If you’ve been dreaming of pursuing your master’s degree in Sweden on a fully funded scholarship, the Swedish Institute (SI) Scholarship for Global Professionals is likely at the top of your list.

But here’s a hard truth: thousands of qualified applicants are rejected every year because they complete the Proof of Work and Leadership Experience forms incorrectly.

The Swedish Institute carries out strict authenticity checks. A missing stamp, incorrect calculations, incomplete information, or poorly prepared documentation can result in your application being rejected—and in serious cases, you may even be barred from future applications.

Let’s make sure that doesn’t happen to you.

Understanding the Forms: Work Experience vs. Leadership Experience

The SI application requires two separate forms:

• Work Experience Form
• Leadership Experience Form

You can submit:

• Up to three Work Experience Forms
• Up to two Leadership Experience Forms

The most common mistake applicants make is confusing the relationship between these two forms.

Work Experience

This represents your total working hours at an organization.

For example:

• Total hours worked: 3,000 hours

Your Work Experience Form should document all 3,000 hours.

Leadership Experience

Leadership hours are only the portion of your work hours spent leading people or projects.

For example:

• Total work hours: 3,000 hours
• Leadership hours: 1,000 hours

Only the 1,000 leadership hours should appear on the Leadership Experience Form.

Important: Leadership hours are a subset of your work hours, not a separate job or additional experience.

Who Can Sign Your Forms?

Your forms must be verified by someone who can officially confirm your experience.

Acceptable signatories include:

• Current supervisor
• Former supervisor
• Manager
• HR Director
• Head of the organization

Special Cases: Freelancers and Business Owners

If you:

• Own your business
• Work in a family business
• Freelance

The Swedish Institute allows your forms to be signed by:

• A client from a registered company (not a private individual)
• A staff member who is not a family member

Who Cannot Sign?

The following individuals are not accepted as referees:

• Co-workers
• Friends
• Family members or relatives
• Anyone requesting payment in exchange for signing your forms

Formatting Rules You Must Follow

The Swedish Institute has strict formatting requirements. Paying attention to these details can make the difference between a successful application and an avoidable rejection.

Character Limits

Keep your descriptions concise and focused.

• Work Experience Form: Maximum of 250 characters (including spaces).
• Leadership Experience Form: Maximum of 400 characters (including spaces).

Every word matters, so describe only your most relevant responsibilities and achievements.

Signature and Company Stamp

Your referee should complete the verification process as follows:

1. Complete the form.
2. Print the document.
3. Sign it by hand.
4. Apply the organization’s official company stamp.

Digital signatures or notary stamps should only be used if the organization genuinely does not have a traditional company stamp.

PDF Submission

Each completed form must remain one page only.

After completing all your Work Experience and Leadership Experience forms, merge them into one single PDF document before uploading your application.

Download the SI Template Bundle

To make the process easier, we’ve included everything you need in one package.

The bundle contains:

• The official Swedish Institute framework.
• A completed sample prepared by the Career Drive Academy team.
• Practical guidance on calculating and structuring your work and leadership hours correctly.

👇 Click below to download the SI Proof of Work & Leadership Template Bundle.

Proof-of-work-and-leadership-experience-CDA.pdf

Final Advice

Don’t let paperwork stand between you and a life-changing opportunity in Sweden.

Download the template, send it to your supervisor, and get your work and leadership experience certified as early as possible.

To your global success,

The Career Drive Academy Team

P.S. Confused about how to calculate your total work hours based on your weekly schedule?

Reply with your average weekly working hours and the total number of months you’ve worked, and we’ll help you calculate the correct figures for your SI application.