Qs for people on the forum who are living abroad from Irishman looking for work

blsw

I noticed from the posts on this forum that many of you are currently living in Europe. I would like to ask if you could help me with the following.

I am an Irish lad who wants to leave Ireland to go to work somewhere in Europe for 1yr+. I have previously worked in The Netherlands and have a SOFI nember and have travelled throughout Europe previously.

I do not have a trade/qualification as I did not finish college and speak only English apart from a few words of Dutch.

Therefore I am relying on finding work either in the warehousing,production line,manual-general op or labouring areas. I would consider pub or hotel work but they wouldnt be my first preference.

I only have about 2500euros so want to try and organise something before I go rather than travel on spec

Do any of you know of multinationals or native companies in your city/town that might have positions available in the above areas or that have been known to hire people like myself with no trade and only english

If you can help I would really appreciate it. I know from reading back what Im writing that it is asking a lot. Hopefully some of you will know of something.

Thanks Lads

Zambia

Mate if you want to get out of Ireland your going to have to learn a trade or skill. You could get lucky and land something but if you had a skill it is much easier.

Seriously up skilling is the way to go.

kingofburt

I'd agree with the post above on learning a new trade, but from the sounds of your post you want to move sooner rather than later. With €2,500 you're pretty set for moving somewhere and surviving a month or so without income.

I'm in Barcelona and while I don't know about warehouse jobs off hand, I'd imagine a small level of local language would be essential, even just for the health and safety aspect. I know that there are a few large call centres based here (and in most other large cities) that want english speaking staff. http://www.barcelonayellow.com/bcn/employment/call-centre-jobs shows a few of the major companies. I was offered a position with sellbytel and the salary was about €1000 p/m plus bonus. Which is an okay wage here.

I would really recommend taking language lessons as soon as you're settled, obviously this will open up more opportunities and better money. Don't worry too much about a lack of trade, the fact that english is your first language will open lots of doors.

Good luck with your job hunt.

blsw

Thanks for replies lads,

To Kingofburt
I have been to Barca before and thought it would be a great city to live in but that the only opportunities would be for Tefl or barwork.

Your right about me wanting to leave sooner and I was half thinking of going on spec but Im afraid of not finding anything and spending the money in dribs and drabs and ending up back home broke

I have tried call centre sales work before but Im not much of a salesman to be honest. will check out that link anyway and see if there is some customer service work which might suit me better than sales

I have signed up with Idealista for flat hunting just in case something comes up. I sent off emails to the local Gaa club a while ago but nothing came of it. It might be worth it to contact them again

Can you recommend any language schools in particular

Thanks very much for your help

duff2690

Hi, im heading to barcelona on the 23rd from ireland to work for the summer. im a student and im just going to try my luck there because theres no jobs here.

I know some spainish because i learned it for 6 years at school and ive been going to spain for the last 12 years for the hols.

blsw

To duff2690
please do not clog up this thread with irrelevant posts. this thread is not for people to post where they are going to look for work.

it is for people who are living abroad or who have lived abroad to post replies so that they can try to help me and others like me who are in the same situation find work abroad

thanks

burrentech

blsw wrote: »

I noticed from the posts on this forum that many of you are currently living in Europe. I would like to ask if you could help me with the following.

I am an Irish lad who wants to leave Ireland to go to work somewhere in Europe for 1yr+. I have previously worked in The Netherlands and have a SOFI nember and have travelled throughout Europe previously.

I do not have a trade/qualification as I did not finish college and speak only English apart from a few words of Dutch.

Therefore I am relying on finding work either in the warehousing,production line,manual-general op or labouring areas. I would consider pub or hotel work but they wouldnt be my first preference.

I only have about 2500euros so want to try and organise something before I go rather than travel on spec

Do any of you know of multinationals or native companies in your city/town that might have positions available in the above areas or that have been known to hire people like myself with no trade and only english

If you can help I would really appreciate it. I know from reading back what Im writing that it is asking a lot. Hopefully some of you will know of something.

Thanks Lads

I guess your best bet would be the UK then. You'd probably stand a better chance of getting a non-skilled job.

I assume getting out quick is your goal. Perhaps signing up for a course of study in the UK. Advantages, you're out of Ireland, you can work while you're studying, after your course the world's your lobster Down side could be costs associated with studying in the UK

If you have any friends or family abroad perhaps they could help with an introduction.

djdrobins

I am currently in France - decided to do an Erasmus with college (i'm 34 and went back to college again to upskill - gotta upskill). Anyway, the 2500e won't get you far here. I never thought there was a place dearer then Ireland but I was wrong. France is very dear, day to day stuff is just crazy, eating out, clothes, books, DVD,s everything.
So don't head here, that and they too are slow with the jobs - and without the language you will be in trouble here. My French is ok - I can get by, but tried to get a part time job when I arrived - to help my money situation as never knew it was soo dear and there aren't even part time jobs here.
Was told, and this is my point - try looking into camp sites, caravan parks, somewhere that a lot of english speaking people go - either to holiday or just visit. (Tourism locations etc)
You might get lucky.

Good luck.

De

blsw

Thanks Burrentech, there are lots of jobs advertised for the UK on the Eures website but Im not considering moving to the UK as the culture is too similar to here.

I want to move to somewhere in mainland Europe

Scandinavia, Holland and Germany would be probably easier for English speakers to assimilate and they would have a higher minimum wage but Spain and Italy would be be probably better for lifestyle

busyliving

blsw wrote: »

Thanks Burrentech, there are lots of jobs advertised for the UK on the Eures website but Im not considering moving to the UK as the culture is too similar to here.

I want to move to somewhere in mainland Europe

Scandinavia, Holland and Germany would be probably easier for English speakers to assimilate and they would have a higher minimum wage but Spain and Italy would be be probably better for lifestyle

If your thinking Germany, be warned that the further east you go in Germany the less English is spoken, and apparently their level of English in Germany is poor(this is according to a Germen girl I’ve met here in Australia, her English is very good and insists its poor, so I don't know).

But if you’re going anywhere in Europe it would be strongly recommended that you learn some of the local language.

With regards to Italy and Spain the level of unemployment for people under 30 is in the region of 20% last i heard, just do your research mate

Hope this helped

blsw

Thanks djdrobins and busyliving.

I thought France was expensive and language would be a bigger problem there than elsewhere so ruled it out. I have some French from school but I dont think it would be strong enough to get me by

Ive more or less ruled Italy out for the same reasons - cost of living, poor wages and language barrier

I was aware of both the Spanish unemployment rate and the fact that English wouldnt be widely spoken in Germany especially outside the major cities

Wherever I go im definetly learning the local language. I made the mistake before when living in Holland of not learning the language as English was so widely spoken

kaki

Hey mate,

I know you said you ruled out Italy, but there's a call centre (that I've previously worked in) desperately looking for English-native speaker staff (customer care for an automobile company) as they were already understaffed and are now expanding to encompass other brands.

They would prefer if you have a few words of Italian (higher management are Italian) but that said many of my colleagues had nothing other than ciao, pizza, pasta...

Here's an ad: https://www.infojobs.it/arese/customer-care-for-english-native-speakers/of-iB1838E35-2219-5404-B0B0DB5F6310E79E

They also were offering a relocation package of €2000 when I joined (€1000 extra in first paycheck, 500 in third, 500 in sixth.)

Remember though, if there's one thing I've learned it's that a **** job's a **** job, wherever you are. If you've any more questions fire away!

blsw

Thanks Kaki, sent you Pm

burrentech

blsw wrote: »

Thanks Burrentech, there are lots of jobs advertised for the UK on the Eures website but Im not considering moving to the UK as the culture is too similar to here.

I want to move to somewhere in mainland Europe

Scandinavia, Holland and Germany would be probably easier for English speakers to assimilate and they would have a higher minimum wage but Spain and Italy would be be probably better for lifestyle

Then Holland is your best bet, Finland, certainly the places I visited is probably not the place for you, although I had a great time and enjoyed it immensely. Sweden was great, good English speaker in Stockholm, but expensive. Holland is good especially if you are willing to invest in learning the language, you'd be amazed how people are impressed if you speak Dutch (lived there 10 years). Belgium (spent 2 years there) is also an option, Brussel is OK but be careful you don't end up involved with the Irish/British expat community, it can be strange. Antwerpen is where the action is, and is not so EU as Brussel is.

The Italian opportunity sounds perfect, if I wasn't in the middle of another project I'd consider it myself :cool:

The main thing is, go in with a positive attitude, start learning the local language ASAP, and get to know the locals. If you gravitate towards the expats you'll have problems, not to say you can't be friends with the English speakers, but from experience you'll have more fun if you integrate with the locals first :eek:

Marineinsitute

duff2690 wrote: »

Hi, im heading to barcelona on the 23rd from ireland to work for the summer. im a student and im just going to try my luck there because theres no jobs here.

In all fairness I think you are heading to the wrong country for work. They have a higher unemployment rate then Ireland and the rate for under 25's is 23%. Best of luck though.

If your looking for bar work head to Madrid. They are always looking for Irish bar people for the Irish pubs in Santiago and there are also a few irish pubs in Sol.

scruff321

I second the bar work suggestion. A great thing about being Irish in most places you'l always have a shot of getting a job in an Irish bar! You'd have to take a chance and go to the actual city though. i lived in 3 different countries and worked as a barman in 2 and a bar back in the other. although one of the jobs i quit after a day but that was purely because i didnt really need the job (was a student at the time)

Best of luck with the job search.

syklops

Monster in the Czech Republic are looking for inexperienced native speakers for customer service roles. It pays enough to have a good lifestyle, in the meantime you can check out childcare opportunities.

There are also entry level jobs at IBM, in sort of clerical roles. Let me know if you want to submit a CV. I can put it in front of people.

keithclancy

blsw wrote: »

Thanks Burrentech, there are lots of jobs advertised for the UK on the Eures website but Im not considering moving to the UK as the culture is too similar to here.

I want to move to somewhere in mainland Europe

Scandinavia, Holland and Germany would be probably easier for English speakers to assimilate and they would have a higher minimum wage but Spain and Italy would be be probably better for lifestyle

The Minimum wage in Holland is much lower than Ireland.

Monthly its EUR1,264.80 (circa) for a person over 25 working a 39 hour week.

http://www.eurofound.europa.eu/eiro/2005/07/study/tn0507101s.htm

Jarren

keithclancy wrote: »

The Minimum wage in Holland is much lower than Ireland.

Monthly its EUR1,264.80 (circa) for a person over 25 working a 39 hour week.

http://www.eurofound.europa.eu/eiro/2005/07/study/tn0507101s.htm

Not much lower

About this document
ID: TN0507101S
Author: Lothar Funk and Hagen Lesch
Country: EU Countries
Language: EN
Publication date: 03-08-2005

The document you linked is from 2005

The one below would be much more accurate IMHO

http://epp.eurostat.ec.europa.eu/statistics_explained/images/7/70/MW_map_EUR_January_2011.png

http://epp.eurostat.ec.europa.eu/statistics_explained/index.php/Minimum_wage_statistics

keithclancy

The one in the Doc I posted looks more like an average, heres the actual government number from the Rijksoverheid:

http://www.rijksoverheid.nl/documenten-en-publicaties/vragen-en-antwoorden/hoe-hoog-is-het-minimumloon.html

Over 23 years of age its 1424 / month

If your 20 years of age for example the minimum wage is only 876 / month.

They've changed the limits also, in 2007 when I got here the scale went up to 25, now its up to 23.

Assclown of Destiny!

I live in east Germany and they're always looking for native English speakers to teach English in the small towns if you're into that.

You don't need any teaching certs.
I taught English in a small town and made some contacts which led to a decent job in manfacturing plant.