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English speaking job / Moving to the Ruhr area

  • 28-10-2019 11:59am
    #1
    average hero
    Registered Users Posts: 433 ✭✭


    Hi all,

    Currently I am working in Ireland in a bit of a dead-end job. I have qualifications in marketing, HR and experience in both public and private sector companies.

    Long story short, I love Germany and have done for many years. I have a lot of friends from the Ruhr area and travel over there relatively frequently to watch football, enjoy the sights and visit my friends. Long story short, with my personality being what it is, I feel like I connect there.

    Following from a recent visit, I am investigating moving over there. My friends suggested it and I must say, I do very much enjoy the idea. They said they would help me find accommodation, source a job and get everything set up.

    The issue is I speak no German and would need to source an exclusively English-speaking job. If I could do that, I would move over in a heartbeat.

    Where could I find an English-speaking job in the Ruhr? Is it viable in your opinion?

    Thanks all.


Comments

  • #2
    CelticRambler
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 6,873 ✭✭✭CelticRambler


    Start here and keep googling +/- see what you can do with linkedIn +/- sign up to one or more expat networking sites. When all is said and done, thought, there's no substitute for being on the ground, meeting people and getting a foot in as many doors as possible.

    In the meantime, get learning German. Unless you've plugged your ears while you've been there, if you've spent that much time in Germany, you probably know more of the language than you think (of course using it is a different matter)


  • #3
    Baybay
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 1,075 ✭✭✭Baybay


    My friend spoke four European languages, not one of them German. Was relocated to Germany, not the Ruhr, by the multinational she works for. Language of the office was English so not a problem, many Germans speak English to some level so socialising not a problem, many other internationals in the mix so her other languages were helpful but many day to day things would have been simpler with at least some German spoken. Things like flat hunting, banking, doctors, taxis etc.
    Although she was fluent within a year, she felt had there been more notice for her move, she’d have tried to find an intensive conversation class before moving.


  • #4
    Jim2007
    Moderators, Business & Finance Moderators Posts: 10,356 Mod ✭✭✭✭Jim2007


    average hero wrote: »
    Currently I am working in Ireland in a bit of a dead-end job. I have qualifications in marketing, HR and experience in both public and private sector companies.

    The issue is I speak no German and would need to source an exclusively English-speaking job. If I could do that, I would move over in a heartbeat.

    Where could I find an English-speaking job in the Ruhr? Is it viable in your opinion?

    Well without German, your skills really are not very marketable. May be something in HR in an international company... It's like looking for a German only speaking job in Ireland.
    average hero wrote: »
    Long story short, I love Germany and have done for many years. I have a lot of friends from the Ruhr area and travel over there relatively frequently to watch football, enjoy the sights and visit my friends. Long story short, with my personality being what it is, I feel like I connect there.

    You should be aware thought at it is a very different thing to live and work in a foreign country. The little annoyances on a holiday can be come big issues if you have to put up with them everyday for months and months with no let up...

    even if you speak the language well, you will find it physically and mentally draining to have to speak it continually for 10 or more hours per day for months at the beginning.
    average hero wrote: »
    Following from a recent visit, I am investigating moving over there. My friends suggested it and I must say, I do very much enjoy the idea. They said they would help me find accommodation, source a job and get everything set up.

    It's great to have some contacts over there, but most likely they'll be overly positive about getting you over there and through no fault of their own, they enthusiasm for helping you will diminish simply because they have got their own lives to live. So think about how it would be to go there on your own and with little help from your friends.

    Also from a practical point of view your going to need savings, at least enough to cover a couple of months expenses plus big ticket items to start your life over there.

    My advice would be to take your time, get some savings together and study the language - try to get to at least A2 level. Which would put you in a good position to be able to do the basic stuff yourself with out much help from anyone. In such a position you are going to enjoy it much more and are more likely to succeed. It is a fantastic thing to do, live changing in fact for many people, so don't give up on your dream, just plan it a bit more.


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