How Stockholm supports career growth and quality of life

My husband and I had been living in Greece before moving to Stockholm, and at the time, I didn’t know much about the city—and certainly not how my bachelor’s degree from the U.S. would fit into a foreign workforce. The language barrier seemed daunting, especially as an American since we don’t typically learn languages growing up the way Europeans do.

Any concerns I had were quickly laid to rest when I discovered Stockholm's vibrant and international startup scene. I applied for a job at Truecaller – a Caller ID and spam-blocking app that I have helped grow from eight million users to today’s 425 million users – and 12 years later, I’m still here, now working as the Director of Marketing.

‘Work doesn’t weigh you down’

When I started at Truecaller, the company was 12 people and had only been around for a couple of years. It didn’t have a marketing department (we were only two people handling the communications for our eight million users), which meant I had the unique opportunity to shape the brand on a global scale from the ground up.

The freedom to dive into various aspects of branding, from writing blogs, press releases, and video production to managing social media, was something I would have never experienced at a larger corporation. The hands-on experience was invaluable and ultimately led me to the branding role I love today.

It’s a demanding position but one of the things I’ve appreciated most since moving to Sweden is the incredible work-life balance that exists here. I’d never worked in an office in the U.S., but I’d heard all the tales. Here in Stockholm, work doesn’t weigh you down; it supports the life you want to live. The flexibility is amazing, and it has allowed me to travel extensively – which is what drew me to Europe way back in my solo backpacking days. The gift of being able to travel is a non-negotiable in my life.

Stockholm’s culture of work-life balance means, since the birth of my first child in 2021, I’ve been able to combine parental leave and vacation, as well as ‘workcation’, a Truecaller perk that allows us to work remotely for nine days and extend a vacation. For instance, I spent five weeks in Greece renovating our house while balancing family life, work, and a new renovation/short-term rental hobby – all thanks to the flexibility that the company and Swedish law provide.

Finding life’s Swede spot

When I had my first child, I still had the American mentality and nervousness to tell my boss, especially since I was in the midst of building my career. But everyone was so supportive, and not for a moment was there any issue with me taking parental leave. I took 13 months off and was truly able to focus all my energy on my new child, myself as a new mother, and even getting back to some hobbies I wanted to explore more. When I returned, I received such a warm welcome back.

This kind of respect for family life is something that sets Stockholm apart from other places I have lived in Europe, especially when combined with the generous parental leave policies and universal healthcare system. It’s a safety net I wouldn’t have had in the U.S. and one of the reasons I continue to love living here.

Of course, there’s more to life than work and family. Living in Stockholm, you have access to incredible green spaces, and I’ve learned to embrace the coffee culture, which is a daily part of most Swedes' routines. Taking time out of the day for fika (a coffee break with a friend or colleague) is a great way to recharge before getting your head down again.

Looking ahead, I’m excited to continue growing in my career, but I’m equally focused on maintaining my personal well-being. I’m currently pregnant with my second child, and my family is lucky to have so much support here – from affordable daycare and universal healthcare to a supportive professional community.

As a mother of two, I know it won’t always be easy to balance work and personal life, but I feel confident that here in Stockholm I’ll be able to support both sides of my life.