Did you know that some European countries are seeing the number of visa requests from Americans more than double in the past few years?
In today's video, we're covering the differences of working in Europe versus the United States, what you should look out for as an American, and busting some cliches the increase in expats moving to France after the show came out.
Un pain au chocolat.
But after people move to Europe, there are some things about working there that come as a total shock to Americans.
I've lived and worked in Europe for four years.
As an American, there are five things I wish I would have known before applying to jobs in Europe.
This covers work hours healthcare, trial periods, vacation days and your living and working situation.
There are a ton of stereotypes and incorrect info around all of these subjects, so let's break them down.
First is work hours.
It is such a false claim.
Most European countries have 34-hour work weeks, but they can add extra hours in your contract.
If you're moving to Europe for a healthier work-life balance, you need to read the contract and try to gauge the company culture before accepting a job.
There are a ton of startups that do a lot of unpaid overtime, so you should check the company culture for signs of grinders, ninjas and families, as all of that indicates they may put in more hours than a normal European company.
Second is healthcare.
If you're living in that country, you'll already have government provided health insurance, but it's common to provide private insurance on top of this.
So when you're in the offer stage, make sure to check what percentage they cover and compare this to your other offers.
And if you're fully remote, make sure to ask about insurance reimbursement for wherever you're located.
Okay, so this next one trial periods.
They are not what you would expect as an american european.
Trial periods or probation periods usually last from three to six months, depending on the company, and they take them very seriously.
I've seen many an expat and not past trial periods and end up having to find a new job on short notice in a new country.
To make sure you have all the information in your interviews be sure to ask about how long their new hires have been in their trial periods and what the average pass rate is.
Fourth is vacation days.
This might be a cliche, but it's a true one.
Europeans have a lot more vacation days.
So why do you need to watch out for this?
Well, the European Union mandates at least four weeks or 20 days of paid vacation, but some European countries mandate up to 30 days.
And since they have so much time off, it's not uncommon for a company to require everyone to take off the entire month of July or August, and then you take a week or two in December.
Check your contract to see if there are any required vacation days during summer or the holidays.
Lastly, fifth is your living and working situation.
I cannot stress this enough.
Finding an apartment as a foreigner can be the most daunting part of this entire process.
Are they finding you an apartment?
Do you have to find one on your own?
Will you have a say on where you get to live?
And are they paying part or all of your rent?
These are all questions that need to be covered before you sign that contract.
And if you're working remotely for a company, will they give you a budget for co-working spaces?
It's not uncommon for coffee shops in big cities to ban laptops, so your idea of saving a few bucks and living your best digital nomad life might not end up paying out.
I hope this video was helpful and if you're looking for more career advice, check out our video on how to professionally say you're interested in a job because of the salary.
Good luck in your job hunt!
