In 1909 Skolem took a job as assistant to the physicist Kristian Birkeland, who was famed for his experiments with the aurora-like effect obtained by bombarding a magnetized sphere with electrons, and Skolem's first publications were physics papers written jointly with Birkeland. Skolem took his state examination in 1913, passing with distinction.
Sa 1909 Skolem kinuha ng trabaho bilang assistant sa pisisista Kristian Birkeland, na sikat para sa kanyang mga eksperimento sa Aurora-like effect na nakuha sa pamamagitan ng bombarding isang magnetized globo na may mga electron, at Skolem ang unang publikasyon ay physics papeles ng nakasulat na sama-sama sa Birkeland. Skolem kinuha ang kanyang estado na pagsusuri sa 1913, pasado na may pagkilala.