough in their tech degree to start their thesis never finish it because they end up getting a job instead. This is not really a problem in the job market but finishing the degree might yield a little more pay (1000-2000 sek maybe) and make it a little bit easier to get promotions. But the effect is not that big and a LOT of people have careers without graduating.

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In the Swedish tech industry it is pretty common to work your whole career with just an almost completed graduation, I guess around 10-20%. Most of them tell the truth when looking for a job. With a year or so of working experience employers stop caring about such details.

I'm not sure what you told the company, but I recommend to tell the truth as soon as possible or at the next interview, tell them that you want to clear about not having graduated yet. Sooner or later the company will ask when you can start working. Make sure you know what you want to do if you don't graduate on time. Do you want to work 100% and finalize your education at the same time? Or delay your first day at the company? Or just never graduate? Listen to the employer and find a solution together.

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  • I told them that I'll be graduating soon, like in a couple of months. I'm a 100% sure that I want to take up the job (if I get it) and also told them I'm willing to start early if required. I do not know what they expect from me regarding graduation, since they didn't focus too much into it. So I'm confused if the degree would be mandatory to start the job, or if they would be okay with me finishing it after I start.
    – IceMan
    Commented Oct 23, 2021 at 20:47
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    Unless they focused on it they almost certainly do not care if you graduate or not.
    – lijat
    Commented Oct 24, 2021 at 5:52
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    @IceMan I agree with lijat, they probably don't care about the graduation, if they do they should tell you (the first 6 months is usually probationary employment so if they really want a graduated employee you might get that time to finish). What they might expect is 100% focus on the job once you start. So if the studies will infer too much it might be better find a solution before starting. Vacation setup differs per company but 5 unpaid vacation days until April 1st is not uncommon. It might not be enough, especially not if you need to travel or need the some days for other matters.
    – Anders
    Commented Oct 24, 2021 at 7:01
  • Thanks a lot! This definitely gives me some peace of mind :) 95% of my thesis work has been online, so I'm guessing I can present online too. But yeah I might need to take a couple of days off for other things. I don't know how common it is to work before completing your Master's, so wanted some reassurance on that front.
    – IceMan
    Commented Oct 24, 2021 at 7:42
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As someone from Sweden, I was surprised when I started working abroad that everyone wanted to see my diploma. Nobody asked me about my diploma in Sweden, but they ask for my grades.

With that said, I would not worry.

A suggestion is that you make sure to finish everything while you are so close.

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  • Thank you so much! I'm not entirely familiar with the Swedish work culture, so I'm stressing out here. If I may ask a slightly related question - How much do grades weigh in the decision making process? I have average grades, but to be fair I'm doing an extremely hard (it's a known and accepted fact here in the Netherlands) programme and on top of it, I worked for the Formula Student team in the first year (not a justification for average grades, but just giving some context), and have relevant extra-curriculars.
    – IceMan
    Commented Oct 28, 2021 at 9:23
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    @IceMan I can't say for sure because I never recruited someone in Sweden. If you already made it through the first stages, I would not be too worried about the grades. I think it's more to sort out people in an early stage. As someone who currently works in the Netherlands, I can tell you something about the culture, make sure to leave the sandwiches at home, in Sweden, they eat warm food for lunch! And never say no to Fika!
    – MLEN
    Commented Oct 28, 2021 at 11:12
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    When I have been requiting I have never looked at grades, of the jobs I have interviewd for 1 or 2 of many have ever asked for grades
    – lijat
    Commented Oct 29, 2021 at 8:43

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