Learn Hardcore Norwegian: Jobbsøknaden beskriver samme erfaring som broren min har. - The job application describes the same experience that my brother has.

It’s a compound noun: jobb = job + søknad = application. The -en ending marks it as definite, so it literally means the job application.

Why is there no article before samme erfaring?

In Norwegian, when you use samme (same) before a noun, you don’t add en/ei/et or den/det. Samme itself acts like a determiner, so samme erfaring simply means the same experience.

Why is som used here, and what does it correspond to in English?

Som is the Norwegian relative pronoun for all genders and numbers. It introduces the clause som broren min har and corresponds to English that or which, as in the same experience that my brother has.

Why does the verb har appear at the end of the clause?

In subordinate clauses introduced by som (and other conjunctions like fordi, når), the conjugated verb moves to the end. Hence har is placed at the very end of ... erfaring som broren min har.

What’s the difference between min bror and broren min?

Both mean my brother, but the forms differ:
• min bror uses a pre-nominal possessive (more common in writing).
• broren min uses a post-nominal possessive with the noun in its definite form (bror+-en). This is very common in speech and informal contexts.

Can I say den samme erfaringen instead of samme erfaring?

Yes. To stress a particular experience, use den samme erfaringen (literally “that same experience”). Your sentence would be:
Jobbsøknaden beskriver den samme erfaringen som broren min har.

Could I switch the main and relative clauses, e.g. Broren min har samme erfaring som jobbsøknaden beskriver?

Absolutely. That rephrasing means “My brother has the same experience that the job application describes.” The meaning is virtually the same, but the focus shifts from the application to your brother.

Is it possible to replace beskriver with another verb like viser?

Yes. For example:
Jobbsøknaden viser samme erfaring som broren min har.
However, beskrive (to describe) emphasizes giving details in words, whereas vise (to show) suggests presenting or demonstrating something.