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Job Hunting in Europe

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  • Feb 9th, 2016 6:03 pm
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Just more perspective as someone who has actually made the jump to Europe and been here for 8 years.
wolf30 wrote: Yah but that's offset by a much longer vacation. Its like standard to get 5-8 weeks of vacation in Germany and I think on average Europeans get 5 weeks of vacation a year. Plus right now the CAD is getting pounded while the british pound and euro is doing better.
I only speak two languages English & Chinese and I started to learn some Russian. Nonetheless I'd like to take my chances instead of continuing to grind it out here in Toronto.
Currency doesn't matter, especially in the Euro-zone. The GBP will probably weaken due to the Brexit debate.
Russian language will get you nothing.
wolf30 wrote: I tried china several months back for teaching ESL but those *****ing schools and recruiters were racist as ***** and told me they want only Caucasians to teach. So I said to hell with China then!
I find Western Europe over-rated but Eastern Europe under-rated. Ideally somewhere like Switzerland, Germany, any of the Scandinavian countries would be ideal due to the higher salaries, infrastructure, social programs (don't think I would qualify though), etc but I'm not too picky as long as its not in some extremely poor country like Moldova or Ukraine.
Important now is to get as much experience as possible. Seriously, if you end up in a crap-hole in the middle of nowhere in Portugal, it's your foot in the door to Europe.
coolspot wrote: 1. Many companies in Canada offer 4 week vacations as standard, and when you factor in statutory holidays it's 5 weeks.
2. Currency of pay doesn't factor into the equation much since you'll be paying in the local currency.
3. Landing a job in the UK can be difficult - you're competing with all the locals and EU citizens... you're the odd person out.

If you don't speak German, French or Italian, landing an entry level job will be difficult. There are English speaking jobs, but they're usually reserved for executive or specialists. The back of the Economists magazine routinely advertises positions in Geneva ... you may want to take a gander.

Be prepared for racial / awkward issues, even in the major German cities, Asian aren't well integrated. Culturally Germans are very different than North Americans and especially Chinese - be prepared for some very odd behaviors. The stereotypes are somewhat true - i.e. being punctual to a fault, rigid, direct, cold, etc.
In Germany, min. number of holidays is 20 days, most give 25, and large companies give 30. Depending on the calendar, it could be another 10 days.

Seriously, looking at the Economist? This guy is looking for an entry level position, not a professional one. Also, Economist adverts are usually NGOs/non-profit organizations.

Germans love the Chinese. Racist more against the folks from Middle East and Africa.

You are right - preference is local country, EU, then non-EU - but there needs to be justification to hire outside the EU. A company usually needs to sponsor it.

IceBlueShoes wrote: Germany, Scandinavian countries have MUCH higher taxes. Yes you have excellent social services, but you'll be paying out the wazoo there.
Switzerland is just crazy expensive though.

As for German stereotypes, I do find they are also pretty true, but when you actually get to know them, they open up. Just don't be late!
Taxes are high, but the cost of living is surprisingly low in Germany, especially food.
Switzerland is expensive, but salaries are extremely high. Complement it with the strong Swiss Franc, it's amazing going from Switzerland to the Eurozone.

German stereotypes are mostly valid in Bavaria. Rest of Germany is laid back and people are always late. Especially the damn Deutsche Bahn.

MrsPotato wrote: You've received some great advice above ... But Germany won't want you if you don't speak German.
And without any other languages .... You're not special enough to get a job there.
Germany may not want you, but international German companies recruit a lot of non-native German speakers. I was recruited with not one word of German. Education + experience trump language.
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wolf30 wrote: I tried china several months back for teaching ESL but those *****ing schools and recruiters were racist as ***** and told me they want only Caucasians to teach. So I said to hell with China then!
This is true. Not only in China, but in Thailand, Vietnam, Japan, Korea etc...

Certain school do hire asian teachers, but Chinese are at the bottom of the list.
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wolf30 wrote: Actually I would prefer to move to Vancouver but the cost of living and exorbitant rent prices makes that nearly impossible. I wouldn't mind Alberta neither but Toronto I cannot stand. Just something about this city really gets under my skin. Everything from the lack of culture, *****ty weather, urban sprawl, long commutes, high prices, stuck up people, and poor dating situation for men.

I already tried the teaching English route in Asia. All I encountered was racism or recruiters trying to put me in some *****hole town out in the middle of nowhere.
Just like 90% of major cities around the world.
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Aristophanes wrote:
Important now is to get as much experience as possible. Seriously, if you end up in a crap-hole in the middle of nowhere in Portugal, it's your foot in the door to Europe.

Germans love the Chinese. Racist more against the folks from Middle East and Africa.

Taxes are high, but the cost of living is surprisingly low in Germany, especially food.
Switzerland is expensive, but salaries are extremely high. Complement it with the strong Swiss Franc, it's amazing going from Switzerland to the Eurozone.

German stereotypes are mostly valid in Bavaria. Rest of Germany is laid back and people are always late. Especially the damn Deutsche Bahn.

Germany may not want you, but international German companies recruit a lot of non-native German speakers. I was recruited with not one word of German. Education + experience trump language.
Thanks for the insight and info. I agree, I figured at this point, its more important to get as much experience as possible even if I end up in some crap hole country. At least I have ryanair and easyjet to save me on the weekends.

Ya I figured the racism was more towards arabs and people from Africa. Is there specific areas in Germany you recommend I try to get a job/internship in? I'm not really picky and would be happy to just land one at all, but in case I had the option of choosing. I heard there is a lot of hippies in Berlin and that Hamburg was more of a laid back party city.

I guess the best strategy is save up some money, head on over with a working holiday visa or not if its a short internship placement and start looking at placements to rake up experience and start learning the local language. I was thinking about looking for marketing/public relations type of internships since I have learned a bit of this stuff on my own and it looks interesting. I'm not a very technical guy especially with the programming languages (can't code if my life depended on it).
Once I have 2-3 placements under my belt, I can start applying for entry level jobs in international companies.

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