Background: The literature on experiences of newly qualified teachers (NQT) in the beginning of their career is rich, internationally and in Norway (Kyriacou & Kunc,2007; Rots, Kelchtermans& Aelterman, 2012; Ulvik, Smith & Helleve, 2009). The literature is often descriptive, telling about the experiences of NQTs. The current study has taken a meta-perspective by examining similar experiences among novice secondary school teachers. The research question is: What common traits can be found in the NQTs’ experiences? Method: A narrative method was used to collect stories from Norwegian secondary school NQTs. The narratives were first analysed vertically in light of international research literature. The vertical analyses were used for a horizontal analysis (Kelchtermans, 1999) with the purpose of looking for commonalities. Findings: -Initial intrinsic motivation for teaching (teaching the subject) supported by an increasing altruistic motivation (social contribution). - Rich content knowledge a confidence factor. - Feedback from students a confidence factor. - Students in the centre, especially problematic students. NQTs not sufficiently prepared for these students. - Unprepared to handle out-of-classroom responsibilities. - Schools not prepared to receive NQTs. - Feeling of achievement, motivated to continue teaching . Significance Some of the findings contradict previous findings and contribute to a deeper understanding of first year experiences.