First Jobs in Europe
EURES stories
«
Welcome to Your First Job Abroad, a brand new initiative in 2008 from EURES, the
European Employment Services!
EURES helps thousands of European citizens every year find work in another EU state,
and this initiative is designed to highlight the exciting work being done all over the
continent. The idea of Your First Job Abroad is simple: take an assortment of people
being helped by EURES to find work elsewhere in Europe for the very first time, and
follow them throughout their time abroad, sharing their challenges and their successes.
This booklet features a selection of these employees: from engineers to waiters,
marketing staff to architects, and receptionists to machine technicians, people from all
walks of life can be found in these pages as they embark upon their first job abroad.
All participants, like all other jobseekers and employers who approach EURES for
help, have received (and continue to receive) full mentoring free of charge from EURES
Advisers, of whom there are over 750 all over Europe. They are the local face of
EURES’ wide network, all trained in labour mobility issues and working with the
national public employment services to provide an all-round job matching service for
employers and jobseekers alike.
Free movement across national borders is a fundamental right of every European
citizen. Not only does an actively mobile labour market keep the economy healthy,
but it allows individuals to gain invaluable personal and professional experience on
an international level. In some cases people remain abroad for the rest of their lives;
many others return to their home country enriched by the new skills and experience
they have gained elsewhere. Either way, EURES is here for you.
«
Wallis Goelen
Head of the Employment Services and
Mobility Unit of the European Commission
eures.europa.eu
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Introduction
Maria Savarese, Italian
Public Relations Assistant, Palafox Hoteles, Zaragoza, Spain
7
Alberto Picón del Val, Spanish
Machine Technician, Ishida Gmbh, Schwäbisch Hall, Germany
7
Kristina Orzekauskaite, Lithuanian
Facilities Management Trainee, Minerva SpcA, Gorizia, Italy
,
,
Alvaro Sanchez de Lucas, Spanish
Market Research Assistant, European Union Federation of Youth Hostels
Association, Brussels, Belgium
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Vera Lucia Lopes Afonso, Portuguese
Technician in the 123 Items Department, Playmobil, Malta
9
Filipe Alexandre Pascoalinho Vaz Condez, Portuguese
Process Technician in the Plastic Injection department, Playmobil, Malta
9
Alessandra D’Angeli, Italian
Aerospace Engineer, FuE-Future Engineering GmbH, Hamburg, Germany
10
Katalin Urbanovics, Hungarian
Receptionist, Hotel La Solitude, Lourdes, France
10
Tânia Andreia Guerreiro da Costa, Portuguese
Design Engineer, Citec Engineering OY, Vaasa, Finland
11
Annamária Vaneková, Slovakian
Marketing and Event Officer, Tatai Városkapu, Tata, Hungary
11
Overview of EURES
12
Erasmo Benna, Italian
Aerospace engineer, AEROTEC Engineering GmbH, Hamburg, Germany
14
Nuno Fragoso, Portuguese
Receptionist at PortAventura Hotel, Salou, Catalonia, Spain
14
Plamen Lazarov, Bulgarian
Bartender, Panayides Bross (Nissi) Ltd., Ayia Napa, Cyprus
15
Inga Bischoff, German
Project designer, DWPA Architectes, Strasbourg, France
15
Petar Dimitrov, Bulgarian
Research and Planning Executive, DeLeMa, Nicosia, Cyprus
16
Indre Sabaitè, Lithuanian
Process Operator, 3S Solvay Shared Services, Lisbon, Portugal
You can find EURES in all 27 EU Member States, as well as in Norway, Iceland, Liechtenstein
(European Economic Area states) and Switzerland (a European Free Trade Agreement country).
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Dorota Warszawska, Polish
Office Manager, REPREM (Relations Professionnelles et Emploi), Luxembourg
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Trinidad Cosano Estrada, Spanish
Secondary level Spanish teacher, Vsetin, Czech Republic
Nicola Gargano, Italian
Design Engineer, FuE-Future Engineering GmbH, Hamburg, Germany
Reija and Riina Poutanen, Finnish
Sales Assistants, Fashion Retailers Ltd, Sliema, Malta
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«
At the beginning of 2008 I was working back home
in Italy as a travel agent specialising in bookings
and reservations. Since May, though, I’ve been
working in public relations with an international
team in a beautiful Spanish city, in the best hotel
in town: I have Spanish, Chinese and Swedish collegues, and my boss is Dutch. I’ve been mentored
the whole way, and am learning so many things.
One of my projects is an enormously important
upcoming international event happening here this
year: Expo 2008! Palafox Hoteles is going to open
a new 5-star hotel inside the Expo area and it will
give me a great opportunity to get involved. This
huge event is allowing the town to develop, so it’s
an exciting time to be here.
Maria Savarese
26, Italian
First job abroad: Public Relations Assistant,
Palafox Hoteles, Zaragoza, Spain
If I can get a job here in Zaragoza after my current contract I would be happy to stay; if not, I’m
also interested in exploring somewhere new. I’d
like to get enough experience to be able to look
for a job afterwards in an international field, such
as at an embassy, cultural institute or translation
service. Eventually, though, I’d like to work in this
field back in Italy so that I can help my country
to develop relationships and cooperative alliances
with the rest of the EU.
«
The unemployment rate for
15-24 year olds in the EU27 has
fallen over recent years from
19.2% in January 2004 to 16.8%
in January 2007.
First job abroad: Machine Technician, Ishida Gmbh,
Schwäbisch Hall, Germany
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Back home in Spain I worked in various companies as an electrician,
fixing computers, monitors, cash desks
and other electronic devices. I then
switched to work as a ‘Mechatroniker’
(electrical mechanic), which means
that I was responsible for the assembly,
maintenance and repair of armoured
vehicles. I had already started to have
the feeling that my best chances were
abroad, and then I met my German
girlfriend, which made me much more
open to the idea – so the Your First Job
Abroad initiative came at a perfect
time.
I’ve had a permanent contract at Ishida,
a food packing design, manufacture
and installation company, since the
beginning of May and I’m very satisfied with my job. The company is very
good, and really invests a lot in me
via training and very good day-to-day
support. I hope to show that I am a ‘good
investment’! Now EURES is supporting
me with the official recognition of my
skills and previous training, which is
great. At the moment my girlfriend and
I are looking for a joint apartment; once
things have been sorted out with that,
then we’ll look at future plans. For the
next few years I’d like to work on my
career, but, as I’ve found out, one never
knows what’s next!
«
Alberto Picón del Val
28, Spanish
«
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«
Back in Portugal, amongst other jobs, I worked as
an industrial maintenance officer for Volkswagen
AutoEuropa as well as for Refrige Coca-Cola, but,
since I could not find a job directly related to my
studies, I decided to move abroad. Currently, I
am working for Playmobil Malta, where my main
responsibilities include development work in
items assembly, ultrasonic welding, painting
and packaging, coordinating production teams,
machine management, and machine troubleshooting.
EURES helped me every step of the way and even
sat in on my interview with Playmobil to make
sure that discussions about the conditions were
clear – and they are still in contact with me to
make sure things are going well.
«
I started teaching English when I was a student at
university, and I’ve been an English teacher ever
since. However, I knew that one day I would want
to change jobs in order to try something completely new and challenging. I was looking for ways to
branch out and do something in the international
sphere when I heard about Your First Job Abroad.
I’ve always been curious and very open to different
cultures, and I knew that I wanted to work in Italy
– these two desires combined to make this initiative perfect for me, so I decided to try my luck!
First job abroad: Facilities Management Trainee,
Minerva SpcA, Gorizia, Italy
«
Kristina Orzekauskaite
32, Lithuanian
I’m now working on the planning and supply of
logistics and maintenance services, a role which
requires a creative mind, enthusiasm and a teamworking attitude. Discovering and learning new
things makes me very happy, and I can’t wait for
the coming months – my life has already completely changed beyond recognition. Perhaps I will
discover some qualities and skills that I never
knew I had!
Vera Lucia Lopes Afonso
28, Portuguese
First job abroad: Technician in the 123 Items
Department, Playmobil, Malta
Everything was new at first – where to find the
best food, where to get answers about registration answered, where to take English lessons and
so on. But, with the help of my colleagues and
employers, and since most of the Maltese speak
English, it was easy to discover all the places to
visit. I love going to the beach, visiting historical places, going shopping, and trying Maltese
food. I live with my boyfriend who also works at
Playmobil here in Malta on the Your First Job
Abroad scheme, so we are a truly international
couple!
«
,
,
Alvaro Sanchez de Lucas
25, Spanish
«
The association I work for represents 1,800 Youth Hostels across
Europe, 2.8 million members
and 24 million overnight stays
every year – so the months ahead
will be interesting and varied.
The most positive aspect, apart
from the professional skills I will
develop, is all the people I‘m
hoping to meet during this time.
New friends, new languages,
new places to visit: a whole new
experience for me! And maybe I
will also have the opportunity of
staying here afterwards...
I am really excited about my
new
job, and hope to learn
First job abroad: Market Research Assistant, European
as much as I can. I‘ve never
Union Federation of Youth Hostels Association,
worked in jobs related to my
studies
(Business Administration
Brussels, Belgium
and Management Science) before,
so I also feel like I’ve been able to
step forward in my career. At this
stage, I don’t have long-term
plans, at least not longer than
settling into this job! I would
like to plan some trips to other
countries in Europe, of course,
but for now I’m not planning to
go back to my home country.
There are still lots of things to do
before then!
«
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«
My girlfriend Vera Lucia Lopes Afonso
and I decided to look for work abroad
in order to pursue our chosen profession as technicians, so the Your First
Job Abroad scheme was perfect for
us. Playmobil have been helpful from
the start, while EURES have made
sure that we’re always kept in the loop
Injection about what’s going on. We were given
full theoretical training before being
shown how to use the machines, and
are given a lot of personal responsibility which keeps things stimulating.
I’m constantly learning new things – it
gives me a sense of real accomplishment when I can find practical solutions to technical problems.
Filipe Alexandre Pascoalinho Vaz Condez
35, Portuguese
First job abroad: Process Technician in the Plastic
department, Playmobil, Malta
If we could find suitable jobs back
in Portugal we would probably look
to return in a few years, but for now
we’re more than happy living abroad.
Malta’s a really nice place to live,
and it’s great fun to observe the local
Maltese customs and culture and to try
to join in with them. So far it’s been a
real adventure for both of us. We feel
so settled that we’ve even bought a dog
here, which accompanies us on our
walks on the beach.
«
In 2005, within the EU, the
gender pay gap was smallest
in Malta at 4% and highest
in Estonia and Cyprus at 25%.
The employment rate of those
who had completed tertiary
education was 83.1 % across
the EU-27 in 2006, much higher
than the rate (47.9 %) for those
who had only attained a low
educational level (primary or
lower secondary education).
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«
Previously, I worked for an aerospace
company involved in the building of the
first Italian rocket, and later for a company
involved in the selling and acquisition of
aircraft and the visual inspection of aircraft.
Though this was very exciting, I joined the
Your First Job Abroad programme because I
felt I needed a change from my old position.
I was really looking forward to exploring
different international working environments in order to improve my professional
capabilities and to find better working
conditions, and I haven’t been let down.
«
Across the EU27 in 2006, the
employment rate for women was 57.2%,
a significantly higher rate than that
recorded (54.3%) in 2001. Thirteen
Member States recorded employment
rates for women above the target
60% in 2006, with the rates recorded in
Denmark and Sweden exceeding 70%.
First job abroad: Receptionist, Hotel La Solitude,
Lourdes, France
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When I first applied to Your First Job
Abroad, travel was the perk I was
looking for. I was over the moon
when I found out that I would be
going to France – trying something
completely new and being in another country is something I’ve
dreamt of for years.
At the beginning, things were
not easy, because everything
felt so new – but time went so
fast and the first difficulties soon
disappeared, thanks to a pleasant
working
environment.
Now
I love living here: it’s a great
opportunity and at the same
time a welcome challenge. It’s a
wonderful opportunity to practise
French and to travel through the
region. The hotel I am working for
belongs to a family enterprise called
Hotels Vinuales, which owns six
hotels. Every day is different, with
new people and new challenges.
I am very happy to work here,
as the building is beautiful, my
colleagues are nice, and the
management is supportive. In
addition, salaries in France are
higher than in Hungary.
My family and my friends are very
proud of me, which makes me
feel great – and I’m also proud of
myself. I’m certain that with this
foreign experience I have a much
better chance of getting a job in
Hungary in the future.
«
Katalin Urbanovics
24, Hungarian
«
Tânia Andreia Guerreiro da Costa
23, Portuguese
First job abroad: Design Engineer,
Citec Engineering OY, Vaasa, Finland
In 2005 the European Commission
adopted the European Youth Pact, which
is an integral part of the Lisbon Strategy.
It ensures that special attention is given
to the employment and social inclusion
of young people when the EU and the
Member States develop their policies
to reduce unemployment.
Annamária Vaneková
27, Slovakian
First job abroad: Marketing and Event Officer,
Tatai Városkapu, Tata, Hungary
«
I am currently working for Tatai Városkapu,
a non-profit organisation which promotes
the image of the Hungarian town of Tata,
a baroque town with 24,000 inhabitants
situated near the Vienna-Budapest motorway. My main activities include organising
events, writing tenders and conducting
marketing and communication activities.
I organise a variety of events: from
visits to the open-air geological museum to
lakes, parks and outdoor swimming pools.
I also work on setting up festivals, outdoor
concerts and sports events. I really
enjoy creating marketing strategies and
communicating with other people.
My EURES Adviser gave me advice on all
sorts of things, including information living
and working conditions before I moved,
help with finding my job, of course, and advice on Hungarian documents while I was
in the process of getting settled in. Although
I work quite long hours, I like my job a lot,
and enjoy coming up with solutions on
the spot when problems occur – things are
never the same from project to project,
which is very exciting. It has been an invaluable experience because I have been able
to meet people with diverse backgrounds.
My interactions with them have helped me
to broaden my prospects in terms of future
career developments.
«
Alessandra D’Angeli
33, Italian
I always wanted to gain international work
experience for both professional and personal
reasons, and especially in order to learn about
different cultures and work ethics. I wanted to see
how would I survive abroad without the people I’m
used to and away from the places I have lived all
my life. My colleagues are really nice and help me
a lot; at first it took me some time to get to the
point where I could work totally independently, but
I now feel much more at ease and find it a truly interesting, stimulating job. I particularly appreciate
the fact that the company is in Vaasa, a small city,
as there are not too many people and it is not as
chaotic as Lisbon, where I lived before.
«
The company I am currently working for is
a design and stress engineering consultancy
– our main client is a large company that
build aircrafts. It is an extremely motivating
experience thanks to the young, international
working environment; I work with people
First job abroad: Aerospace Engineer,
from completely different backgrounds.
FuE-Future Engineering GmbH, Hamburg, Germany One of the aspects I enjoy most about this
programme has been the opportunity to
learn about new cultures and to get the most
out of them. Although I miss my loved ones,
my journey here has just begun, and I’m glad
to say that I’ll be staying in Hamburg for the
foreseeable future.
I am currently working as a Design Engineer in civil
engineering. Despite the fact that this is the area
I specialised in, I am exploring completely new
issues compared to those I’ve dealt with in the
past. My entire university course was about
reinforced concrete, whereas at the moment I work
on the drawing and modelling for steel structures.
Because of this, there is a multitude of things to
find out about – I’m learning something new every
day.
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Members of the Czech EURES team at
a European Job Day
Commissioner Vladimir Špidla meets stakeholders at
a EURES event
EURES: Your Job in Europe - eures.europa.eu
A free, comprehensive service for all Europeans
In 2008, the EURES portal offered over 1.25 million vacancies, 300,000 CVs and 15,000 registered employers
at any one time. Impressive numbers – but what is EURES, and how can these numbers help you?
Set up in 1993, EURES is a cooperation between the European Commission and the public employment
services of the 27 EU countries plus Norway, Iceland, Liechtenstein and Switzerland, as well as other partner
organisations. The service offers a human network of more than 750 EURES Advisers, each of whom is in
daily contact with jobseekers and employers across Europe – completely free of charge. These advisers, and
the EURES portal, provide information, advice and job-matching services for the benefit of European workers
and employers, as well as any citizen wishing to benefit from the principle of the free movement of persons.
EURES has three main goals: to inform, guide and provide advice on job opportunities (as well as living
and working conditions in the European Economic Area) to potentially mobile workers; to assist employers
wishing to recruit workers from other countries; and to provide advice and guidance to workers and
employers in cross-border regions, i.e. those areas in which there are significant levels of cross-border
commuting.
Crossing borders – every morning
More than 600,000 people live in one EU Member State and work in another, meaning that they have to cope
with different national practices and legal systems. EU Member States have special agreements in place to
make this easier for workers – however, the information available is vast and sometimes confusing. In order
to help, there are currently over 20 EURES cross-border partnerships, spread geographically throughout the
border regions of Europe, and involving more than 13 countries. Aiming to meet the need for information and
coordination connected with labour mobility in the border regions, these partnerships bring together public
employment and vocational training services, employers and trade union organisations, local authorities and
other institutions dealing with employment and vocational training. EURES cross-border partnerships serve
as valuable points of contact within employment administrations, both regional and national, and social
partners. They are also an important means of monitoring these cross-border employment areas, which are a
key element in the development of a genuine European labour market.
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How does EURES work with the public employment services?
Public employment services offer easy access to the labour market at local, national and European
level to all jobseekers, employers and companies specialising in staff recruitment. To this end, they provide
comprehensive and detailed information on available jobs and jobseekers, and on related matters of interest.
They also offer a wide range of active services that assist with job searches and staff recruitment. The European
public employment services ensure that no jobseeker is marginalised by a lack of adequate assistance to find
suitable employment. Enterprises are offered a range of quality services that match their needs and labour
market conditions.
Together, Europe’s public employment services consist of a network of more than 5,000 local employment
offices with more than 100,000 staff offering services to jobseekers and employers. EURES Advisers are placed
within these local offices in order to maximise the interaction between national and European assistance.
Many EURES Advisers work for both their public employment service and EURES; some are full-time EURES
Advisers. Either way, you can be sure that they will have been fully trained in labour mobility issues and can
help you with every step of your European job search.
Real ‘mobile recruitment’ with EURES’ online job and CV search
I’m looking for a job abroad: how can the EURES website help?
Jobseekers can directly search the EURES job database online, or they can go through their local public
employment service, which integrates EURES vacancies into their own lists of vacancies. Jobseekers can
also make their CVs available online via the CV search database, and can keep up to date with the latest job
offers by requesting email alerts through ‘My EURES’. You can even ask for jobs matching your profile to be
delivered direct to your mailbox on the same day they are posted.
I’m an employer: why should I use the website?
All employers located within the EEA can advertise their vacancies on the EURES job database, giving them
access to jobseekers from all 27 EU Member States. Employers can access the database to head-hunt and can
contact suitably qualified candidates directly without using an intermediary.
And, of course, there’s always a EURES Adviser close at hand if employers or jobseekers need more in-depth
advice and guidance.
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«
«
I have chosen to work abroad to explore new
experiences, to learn a new language, to increase
my professional capabilities and to work in the
field of my studies. With my degree in Aerospace Engineering I had job opportunities in my
country, but only as a generic engineer – and, in
fact, I even spent some time working as a policeman, during which time I built on my computer
science skills. Instead, in Germany I now work
in my specialised field: aeronautics. I studied for
years to become an aerospace engineer and want
to give it my best shot now that I’ve come full
circle after doing other jobs.
First job abroad: Aerospace engineer,
AEROTEC Engineering GmbH,
Hamburg, Germany
Plamen Lazarov
37, Bulgarian
First job abroad: Bartender, Panayides Bross
(Nissi) Ltd., Ayia Napa, Cyprus
Apart from work, where I can improve my
professional skills, I also get to socialise with many
interesting and diverse people from so many
different areas, and they’re all so friendly. My
willingness to learn about other cultures and to
further develop my professional skills made me
decide to stay and continue working in Cyprus
after the season was over. Finally, I really appreciate
the fact that I’ve been put in contact with lots of
organisations who can help advise me on any
issues or questions that might come up.
«
Erasmo Benna
34, Italian
The greatest satisfaction I have from working here
is the professional and personal growth arising
from the daily interactions and challenges. What
I find great about my new company, AEROTEC
Engineering, is that it offers me lots of training
and support, a pleasant working environment
and interesting chances for career advancement.
I get hands-on guidance whenever I need it and
it is always a pleasure to work with my team!
Thanks to this, I’ve been able to cope much better
with the distance from my family, the initial stress
of a new job and the organisation of my new life.
I have never been abroad before, and this is why
I chose my destination under the Your First Job
Abroad programme carefully. I wanted to go somewhere I would feel comfortable, somewhere
which would be an interesting change while not
being too far from my home country. I also knew
I wanted to use my skills as a bartender, working
in a friendly and sunny place, where I could find
better job opportunities. Cyprus was the perfect
location to provide everything I was looking for.
My first trip abroad ever has certainly lived up to
expectations.
«
First job abroad: Receptionist at PortAventura
Hotel, Salou, Catalonia, Spain
I could not believe my luck when
I found out I would be taking part
in this programme. It has been
such a great experience. I was
especially excited when I found
out how perfectly suited my job
was: I’ve worked in the hospitality
industry in the past and was very
excited about being a receptionist in PortAventura. This was my
opportunity to change my life and
create a new future; there wasn’t
a minute to lose!
I have international flatmates here
– in a flat arranged by my employers – so we speak French together
and I’m learning Catalan as well.
I meet so many people and every
day I am discovering the different needs and characteristics of
different nationalities. I feel I
have the best of every world: I’m
furthering myself professionally, I’m
having a lot of fun, the sun shines,
I am living the European dream of
moving within the Union – once
I have met a nice Spanish girl
everything will be complete!
I had already travelled quite
extensively throughout Europe,
and this experience continues to
motivate me to experience more.
I think my next stop might be Italy
or England – I’m ready for my next
challenge.
«
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Inga Bischoff
27, German
First job abroad: Project Designer, DWPA
Strasbourg, France
«
I work as a full-time Project Designer at an
architect firm called DWPA in Strasbourg.
I studied architecture and then worked
in the field at home in Germany, so it
really is the perfect job abroad. The
studio is renowned in the children’s sites
construction area (educational sites/spaces) and I am currently working on the
renovation of an elementary school and the
construction of an after-school building.
On the one hand, the French approach to,
Architectes,
architecture requires extensive training,
for example in terms of the conceptualisation and drawing up of the plans as well
as the daily project coordination. On the
other hand, I greatly enjoy the freedom of
working independently with little supervision. Since the very beginning I was able
to integrate well into the team, and have
got involved as much as possible with the
various projects the firm is working on. In
short: my job is not always simple, but it’s
very interesting and instructive.
Besides the work aspect, it has been
a great opportunity to have first-hand
experience of French culture and the
French way of living. I really believe that,
in an ever more integrated Europe, such
experiences abroad are, both professionally
and personally, a unique opportunity for
growth. I’m so glad that I took the leap to
find out for myself.
«
«
More than 1.6 million European
students have taken part in
the Erasmus programme since
its foundation in 1987, and
31 countries participate.
Nuno Fragoso
31, Portuguese
The ICT industry contributes to
a quarter of EU’s total growth
and 4% of its jobs, but there is
currently a shortage of around
300,000 qualified staff.
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«
«
Back in Sofia in Bulgaria I worked in advertising for five years, and then in the marketing
department of a mobile telecoms operators as a
Media Relations and Planning Specialist. I now
work in an advertising agency called DeLeMa in
Nicosia, Cyprus – I gather and analyse the available
valuable information about our clients, their
competitors and media coverage of the market in
general. I’m gaining lots of experience in a very
different business environment with a different
language, and I get to meet lots of new people.
The position is very challenging and this makes
me eager to come to work every day.
First job abroad: Office Manager, REPREM
(Relations Professionnelles et Emploi),
Luxembourg
«
Ex-pat women interviewed
living in Switzerland, France and
Belgium ranked the highest in
satisfaction levels with their
lives abroad.
Indre Sabaitè
28, Lithuanian
16
I started my professional experience with internships in two
banks in Lithuania and then
worked as an economist in the
Accounting Department in a bank in
Vilnius. I now work at Solvay Shared
Services, part of the Solvay Group,
which has about 29,300 employees
working in over 400 companies
all over the world. I’m a Process
Operator, which means that I
update and control financial data for
customers and vendors. I started
with a three-week training course,
and after one month of work the
pace has definitely picked up – I’m
very much enjoying it. Furthermore,
all team members have been very
friendly from the beginning.
The main reason for me looking for
a job abroad in Europe was a wish
to learn new things, to increase my
professional knowledge on an international level, to see how work is
organised in other European countries and to improve my knowledge
of foreign languages. My EURES
Advisers helped me a lot in terms of
providing useful information about
Portugal, its tax system, prices,
salaries, transport and so on. I’ve
talked to them several times about
how I was settling in. I’m so happy
to be here, and Portugal is so interesting and varied that all my free
time wouldn’t be enough to explore
it all.
«
First job abroad: Process Operator, 3S Solvay
Shared Services, Lisbon, Portugal
«
When I am not at work I make the most of the
time available to see my new, international
friends and to travel to neighbouring France,
Germany and Belgium. What does the future hold?
Potentially further study to enable me to work as
a translator, maybe in Poland, or elsewhere. Life is
an adventure and as long as I take advantage of all
the opportunities offered to me I am sure I will be
happy.
‘Generation stage’ is an
expression becoming common
throughout Europe: in fact,
1.5 million young people in
France and Germany alone
complete internships every
year.
Trinidad Cosano Estrada
23, Spanish
First job abroad: Secondary level Spanish teacher,
Vsetin, Czech Republic
«
Before moving to Vsetin to teach Spanish I already had experience working with young people, from guided trips round Spain for secondary
school students to youth work and
international workshops. As a result,
I felt really prepared for this role and
was confident that I would do a good
job. Nevertheless it is daunting to
move to another country, particularly
when you don’t speak the language:
it’s a mixture of excitement, fear and
uncertainty. I think the most important
thing is optimism and the determination to throw yourself into the project
wholeheartedly. This I certainly did
and it has been very rewarding.
As well as teaching students I have
learnt a lot culturally about the Czech
Republic, met many interesting people and have even been able to improve my English as well, which was
one of my original aims. I have learnt
about different ways of working,
discovered new places and skills
while
simultaneously
expanding
my horizons. I would like to return
to Spain at some point, but for the
moment there is the rest of Europe to
discover!
«
First job abroad: Research and Planning
Executive, DeLeMa, Nicosia, Cyprus
Dorota Warszawska
22, Polish
«
Petar Dimitrov
33, Bulgarian
At the beginning it was of course rather difficult
to get used to a new job, new country, and new
language all at once. However, things quickly got
easier thanks to the fact that I really integrated
both at work and outside. After the initial feeling
of everything having changed, it is really interesting and stimulating to live and work in another
country. My wife and baby son were able to move
with me so we’ll be able to explore the country
together. Cyprus is a good, safe place to raise a
child, and we plan to stay here for some time
before perhaps trying somewhere else in Europe.
I have been working in Luxembourg for a couple
of months now. My work involves managing the
information available on the job market in Luxembourg for Polish workers searching to find a job
here. I translate available information into Polish
and translate the CECEPS programmes between
English and French: my knowledge of multiple
foreign languages has been essential for this job!
I am able to take responsibility for my own
professional areas and am working increasingly
autonomously. I enjoy the attractive working
conditions and hours, and the team here are
fantastic. We all get on well and work together
efficiently; this in turn motivates me to keep
pushing myself as much as possible.
17
«
First job abroad: Design Engineer,
FuE-Future Engineering GmbH, Hamburg,
Germany
The European Youth Forum exists to represent
and advocate the needs and interests of all young
people in Europe, through their positive and
active participation. They are working to be the
voice of young people in Europe, where young
people are considered as equal citizens, and are
supported and encouraged to achieve their fullest
potential as citizens of the world.
«
Nicola Gargano
27, Italian
Having finished studying in my own country I was
really eager to broaden my horizons and undertake a professional and personal challenge. Thanks
to EURES this has led me to Future Engineering in
Hamburg. It was quite daunting preparing to move
to Germany, but I was in touch with the other people coming to work at the same company, which
was a real help: we discussed our anxieties and
answered each other’s queries, and it gave me the
confidence to leave my family and friends, knowing that there were going to be new friends in
Hamburg. I find living here pleasant and exciting:
my work environment is easy-going yet professionally challenging: everyone is willing to help
a newcomer and explain how things work and
how things should be done. I like the city: it is big
but not too big, and it’s very friendly. I have made
lots of friends and my German is improving! I’m
so glad I had the strength to start this adventure,
I wouldn’t have done it without EURES, and now
I really do feel that the world is my oyster.
«
We had both been working in fashion retail
for a number of years back in Finland and
we have continued working in this professional area in Malta. We were both eager
to travel and learn about new cultures and
have travelled both inside and outside of
Europe. We had been to Malta on holiday
before searching for employment here and
we loved this island, so it wasn’t a difficult
choice to decide to head back – and doing
so as sisters certainly made it a lot less scary!
The EURES Adviser here was very helpful
and answered all our questions regarding
setting up our new life. The people here are
very friendly, our English is improving and
we are making new friends. The only slight
shock since arriving in Malta has been the
difference in working hours; here we work
First job abroad: Sales Assistants,
a lot more hours than we would in Finland,
which
can be pretty tiring. However, the
Fashion Retailers Enterprises Ltd., Sliema, Malta
experience is great, and will definitely help
us when searching for future employment,
be that in the United Kingdom or the USA,
and one day probably back in Finland.
The views expressed within this brochure are
those of the individuals concerned, and do not
necessarily reflect the views of either the European
Commission or the public employment services of
Europe.
Reija and Riina Poutanen
23 and 20, Finnish
«
18
19
European Commission
DG EMPL D3
Public Employment Services, Mobility
BE-1049 Bruxelles/Brussel
E-mail: [email protected]
eures.europa.eu