How to start looking for work in Europe - 1. Using the EURES website

As any recent job hunter will tell you, the hardest part is knowing how and where to start. The vast amount of careers and job websites out there can seem overwhelming, especially if you're not quite sure what exactly you want to do! That's why I'm hoping to use this blog to record my attempts at finding work in Europe to help others get an idea of how to get things off the ground - or where not to start as the case may be! ;-)

Having discovered the EURES website last week, this struck me as being an excellent place to start. EURES is a European Employment Service that describes itself as a "cooperation network" aimed at helping people fnd work abroad in the EEA and Switzerland. It offers the facility of matching those who would like to work in Europe with employers looking to recruit candidates outside their native country.

The site gives you the opportunity to register, search for jobs and create an online C.V. I'm currently in the process of doing this, as once completed, your C.V. can be made visible to employers registered with EURES, who will then hopefully approach you with work! It's also a really good idea as it avoids the problem of writing different C.V.s for each country you would like to work in. There is an option to create C.V.s in different languages if you wish. However, the important point is that this C.V. is acceptable to all countries and there is no need to alter it to the required format for individual countries. It's also a really valuable way of sussing out what kind of job you would be suitable for by tracking which employers look at your C.V. and approach you.

It's worth having a copy of your current C.V. to hand when filling in the online C.V. The format is quite detailed, asking for information on your education, work experience, skills, languages, type of work you're looking for and locations where you would like to work. There is even the option to upload additional material (e.g. job references) and a video introducing yourself to prospective employers! Also make sure you save the form as you go along, and copy and paste your answers into a Word document. The website has a nasty habit of logging you out if you remain inactive for a while and then you lose unsaved information on that page.

Let me know if any of you sign up and I'll be happy to help you fill in the form if you like! ;-)

Launch of the Work in Europe Forum!

This week sees the launch of the Work in Europe Forum - an idea I came up with a few weeks ago and, after a bit of thought and planning, have finally put into action! So if you're sitting at work today bored and fed-up because the bank holiday is over already, I hope I can provide you with an excuse for a distraction on a dull Tuesday morning! ;-)

Just in the last 24 hours, I've already found quite a bit of new information that I didn't know before - such as the EURES website (see forum) which I reckon will turn out to be a real gem! That's how I hope this site will work - if everyone posts the odd website link, article or bit of info into a forum, then before long we'll have a huge wealth of information here that everyone can benefit from!

And now for something completely different....!

I'll add an image cos:
1) To be frank this blog looks dull
2) I promised to brighten up your dull Tuesday morning!

Enjoy! :-)