Europe
Advice and resources to help you start your job search in Europe.
Finding a job in Europe
The following guides and profiles can help you start your research and planning.
The types of information you can find include:
- industry overviews and hiring trends
- job search resources
- application and interview tips
- networking and professional bodies
- cost of living and visa regulations
Europe wide resources
- GoinGlobal – country career guides for multiple European countries
- targetjobs: Working in Europe
- Europass - online tools for managing a career in Europe
- European Youth Portal – links to resources about working, volunteering and studying within Europe. Some opportunities will only be open to EU citizens
Internship agreements
When applying for internships in some countries in Europe, employers may ask you for an internship agreement signed by your university. These agreements can go by different names, for example:
- in France this is the Convention de Stage
- in Spain this is the Convenio de Colaboración
If you are applying for internships as a graduate, the university will not be able to sign any documents supplied by the employer.
We offer an internship agreement form for graduates. You can access it on our Global Work Experience pages.
Europe
- GoinGlobal
- Graduateland
- LinkedIn jobs
- EURES - European job mobility portal. Also includes links for finding work in Europe
- EurActiv
- iAgora
- Europe language jobs - job board for multilinguals
- EuroJobs.com
- Careers International
The following resources have individual vacancy sites for multiple European countries:
Central and Eastern Europe
- Gradlink Central & Eastern Europe - graduate jobs in Belarus, Bulgaria, Czech Republic, Hungary, Moldova, Poland, Romania and Russia.
Denmark
- Jobs in Copenhagen
- Work in Denmark
- Careerland - for experienced academics
Germany
- Make it in Germany
- Staufenbiel - requires free registration
- Federal job agency
Norway
- Work in Norway - official Norwegian employment service website
- Finn Job
Specific sectors across Europe
- Brussels Legal
- Legal Jobs in Europe
- Global International Affairs Jobs
- EuroBrussels.com - EU affairs
- Climate Jobs in Europe
- Engineer Jobs in Europe
- Science Jobs in Europe
- Qreer.com - technical jobs
- AnyworkAnywhere - working holidays, summer and winter jobs
Access hidden opportunities
Not all opportunities are advertised. In fact, many people create opportunities through:
- networking and making contacts
- developing their own business ideas
Start by identifying organisations you are interested in. Our guide to finding organisations below can help. Then use the following steps to approach them speculatively about possible opportunities:
1. Identify a contact name to address your cover letter to. Call or email to find out who handles recruitment within the organisation. Or, find a key contact in the department you want to work in.
2. Send them a tailored CV and cover letter. Express your enthusiasm for the sector. Show that you have researched the company.
3. Follow up your speculative application with a phone call, or email, around a week later. This shows you are serious and motivated.
4. If your application was unsuccessful, ask for feedback or advice, and keep trying!
Find organisations
Use the following resources to find organisations to approach:
- GoinGlobal - search under ‘employer directory’. Also use the ‘professional and personal networking section’ of the individual country guides
- LinkedIn Find Alumni tool - see where Newcastle University graduates are working for inspiration
- Chambers of Commerce International Network - search for Chambers of Commerce between the UK and other countries. They often include jobs and lists of member organisations on their website
- Glassdoor – search for businesses using the location filter. Includes a list of top companies in France and Germany