Are you looking for a job abroad? Stick to the following tips

Looking for a new job is a big challenge, especially for candidates who want to work abroad. Not all information about vacancies is publicly circulated, as employers often use non-standard channels to reach candidates. In order for the search to bring the intended results, you should take this fact into account in your plan. Taking proactive measures can increase the candidate’s chances of achieving the set goal. Here are the issues that, according to the CPC Consulting expert, are worth remembering when looking for a job abroad.

Review job offers regularly and send CVs

Every day you can find interesting job offers abroad on online job boards. The portals allow for easy and quick selection of offers, m.in. in terms of location, industry, job level, knowledge of foreign languages and programs. It is worth browsing specialized advertising portals, e.g. infopraca.pl, pracuj.pl and websites of employment agencies, e.g. CPC Consulting. The most up-to-date offers and information about ongoing recruitment projects appear there. An unlimited number of candidates have access to job advertisements abroad, so if an interesting offer appears, you need to respond to it quickly. It is best for the candidate to send their application when they meet the requirements in the advertisement in at least 80%. The sooner they match their CV to the advertisement and send it to the employer, the better their chances of participating in the recruitment process.

Select the country of economic emigration

When deciding to work abroad, it is worth finding out what opportunities a trip to individual countries brings. Information about working conditions, minimum wage, holiday entitlement, as well as obligations that should be met by a foreigner taking up work in a given country are just some of those worth knowing. CPC Consulting most often posts employees to Germany and Austria.

Germany is a country that offers many professional opportunities. Both specialists who know German and people with no experience and no knowledge of the language can count on finding an interesting job. Manual workers for simple production or warehouse work are particularly in demand. The market demand also applies to professionals m.in. welders, locksmiths, mechanics, varnishers, carpenters and pavers. The minimum hourly wage for work in Germany is 8.91 Euro gross. The number of vacation days depends on the company where the posted employee works and the location, but usually it is not less than 24 days per year. A person who works in Germany has the opportunity to apply for social benefits. For example, parents can receive “Kindergeld”, i.e. a child benefit.

The Austrian labour market needs production workers as well as specialists in the technical sector who know German at least at a communicative level. Construction workers, earthmoving specialists, machine operators, carpenters with experience are particularly in demand. Currently, the minimum hourly wage in Austria is 8.49 Euro gross. The rates for employees performing work in individual positions are based on collective agreements applicable to a given industry. Collective agreements are agreements that are usually concluded once a year by industry trade unions with employers in a given industry. The employee has the right to inspect the collective agreement that applies in the company. The number of days of paid leave is 25. Employees also receive very attractive allowances in the form of the 13th and 14th salary.

Use the support of a professional employment agency

The decision to work outside your own country is usually difficult and involves many unknowns. Even if you manage to find a job while still in Poland, you still have to arrange accommodation and complete formalities on the spot. Therefore, it is worth considering going abroad through a certified employment agency that supports the candidate, not only at every stage of recruitment, but also during the stay abroad, after starting work. By deciding to work with an employment agency, the candidate can be sure that the trip will be completely legal and the remuneration for work will be paid on time. The employee is not only provided with a secure place to stay and work abroad, but also has constant support from the agency’s consultants in dealing with official matters abroad and solving current problems. Employment agencies provide their employees with assistance in finding accommodation. Depending on the terms of the contract, this accommodation is often free of charge for the employee or associated with a small surcharge on his part. Employment agencies that post workers to work abroad or recruit them for direct employment with a foreign employer do not charge employees any fees.

Poles have a reputation of hardworking and committed employees, which is why they are eagerly employed by companies abroad. When looking for candidates abroad, employers in Germany, Austria or Norway often use the support of specialized, certified employment agencies, which take responsibility for the process of recruiting candidates tailored to the client’s needs, cross-border delegation, as well as for the legality of their employment and the correctness of subsequent settlements – believes Agnieszka Nocuń, Key Account Manager at CPC Consulting.

Be honest about your level of foreign language proficiency

In the case of going to work abroad, a very common criterion taken into account when selecting a candidate is knowledge of a foreign language. Unfortunately, one of the most common mistakes made by candidates is overestimating the level of language proficiency. And in the case of going to work abroad, it is almost certain that during the interview the recruiter will check to what extent the candidate speaks the declared foreign language. Therefore, in order not to be accused of insincerity, it is better not to exaggerate your language skills in your CV. Thanks to this, the candidate will not rule out his chance of getting a job.

Employment agencies always inform in the advertisement what level of language knowledge the employer requires. The fact that the candidate knows him at a basic level does not rule out his chances of getting a job. Most often, only in the case of middle and senior level positions, a very good or fluent knowledge of the language is required – comments Agnieszka Nocuń from CPC Consulting.

Share your experience abroad

Professional experience gained in the country to which the candidate would like to go is extremely valuable, so it is worth boasting about it. If the candidate has recommendations from foreign employers, they should take them with them to the interview and present them to the recruiter. This may influence his decision and offer the candidate a job. All courses, including language courses and internships, in which the candidate has taken part abroad or which have been aimed at improving his professional qualifications, can increase his chances of getting a job. The training courses that the candidate attended during their studies or high school also count.

Motivation to work

From the point of view of foreign employers, the candidate’s motivation to leave is very important. If a person is invited to an interview, they are very likely to be asked about their reasons for going to work abroad. Is it mainly motivated by the desire to earn more money, improve their knowledge of a foreign language or maybe make their dream of going to a given country come true? It should be remembered that the most important thing for the employer is what benefits his company will bring to hiring a given employee. If the candidate is primarily interested in earning money, he should mention that he is ready to work overtime and on Saturdays. If you want to learn a foreign language, you can add that you will make the most of your free time to achieve this goal. This will allow it to integrate with other employees faster. If the candidate has always dreamed of going to Germany, for example, he can mention that he is interested in working for a longer period of time.

For the employer, this can be valuable information, because it is not uncommon for companies cooperating with CPC Consulting to look for candidates to work for a period of several or even several months. In such a situation, both the candidate’s declaration of willingness to stay longer in the country of posting or the improvement of language skills may increase his or her value for the employer – emphasizes the CPC Consulting expert.

The decision to go abroad to work is not an easy one. Completing the formalities related to starting a job, the need to find accommodation, as well as a different/foreign language and cultural differences are just some of the challenges that the candidate has to face. In this situation, it may sometimes be worth considering working in a certified, reliable employment agency that has experience in posting employees abroad.