Job hunting in Europe University of Manchester Careers Blog

Job hunting in Europe Lately I have been talking to many EU graduates who are widening their job searches beyond their home country and taking advantage of their right to work in other EU nations. Just this week I spent a very interesting afternoon learning about German CV and covering letter protocols to give feedback on a science postdoc application. Working abroad is obviously easiest if you already have some language skills, but can also be a possibility worth considering if the workplace you are interested in is likely to be English-speaking and you are prepared to learn the local language for daily living,   (lab work is one example of this as English is widely used in the science sector.) Even if you are already fluent in the local language it is important to be aware of the cultural differences you are likely to come across in terms of job hunting etiquette, the workplace environment and lifestyle. The better you prepare the more successful your applications are likely to be and the more positive your experience will be when you get there. If working in Europe is a new possibility for you start by browsing the links on our Europe page and if appropriate the country pages for France, Germany, Italy, Portugal and Spain. The latest issue of Eurograduate magazine includes articles on cultural awareness, a debate on whether English should be the lingua franca of international companies and news on specific sectors including electrical engineering, finance and travel, tourism hospitality. Sites like EURES (the EU job mobility portal) and Eurograduate are not only useful for vacancy searching but also for exploring application protocols (did you know for instance that a German CV should be signed?) The country profiles on EURES also are great for Labour Market Information finding out which countries and regions have skills shortages and surpluses so you can see where your skills may be in particular demand. You could also book an appointment with a Careers Consultant to discuss your job hunting tactics and get suggestions. All Graduate Applications and interviews international jobs job hunting job market