How Do I Find a Job in Europe?

I've had a few emails from people recently who were either looking for jobs in Europe or in a hurry to board a plane and drop everything in the process. So, I thought I'd put up a few words of advice. We'll be expanding the DIY Expat site (yet again) in the near future with a couple of really, really cool tools which will take some of the pain out of job seeking.

So, in no uncertain order, here are a few tips:
1- If you're job hunting in Europe and you already have a job, don't leave your current position until you have everything signed, sealed and delivered. That means having a signed contract, the necessary visas in hand and a formal plan. That way, if something falls through, you're covered and not left high and dry.

2- You may be tempted to drop everything and go to Europe with the hope of finding something there. That's not much of a strategy, specially if you have no contacts, friends, family, loved ones or others there. Some countries will also not allow you to change status once you are in the country. (The UK will not for example.)

3- Shop around. Some people, I've noticed, become fixated on a geographic location (London, Madrid, wherever). They may, though, be something nearby or elsewhere in Europe which would be just as good. This little secret is something that I clued into only after years of living in Europe.

For example, Paris is a beautiful place, and many people would not think of living in Brussels. Many French people, and former residents of the French capital, prefer the latter to the former. They say that the food is better, prices lower, people nicer, and if you want to go see Paris, the train gets you there in 1h20. Some who've lived in Amsterdam say that Brussels is the most boring place that they've ever been, even if the locals are marginally better behaved than the Dutch.

Anyway, just a few thoughts for a Saturday morning........

New Update

Well I've been knocking myself out lately, and there's a new update to the DIY Expat Guide. This marks the second major update in two months, but the big thing this time is 25 pages (A4 pages) of prime jobs links for 15 European countries.
I've checked each of the links, reviewed a bunch and included others which I will be reviewing at a later date. In the meantime, it means that when you buy the DIY Expat Guide, you get not only the most information about work permits and beneficial residency visas for non-EU citizens, you also get one of the most complete job website listings in existence. Sites which feature English pages have been highlighted, but for those intrepid souls we've included local language sites too!

I want everything...

Selling something in a competitive marketplace means being better than the competition. That works if you're selling DVD players, baseball cards, on-line books.... whatever. That's because the successful business person wants to see a profit and continue to see a profit. The old adages about a happy customer are true, but only if that customer is paying for something.

From a business points of view, I think it's pretty odd that someone would expect me to go through a large amount of time, expense and headache to put together a top-flight product which I would then give away for no discernable purpose or gain.

I was aware of this when I first started writing the book, so in addition to all of the content about the countries, I added original content to make all of that information usable, and understandable, to the average reader. These are people who want to eventually get to enjoy some of the benefits that I do from working in Europe, such as employer health care, full pension and five weeks of holiday every year, not waste months and years learning about the complexities of immigration laws sitting in a basement in Seattle or Bangalore.

So, why blunder for months when you can have the inside track about Germany, and the rest of the European Union, from one source in plain, readable English... now.

Bringing an Unmarried Partner to Europe

I recently had the following question com in to the website. It was well thought out and on-target... just the kind of email which is easy to respond to.

From Sally:

Dear Joe Freeman,

I briefly read over your article "Europe Wants You : Opportunities for Working in Europe are Expanding for Non-European Citizens."

I was hoping you could point me in a good direction. I am looking to go live with my boyfriend in the south of Ireland, I will have living accomodations and a means of travel, but would still like to get a job that will improve my resume. I am a recent college graduate with an economics degree. Right now I am in insurance, and could make a change, so it's really about being with my boyfriend.

Thank you so much,
Sally

My response:

Dear Sally,

Reading your email, I think you might have a few options. Things depend on your boyfriend's nationality, if he's Irish or a national of another EU country, you will probably have more options than if he isn't.

If he is (Irish/EU), then look into what possibilities there are for unmarried couples in Ireland. It used to be that only those who were married could apply for family reunification, but this may have changed. I do know that it's possible to live as an unmarried couple in the UK, Belgium, Netherlands or Sweden. The local conditions vary, though, as to what officials will deem a solid relationship and what kind of evidence
they're looking for.

You also might look into a program run by BUNAC which allows you to work in Ireland for up to four months and gives you a work permit from the get-go. (So, if you want to take up a job in Ireland, you can and, temporarily, don't need a work permit.)

Best regards,

Joe

The Fourth Edition is out!

Our most recent update is now published!

The latest edition has seen the page count go from 125 pages to 225, including significant expansion of information on the United Kingdom, France, Austria, Italy, Portugal and covering strategies and up-to-date information on using EU law to easily move around the European Union... with more rights and freer access to the job market than ever before!

(Later in the spring, we will have an update on the EU Blue Card, self-employment and contracting.)

http://www.diyexpat.com/bookorder2.html