Swedish employers shun foreign grads: study - The Local

Out of my frustration of finding an appropriate job for my skill level and intelligence, I stumbled upon this article in an English Swedish newspaper.
Over the past few years, I have had great difficulty in finding a Design job since the economy is very unforgiving at this moment, and also since my profession is very specialized and there are only a handful of jobs to accept.

I moved to Sweden thinking, "Hey! It is Europe, and I am really well educated, with good language skills, and heck! Everyone can speak English here." Even my in-laws were very supportive telling me it shouldn't be a problem finding a job. Alas, reality hit me, as any immigrant coming to America would find.

A. My skin is Korean, so they assume I come from Korea. I say I am American, yet everything I experienced proved otherwise.

B. I am a woman with 3 kids, so in my male dominated profession, it never goes well. I had an employer at an interview who specifically asked me if I had kids and he replied, "That's not good."

C. Everything needs to be on paper; If I were to take on another profession in Sweden, I would have to have a Swedish Education (the linked article goes into detail about that). It doesn't matter if I wanted to be a person who painted walls all day. I need a certification for that job.

Swedish employers shun foreign grads: study - The Local

Racism also plays a nice role in this wonderful equation.
Here is a perfect example.

In Sweden, when you are unemployed, you must register yourself to the Swedish Public Employment Service (Arbetsformedlingen). There they take your credentials and appropriately help you find a job which matches your skill set. Since I have an education in the Arts, I was sent to a special division of this Employemt Service. The advisor I had, kindly reviewed my resume, and exclaimed, "You have studies many languages!" Disregarding that my Swedish is really good, my design education, and I speak fluent English, she directly points out that I can speak Korean. She told me how rare it was and how easy it would for me to go work in the tourist area of the Old Town and work at a souvenir shop for Korean tourists. I was furious! How racist can you get? I never returned again to this Agency.

In America, pride in your profession is encouraged. In Sweden, a job is a job, and just to be working and paying taxes is the main key. I believe one driven factor is that if one is working, then the government doesn't have to pay out unemployment benefits.

These articles always get me steamed up! haha.

Also, if I plan to study I would have to take Swedish A and B (High school courses) to be able to continue to a college level. These 2 course would take at least 2 years, plus what ever time it takes to get my college degree. I'll be almost 40 by the time I finished. So depressing.

*sigh*