| Unfortunately this is far harder than it sounds
or perhaps not depending on your point of view.
The first thing I feel I must advise is GET POSTED here by your
present employer, alternatively find an employer who has offices
in the Prague get a job and then GET POSTED here. This may sound
difficult but I assure you that it can be no harder than looking
for work with the country itself.
There are several distinct advantages to getting posted here;
- Your salary will be MUCH higher than the equivalent Czech
- The company may pay relocation, rent, car allowance etc. etc.
- Your employer will take care of all the documentation
- You won't have to put up with the infuriatingly slow pace of
Czech recruitment
- You won't have to put up with the infuriating attitude of most
Czechs recruiting you
- were do I stop!
As I am sure you can guess finding work in the Czech Republic is
not easy, the attitudes of most Czech employers is pretty poor to
say the least, the wages are very crappy in comparison to western
Europe and the States (despite the lower cost of living, anything
above the very basics are extremely expensive and I can't see how
Czechs ever afford to buy anything ) and if you are lucky enough
to get a response it may be several months late. OK if this is not
enough to put you off and for whatever reason you really want to
come and work here then read on...
Internet and Agencies - DON'T BELIEVE THEM (well not to much)
5 out of 10 of the agencies will not respond if you are not living
in the Czech Republic
2 of the remaining 5 agencies will turn you down if you do not speak
Czech regardless of qualification and skills
2 of the remaining 3 agencies will put you on their books
The final agency will offer you total rubbish.
I am sure most of the jobs advertised on the Internet are in fact
fictitious and the figments of deranged copying fits, yes you will
see exactly the same add (even down to wording) being place by different
agencies. When you apply for the position although you may have
exactly all the required skills 9 out of 10 times you will just
put on the books or if really lucky offered something different
(such pessimism).
Occasionally you will get feedback on the particular job you applied
for but again expect at least a month to hear from the agency, a
month to get an interview, possibly another month for a second interview
and an answer a month later. I hate to say it if things got much
slower here you could write the country off as a bad joke.
Probably the most disappointing agency though was Grafton who suggest
great things but unfortunately delivered exceptionally little, if
their press and adds are to be believed then they have more vacancies
than all the rest put together; shame it all appears to be hot air.
Newspapers can be a very good source of potential employment although
generally the same guidelines apply to ads placed by agencies as
above. Ads placed by companies themselves are obviously solid as
they will not waste money just to get potential employees on their
books they want to fill their vacancies without waste money, but
again response time is very poor and makes a snail look athletic.
Please note though many Czech companies will not consider you for
positions if;
- You don't speak Czech
- Have not already gain all required visas
- You want more than peanuts as a salary.
Permits and visa's are required by all to work in the Czech Republic,
the requirement are quite stringent even down to inside leg measurement
so beware. Please check the legalities of your country of origins
requirements, I know US citizens can only stay 30 days whilst UK
citizen can have a stay of 180 days on a standard tourist visa.
Anyway your new employer should and only they can get you a work
permit, once you have a permit you can get a residency visa. These
have to be renewed on a yearly basis, I know of several people who
do not have the required permission but they travel abroad so frequently
that they barely live here. As from January 2001 the law in Czech
should be changing so to allow foreign nationals to apply for permits
and visas from within the country, previously you had to apply from
abroad (Dresden was a very popular place).
Please consider all of the above to be false and check with your
relevent embassies.
All the above is obviously concerned with professional vacancies
and positions, if you are however just traveling through or only
here for a few months then check out the notice boards in the cafe's
and net cafe's. These are mainly frequented by foreigner travelers
and expats and as such can contain a wealth of information and ads
not only for work, the Globe is a good place to start there is almost
always some p/t work advertised, put up your own add or ask around.
If you are really desperate you could even put an add on my messageboard.
Agencies to try:
- www.tmpw.cz
- www.jobshop.cz
- www.talents.cz
Agencies to miss:
- www.grafton.cz
- www.roberthalf.cz
- www.axios.cz
Internet sites:
Newspapers:
- prague post
- prague business journal
- Dnes
- jobmaster
PS I did infact get a job developing Internet sites for a recruitment
agency but then again they are an owned American company, now to
do the visas !! |
