Andreas Ludvigsson, human resources specialist in Vilhelmina:

“I enjoy short decision-making processes and variety.”

Human resources specialist Andreas Ludvigsson finds it fun and stimulating to be able to think freely and that decision-making processes are shorter in a smaller municipality like Vilhelmina. You quickly establish contact with the entire organization, including managers; there’s a wide variety of tasks, and it’s easier to implement changes.
–And Vilhelmina isn’t as small as you might think.

Andreas Ludvigsson has been working as a staff development specialist in the HR department of Vilhelmina Municipality since last August. As part of a small, close-knit team, he primarily works to support managers. He finds that decision-making processes and lines of communication are shorter in a small municipality like Vilhelmina than in larger cities.
– All kinds of questions can come up, from job postings to legal issues. Sometimes you need to facilitate a dialogue between different parties to help them move forward.

At the time of the interview, Andreas is in the process of transitioning to a new role in the department as a quality and competency strategist, a position he is very much looking forward to.
– “It will involve even more problem-solving, which suits me well since I’m also interested in technology,” says Andreas, who believes the best part of the job is helping to solve various problems, especially when he can exceed expectations.

From Tvärålund to Umeå, Sigtuna, and Gothenburg

Andreas was born in Tvärålund, a few mil west of Umeå. He tried out various fields of study in Umeå and Sigtuna before ending up in Gothenburg, where he found a job in retail. He held various positions there before becoming a department manager at Fazer Confectionery as a sales specialist. He enjoyed the job but still felt that something was missing.

–Winters in Gothenburg are rainy and dark, and I realized that I longed for a real winter with snow and cold, like we have up here in the north.

Andreas then took a leave of absence and moved to Umeå, even though he didn't yet know what he wanted to do.

“During the first half of the year, I didn’t do anything; I thought about becoming an engineer, but then I applied to the human resources program at Umeå University. When I started studying in the fall of 2021, it felt just right.”

Vilhelmina was a pleasant surprise

During his internship at Region Västerbotten, Andreas had a supervisor who had previously worked for the municipality of Vilhelmina. She, too, was a trained human resources specialist and mentioned the advantages of working in a smaller town like Vilhelmina, especially for a recent graduate. Andreas believes that having the chance to try out different job responsibilities is particularly valuable when you’re a recent graduate.

"That sounded good, so I said to my partner, half-jokingly, 'Maybe we should be prepared to move to a smaller town in the countryside.'"

His partner Charlotte, who was pregnant and working as a recreation leader, wasn’t entirely on board, Andreas explains. Then the job opening came up—Vilhelmina Municipality was looking for a staff development specialist—and Andreas didn’t want to miss the opportunity. After going back and forth about different options, the couple decided to give it a try.

“We went there one summer day to check it out. Downtown Vilhelmina was bustling that day—lots of tourists and activity everywhere—not what we’d expected. We were both pleasantly surprised.”

Hunting and fishing are the main interests

Andreas went ahead and tried living there for a couple of weeks before the family—now with a little daughter—moved from a two-room apartment of 60 square meters to an entire townhouse for roughly the same monthly cost. They’re happy there and feel that people are genuinely friendly and welcoming. The couple regularly socializes with their neighbors, whom they’ve gotten to know quickly.

–Saying “hi” here really means something. You get to know people in a whole different way.

After her parental leave, Charlotte started working as a teacher at Ankaret, a resource school for students with special needs. It wasn’t planned, but she’s really enjoyed working with both the students and her colleagues from day one, Andreas says.

The proximity to the forest and fishing waters is a major reason why Andreas was drawn to the countryside.
– My main interests are hunting and fishing. The proximity—being able to head out and go fishing after work—is unbeatable. I have Lake Baksjön right behind my house and just walk down across the lawn to the lake. I didn’t have that in Umeå. I’m within walking distance of work, and going shopping isn’t a big deal like it can be in bigger cities. I don’t really need a car—I could bike everywhere,” says Andreas, who doesn’t feel he’s missing anything.

–There are several well-stocked stores here; Grönlunds is a favorite when I need some advice or something for hunting or fishing. And if I need to buy anything else, I’m a frequent online shopper.

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Text: Monica Wiksten Gideonsson
Photo: www.ricke.se