Advice and Tips
Membership benefits from A-Z
This list provides you with an alphabetical overview of your membership benefits and how you can best take advantage of them. Everything from courses and events to the insurance cover included in your membership, help in searching for a job, how to involve yourself actively in Tekna, and much, much more!
To access some of our services, such as viewing our salary statistics and recommended starting salaries or using the CV builder, you will need to log in. To log in, use the e-mail address that you registered with us plus a password of your own choice. Some of the information on our webpages is in English, but unfortunately we haven't translated everything. We suggest that you use Google translate or similar services to close the gaps, or to contact us.
With free insurance, social events, crash courses to help you prepare for examinations and very much more, Tekna is the perfect organisation for students – and your membership will become even more useful when you embark on your professional career. When that time comes, you will have the security of knowing that a trade union has your back should anything happen at your place of work. You will have access to salary statistics and support in salary negotiations as well as free legal advice both at work and in your private life.
Remember that you can specify your interests and manage the e-mails you wish to receive from Tekna by going to My Profile.
If you have any questions, you can chat with us at here at tekna.no, use the contact form at the bottom of the page, send an e-mail to [email protected] or call us on 22 94 75 00.
What: ANSA is the organisation for students who plan to spend time abroad during the course of their studies. As a Tekna member you qualify for free membership of ANSA. ANSA membership benefits include:
- Offers on full insurance cover for students studying abroad
- Social events all over the world
- Emergency response and crisis management collaboration with Sjømannskirken – The Norwegian Church Abroad
- Advice and counselling on studying abroad
Standard travel insurance covers travel abroad of up to 10 weeks. If you intend to study abroad for one or two semesters you will need to take out travel insurance cover for a long-term stay. ANSA offers secure and reasonably priced insurance cover of this type.
How: To join ANSA go to the ANSA website at http://www.ansa.no/medlemskap when the time comes for you to travel abroad for your studies. During the registration process you will be asked whether you are a member of other organisations; if you provide details of your Tekna membership you will not have to pay for your ANSA membership. ANSA membership does not include insurances, you will have to order these yourself but to ANSA-prices.
Tekna has signed a new agreement on banking services with Handelsbanken. We are looking forward to informing you about the competitive terms and customer experience that await our members when the agreement comes into effect on January 1, 2024.
What: Have you signed up for a free course or event that you are unable to attend? If so, we would appreciate it if you would let us know on My Page so that we can offer the place to someone else.
What: Our skilled legal team will be happy to read through your contract of employment before you sign it. Questions concerning contracts of employment will be answered within one or two working days.
How: Send your contract of employment to [email protected]. Find out more about our advisory services on legal issues
What: Tekna organises social and professional membership events at your university/college. Events are organised by Tekna volunteers – the student contacts. At Tekna events you can get to know other students from all disciplines.
How: Go to the list of events at your university/college and sign up. If you follow us on Facebook, you will find information on courses and events and you will also receive invitations by e-mail. Cancellation: If you are not able to attend a course or event that you have signed up for, we would appreciate it if you would let us know on My Courses so that we can offer the place to someone else.
What: Stressed-out before your exams? Tekna will make sure that you are able to sleep soundly through the night by organising pre-examination crash courses in a range of your foundation subjects – completely free of charge.
How: When you know that your examinations are coming up find out which crash courses are being organised at your university or college.
What: As a Tekna member, you get very good insurance prices from Gjensidige, among the lowest mortgage rates in the market through our bank agreement and a very favorable pension agreement with Kron.
How: Read more about these offers under Insurance, Bank and Pension in this A-Z list.
What: Many of Tekna’s members are entrepreneurs. We have a dedicated network for members who run their own businesses – Tekna Egen bedrift – with legal advice, special insurance and banking services. You qualify for an entrepreneur reduction of your membership fee for the first two years after you start your business if you earn less than a 50 per cent salary in a position elsewhere.
How: read more about Tekna Egen bedrift here.
What: Tekna’s student contacts organise courses and social events at your university or college. These include everything from mountaineering to quizzes and pizzas. There is a small charge for some events, but most are free. Sign up now and meet other students for social events and fun.
We also offer a range of digital courses and events – for example, job-seeker courses, mobile phone camera courses, online exercise sessions – that are available to you to view at your convenience. Or you could take part in a nationwide quiz.
How: See an overview of courses and events at your university of college here.
Your student membership of Tekna includes insurance cover of various types. However, you might also need to consider purchasing some additional cover. The following section contains useful information on insurance:
Many students are living away from home for the first time. Having the right insurance cover is essential. You should have the following three types of cover:
- Disability insurance
- Home contents insurance
- Travel insurance
- Disability insurance
All student members of Tekna who are under the age of 33 have disability insurance cover included in their membership.
Young or old, being healthy enough to work is your most valuable asset but losing the ability to work at a young age makes you particularly vulnerable. This is where the disability cover included in your student membership will stand you in good stead: it provides a lump sum payment of 5G (five times the basic National Insurance amount), which is equivalent to approximately NOK 590,000.
- Home contents insurance
Remember that – in addition to disability insurance cover – you can also choose either home contents insurance or insurance cover against theft of your PC/mobile phone at no extra cost to you.
Although most members choose one of these insurance options on their registration form, you can also make your choice later. Find out more about these insurance policies here. Before you decide on your choice you should ask your parents whether their home contents insurance also covers you, even though you have moved out.
Choose the insurance cover you need on My Profile. Log in using the e-mail address that you registered with us as your username.
- Travel insurance
Finding yourself in hospital in a foreign country without travel insurance can cost you several hundred thousand kroner – at the very least. Check whether you are covered by your parents’ insurance policy. If not, you need to take out your own travel insurance. As a Tekna member you qualify for solid discounts on insurance with Gjensidige, including Tekna reise travel cover at a very favourable price. The insurance covers travel for up to 10 weeks as well as travel between home and university/college. If you are travelling abroad, you can get easy video access to a Norwegian-speaking doctor. Find out more here.
Most members choose either home contents insurance or cover against theft of their PC/tablet/mobile phone when they join Tekna. However, if you have not already selected the insurance cover you need or if you wish to change your cover you can do this on My Profile (please note that you can only change once a year). Provided that you have not yet reached the age of 33 you automatically get disability insurance and accordingly need do nothing.
Do you need to report damage or theft?
You can do this simply and efficiently in Gjensidige’s insurance app. If you haven’t already done so, download the app now. This means that you will always have your insurance documents and insurance certificate to hand and won’t need to wonder where you have filed them. It might also be a good idea to read through the policy conditions so that you know exactly what your insurance does and does not cover.
NB if when you signed up to join Tekna you did not state that you agreed to share your contact information with Gjensidige, confirming to Gjensidige that you are a Tekna member, you will not be able to use the Gjensidige app. You will instead have to report damage or theft by going to the Gjensidige website or by calling 915 03 100. You will need to quote a Tekna’s customer number, the policy number and your membership number. You will find your membership number on My Profile. Tekna’s customer number with Gjensidige is 609 7142 0782. The policy number is 880 25 677.
What: To make sure that you don’t miss out on anything relevant check the boxes next to your professional interests and manage your consent on My Profile.
How: On My Profile and Interests specify the disciplines that you wish to receive e-mails about. To decline all offers of courses, or to stop the newsletter and invitations to courses from your local Tekna branch, go to My Profile and Consents (“Samtykker” in Norwegian).
What: if you have agreed to accept invoices in the form of e-invoices directly to your online bank account our invoices will be sent directly to your online account. If in addition you have signed up for invoices in the VIPPS mobile payment app our invoices will appear in the app.
If you want direct debits (avtalefaktura) you can set it up on our website.
How: Set up direct debit (avtalefaktura) payment here.
What: Tekna can offer you assistance throughout the process of finding a job. Check out our digital job-seeker course!
How: What codes do job-seekers need to crack? You will find answers to this question and a range of other practical and concrete advice on our digital job-seeker course featuring one of Norway’s best speakers on finding employment. The course contains 10 video modules that will teach you the key points you need to understand as a job-seeker.
What: We will help you with both summer/part-time jobs and with your first job after you complete your studies. Try the CV builder on tekna.no. It provides built-in advice and tips as you proceed through the program at the end of which you can submit both the CV and the application for one of our advisers to read through. They will give you feedback within approximately a week.
On the job-seeker portal you will find advice and guidance on how to improve your LinkedIn profile, how to perform well during a job interview, tips on finding jobs and how to maximise the benefits offered by your network, etc.
How: Log in to the CV builder here. Submit your CV and application for review via the CV builder or send an e-mail to [email protected]. You can expect a reply within about a week.
Log in to Tekna’s job-seeker portal and find useful advice and tips on the entire job seeking process.
What: Tekna’s experienced legal team will provide advice on salaries, contracts of employment, restructurings, layoffs, terminations, sick leave, pension questions, intellectual property rights. This help is free and available only to members. Advice, tips and guidance are available from day one. To be eligible for more extensive legal advice you need to have been a member for at least six months.
As a member, you can also receive help on private law issues within areas such as family law, inheritance law, sale of goods law, housing law, etc.
How: Find out more about the legal advice available to members here. Contact the helpline on 22 94 75 00 Mondays to Fridays between 9-15 or send an e-mail to [email protected]. Questions concerning private law matters should be sent to [email protected].
What: Legal advice on the commercial market cost somewhere in the region of kr 2000 per hour – but your membership includes advice from our legal team! Useful, right? The Tekna legal team can help you with issues such as:
- Consumer purchases – have you purchased what turns out to be a useless second-hand car? Or are you wondering whether you are entitled to a new PC when the one you purchased not long ago has started to play up?
- Cohabitation contracts – we have a standard contract you can use. Get in touch!
- Rent disputes? Relocating? Avoid trouble, use a standard rental contract when you rent a house or flat, for example the Norwegian Consumer Council’s standard contract
Tekna’s lawyers will answer specific questions, provide guidance on how to handle disputes and determine how you should proceed with the matter. Find out more about our legal services here.
How: Send an e-mail to [email protected]. State your membership number and phone number on which you can be reached.
What: Your membership starts on the date on which we approve your membership application (enrolment date). You will find this date on My Profile. You are eligible for all membership benefits from this date onwards.
How: See My Profile to find the date on which you joined and your membership number.
What: As a student member of Tekna your membership fee is kr 150 per semester. It includes a number of free courses (for example, crash courses, job-seeker courses) and events, disability insurance + the insurance cover of your choice (find out more in the section headed Insurance), a free review of your CV and application by our advisers, free review of your contract of employment (relevant summer/part-time employment as well as full-time employment) by our legal team, free legal advice and guidance on private law matters (rental contracts, cohabitation contracts, consumer purchases, etc.), starting salary recommendations and salary statistics, and free membership of ANSA if you travel abroad. In addition, you are eligible for a discount if you need to take out additional insurance cover with Gjensidige (for example, travel insurance).
How: You will receive an invoice from us once every six months. Find out more in the section headed Invoice payment.
What: Every month we send all our members a newsletter by e-mail in which we keep you informed of political issues and activities within the association.
How: The newsletter is sent to the e-mail address you registered with us approximately once a month.
What: You may occasionally need to quote your membership number. You will find your membership number on My Profile.
How: See My Profile
What: It can sometimes be both lonely and a bit overwhelming to be a student. We offer good advice on coping and caring for yourself, and very affordable psychologist hours.
What: Self-service is usually the simplest option. On your My Profile page you can:
- See what insurance cover is included in your membership fee, select and/or change your policies
- Amend your contact information if you move
- Adjust your educational information if you switch subjects or change your examination date
- Confirm completion of your education and tell us how you secured a job so that you do not miss out on membership benefits relating to salary negotiations and other issues
On My Tekna, the pop-up menu and My Courses enable you to deregister from free courses that you are unable to attend so that we can offer the place to someone else.
How: View all the content on My Profile and My Tekna by logging in. Log in using the e-mail address that you registered with us as your username and choose a password by clicking on the link Forgot your password/Activate user.
What: You probably think it’s a bit early to be thinking about your pension, but when you start your professional career, you will find that it is an important issue that you need to learn about. All actively employed people need to have a pension account, but the choice of where have that account is up to you. Your Tekna membership gives you access to an agreement on very favourable terms via our partner Kron.
How: Find out more about pension accounts and saving for retirement here
What: Tekna produces podcasts on a wide range of topics that will be useful for you as an employee and for students who will embark on a professional career when they complete their studies, including tips on contracts of employment, salary reviews, etc.
How: Go to the podcasts
What: Tekna works actively through the media and lobbies government, the Storting and other organisations to promote our political views. Our opinions are laid down in the association’s policy documents. As a trade union, Tekna is not affiliated to any political party.
How: Read more about Tekna’s policy documents, input in consultation processes and reports here.
What: As a Tekna member you get two organisations in one: we are both a trade union and a professional association. We have a wide range of professional networks that host meetings and debates. Why not take part or contribute to the meeting yourself?
How: See an overview of Tekna’s professional networks here. To join a network, place a tick in the appropriate box on My Profile. It goes without saying that as a member this will cost you nothing.
What: Do you know a fellow student who you think would benefit from joining Tekna? Send an enrolment proposal via our recruitment page. You will receive a prize for each new member you recruit – to see the prize, go to the recruitment page. Don’t forget that the person you recruit must be studying for a Master’s in a technical or scientific subject.
How: Recruit a fellow student at tekna.no/studentverving/
What: Tekna conducts salary surveys amongst all professionally active members every autumn and compiles statistics against the background of the collected data.
The statistics are published on tekna.no in early December every year and are an important tool for the salary negotiations that take place in the following spring.
For members who have completed their studies and are about to embark on their professional career we provide recommendations on starting salaries. To ensure that your salary progresses as it should over the course of your career it is important that you start off at the right level.
How: See Tekna’s salary statistics for members here.
See the starting salary recommendations here. Send an e-mail to juridisk.no or call 22 94 75 00 if you have any questions about salary. This also applies to questions relating to pay for relevant summer/part-time work.
What: We provide recommendations for starting salaries for members who have completed their studies and are about to embark on their professional career. To ensure that your salary progresses as it should over the course of your career it is important that you start off at the right level. We can advise you on how to achieve this.
How: See Tekna’s salary statistics for members here.
See starting salary recommendations here. E-mail [email protected] or call 22 94 75 00 if you have any questions.
What: ANSA is the organisation for students who plan to spend time abroad during the course of their studies. As a Tekna member you qualify for free membership of ANSA. ANSA membership benefits include:
- Offers on full insurance cover for students studying abroad
- Social events all over the world
- Emergency response and crisis management collaboration with Sjømannskirken – The Norwegian Church Abroad
- Advice and counselling on studying abroad
Standard travel insurance covers travel abroad of up to 10 weeks. If you intend to study abroad for one or two semesters you will need to take out travel insurance cover for a long-term stay. ANSA offers secure and reasonably priced insurance cover of this type.
How: To join ANSA go to the ANSA website at http://www.ansa.no/medlemskap when the time comes for you to travel abroad for your studies. During the registration process you will be asked whether you are a member of other organisations; if you provide details of your Tekna membership you will not have to pay for your ANSA membership. ANSA membership does not include insurances, you will have to order these yourself but to ANSA-prices.
What: We can advise you on what level of pay you can expect in relevant summer-time employment / part-time employment. Our legal team will be happy to read through your contract of employment and offer advice and tips before you sign. You will receive an answer during the course of two business days.
How: See the recommended pay level for relevant summer-time employment/part-time employment here. Send an e-mail to [email protected] or call 22 94 75 00. If you have questions about pay levels for relevant summer-time / part-time employment. If you would like one of our legal team to read through your contract of employment before you sign, send it to [email protected] quoting your membership number and phone number that you can be reached on.
What: Tekna Magasinet contains a wide range of interesting material on members, on technology, on various industries and disciplines and on politics.
What: Tekna has union representatives at a wide range of companies throughout Norway and may even have one at the enterprise that you have applied for a job with. It may be a good idea to have a chat with the union representative in order to get to know the company you are applying to work for.
If you are employed by an enterprise with a Tekna group, you automatically become a member of the group and will be encompassed by the collective pay bargaining at your workplace. You should also be aware that as a union member of Tekna, you enjoy a number of employment-related rights that non-union members do not have. These include the right to an annual salary review with your manager.
Furthermore, all Tekna members have access to our salary statistics and to legal advice and assistance on employment issues, for example, in the event of restructurings/downsizings, reorganisations, or on questions relating to working hours, holidays, pension rights etc.
How: You will find the e-mail address of Tekna union representatives by contacting us on 22 94 75 00 (choose legal from the menu) or send an e-mail to [email protected].
If your new employer has a Tekna group, you will automatically become a member of this group, provided that you have registered your employment on My Profile.
