Job Discussion Forums

[Justin Trullinger]

You may be right, but we "yanks" hardly have a monopoly on it...

I once saw a guy in Barcelona, trying to change pounds, approach a newspaper stand and say "Change-o Money-o?" He got really frustrated that nobody understood him, too.




Justin

[matttheboy]

Can't argue with that...I heard, "Somos here to pick up our bloody tickets" at the travel agent the other day from a couple of Lancastrians with thick Manchester accents. I hid. Entertaining stuff...

But they weren't whinging about the fact they're not allowed to work in the US and think they should be allowed to even though they don't hold the requisite passport. And that is what most of this thread boils down to.

[Teacher in Rome]

[Moore]

quote "This isn't completely accurate. Some member states of the EU have more flexible policies than others. For example, the UK and the Republic of Ireland have no barriers to new-European entrants working there, while others (such as Italy) won't admit unlimited quotas of new EU citizens (Polish / Czech citizens for example) until 2007." - true, I was talking about full members, but the basic idea is there, and by 2007 everybody in the EU will be able to work, live, buy a property, start a business etc.

quote "One thing that I have learned is that regardless of where you are in Europe, individual national laws still apply" - again, true: I�ve lived and worked in Holland, Sweden, France, and Spain and so I�m no stranger to beaurocracy, but no matter how much red tape there is, you are still permitted to work from day one, as long as your application is in process.

An American once summed it up like this, saying that we Europeans are lucky because if you drive in any direction for 5 hours you�ll be in a new country with a new culture and customs, but stiill have the perfect right to settle there, whereas in America if you drive for 5 hours in any direction although you�ll be in a slightly different feeling state, you�re still essentially in identikit America.

Perhaps this is part of the source of the sour grapes on the part of the non-EU posters

[nomadder]

Go J!

[matttheboy]

double post...

[matttheboy]

treble post...

[Justin Trullinger]

[JonnytheMann]

Another way for Americans to work in Europe is to become a certified teacher with a few years of experience teaching in American schools. If you have an advanced degree, you'll be even more competitive. Then you can get hired at an American International School.

There are also jobs at American Embassies. (But then you're literally a representative of our government, which might not go over to well with the locals.)

Finally, there is the self-employment route. Set up your own business. Be an independent contractor, and teach Business English lessons (American English is sometimes preferred), do freelance translation for local translation companies, tutor English to locals, etc. Where there is a will, there is a way. I know too many Americans working in Europe legally. It's perfectly fair that the EU requires work visas for non-EU passport holders. The US does the same thing to people without a US passport.

[merlin]

[nomadder]

Last time to explain the point.

We need a visa to work anywhere outside our own country. No biggie. The problem is that the EU countries post jobs saying only apply if you have an EU passport.

Yes we know there's an economic union but it's a big one(40ish countries) and it excludes too many others in the world. NAFTA does not do this re: teaching English in Mexico as one poster stated.

This type of union sets the stage for other countries setting up exclusionist policies-closed door reciprocal agreements, etc. Things are supposed to be more global. We've seen the attitudes this can create and in the past we've seen that putting up walls is not a good thing. Especially in Europe.

I'm not saying I even I want to work there but I think more people should have the option more easily. Thanks to those who told stories of how to work there via other routes. And thanks to cool-headed Justin who makes wish I could work in the US more easily. Ha!

[Moore]

quote: " Yes we know there's an economic union but it's a big one(40ish countries) and it excludes too many others in the world."

Population of European Union: 456,953,258. Number of states: 29 (25+4 applicants)
Population of United States: 295,734,134. Number of States: 50

...hmmm....

[grahamb]

Are our Persian pals being unfairly deprived of the benefits of liberation? Isn't it time they removed the barriers to carpet bombing, napalm, Agent Orange and depleted uranium tank shells?
Read these testimonials:
I loved those beach parties! Sr Cohiba, Playa Giron
Ah, those were the days! Mrs Bee Fifty Tu, Hanoi
Man, what a blast! Abdul Poppygrower, Kabul
I got a real kick out of it! Mr Abu Ghraib, Baghdad

[The Lemon]

[stillnosheep]

What! Canada is no longer part of the UK?