How to work abroad without knowing the language?

Are you thinking about finding a job overseas? It’s good to know the languages ​​that will give you much better job opportunities. Although work abroad without foreign language skills is possible, employment conditions are often much worse for those who only speak one language. How do you find such employment, where to look for foreign job vacancy and what does the process actually look like?

How to work abroad without knowing the language?

Foreign labour markets attract potential employees with competitive salaries. Particularly interesting offers await those who know at least one foreign language and at least on a communicative level, and preferably it is the language of the destination country. What kind of work can you hope for if you do not know this language? Looking through job offers from the most frequently selected countries, it turns out that all available industries are quite similar.

Do not forget to translate your CV! We can help.

Can I find a job in Germany without speaking German?

As for Germany, its employers appreciate skilled craftsmen from various countries. It’s important to note that most of these professions do not require communication with the client, and therefore little or no knowledge of German among employees is allowed, along with some English speaking jobs in Germany. The professions sought by German employers include:

• Construction employee,

• Carpenter,

• Roofer

• Woodworker,

• Plumber,

• Construction machinery operator,

• Production line fitter,

• Cleaner.

It is worth noting, however, a key issue. If you want to go to work only for the season, the employer will likely consider employing a person who does not speak German. However, if you’re thinking about a longer trip abroad, it is worth learning at least the basics. This is primarily important to be able to communicate freely with your employer, other supervisor and colleagues. It may turn out that a German employer will invest in your language course, but it is worth taking care of the basics on your own.

Work without foreign language skills in Norway

Norway is also a country where crowds of economic migrants from all over the world come every year. Unlike Germans, however, Norwegians are slightly more open to people who cannot communicate in Norwegian. It results directly from the awareness of the degree of Norwegian difficulty. So in many cases, you only need to know English, so there are jobs in Norway for English speakers. When analysing websites with job ads, the following offers are waiting for people who do not know Norwegian:

• Work on harvesting vegetables and fruits,

• Category B driver for Uber,

• Warehouse work,

• Kitchen help,

• Packing goods,

• Cleaner,

• Production (packaging),

• Work in relocation services.

These are the most common job offers in Norway for people without Norwegian knowledge. It is clear that these are primarily simple jobs, which do not require any special qualifications. However, you must realize that, contrary to what it may seem, getting a job is not the easiest task. Even several dozen candidates can apply for one position, so your application will not stand out in any particular way.

Jobs in Norway for English speakers

Much better prospects await you, even if you do not speak Norwegian, but you are fluent in English. Although many job ads are similar and Norwegian employers are also looking for cleaning people with English, it usually involves better employment conditions. Interestingly, looking at websites with ads, if you know English, you can find one of the following jobs in Norway:

• Category C + E driver,

• Painter at a construction site,

• Forklift operator,

• Barber,

• Purchasing supplier,

• Category D driver.

Although they are still not higher-level positions, Norwegian employers are more often looking for people who know English and have certain qualifications or licenses. There are also much better-paid offers. Regardless of which position you apply for, you’ll need a good Norwegian translation of your CV.

How about jobs in Sweden for foreigners?

Foreign employees are as eager to choose another Scandinavian country, namely Sweden, as they choose Norway. The employers there are also looking for people to work without knowledge of Swedish. Similarly to Norway, these are mainly simple jobs that do not require special qualifications. After analysing the available offers, you can find the following jobs, among others:

• Employee for packaging products,

• At a warehouse,

• In production,

• At a sorting plant.

You will have slightly more possibilities if you only know English. The available offers include work as:

• General employee,

• Seasonal worker in agriculture,

• Foreman,

• Painter,

• Category C + E driver,

• Car painter,

• Maintenance worker.

Taking the above into account, it’s worth highlighting one aspect: you don’t have to know the language of a certain country to find a job there. Nevertheless, it will be significantly better if you know at least English and can speak it fluently. Regardless of the country, it’s always worth ensuring a good translation of your CV into English, as well as translation of other documents that your future employer will require from you.

How to work abroad without knowing the specific language?

Where to look for a employment overseas without knowing the language is a separate issue. Basically, you have three ways to choose: through job ad sites, through an employment agency or in person at a given employer’s office/plant. Each of the above possibilities has its pros and cons. There are also some restrictions associated with them, and they involve a certain degree of risk.

Staffing agency for work abroad

When you decide to look for a job on special job sites, in almost every country you will find both foreign-language websites as well as websites in your native language. It is worth bearing in mind, however, that a foreign employer is unlikely to be looking for someone to work without knowing the language on their home portal. Instead, they will use either another website or the services of an employment agency.

You, as a future employee looking for a job, e.g. on a website with job ads in your language, risk first and foremost that you will often not know who you are actually talking to. You will probably also receive very little information about your future employer, which in practice may mean that after arriving to work abroad you will find completely different conditions than what was included in the advertisement. You are also not sure if you are actually contacting an official representative of a foreign company or only talking to an agent.

Work through staffing agencies

In this situation, looking for a job abroad through an employment agency seems to be a much safer option. Provided, however, that you know in advance the credibility of such a company by reading reviews about it on the Internet or asking your friends about it. The most famous employment agencies include Manpower, Randstad, Adecco, Allegis, Hays and Kelly Services. There you will find job offers from many different industries as well as in many different countries. These are also brands with a recognized reputation, so you risk relatively little and you can always rely on their assistance, should any problems arise.

Job search directly at an employer’s

Theoretically, the best way to find a job abroad is to look for employment directly. In practice, however, if you do not know the language, it will be very difficult to get involved. It is worth choosing this path knowing even the English language at a communicative level, as well as having savings to cover living costs for the first three months.

However, it’s worth knowing that you can lower your initial costs a little by deciding to participate in the Workaway cultural exchange programme. The idea of this programme is simple: you work as a volunteer in any country, and in return for your work you get accommodation and food. This is a great way to give yourself time to find employment for which you will receive regular pay. You also find contacts and, above all, learn about the specifics of a given local labour market.

Working abroad without a foreign language is possible

How do you find a job in other countries without knowing the language? It is, in fact, possible and this is evidenced after analysing the available job offers in Germany, Norway and Sweden. However, if you are thinking about a longer stay abroad, it is worth learning at least the basics of the language spoken by the inhabitants of the destination country. An interesting alternative to finding employment overseas is also a trip under the Workaway cultural exchange programme. Although you work as a volunteer, accommodation and food are ensured to you so that you can safely look for a job while you already arrive in the destination country. Regardless of where you want to go to work abroad and if you know the language, you have to get ready for it and take care of good translations of recruitment documents. It’s best to use our convenient form.

Other articles:

The 7 Most Important Languages for Business

How to Use Google Trends for Your Business

Enabling website translation in different browsers

Going abroad? You might need a translation. Let us take care of it! 🙂