I am an American citizen, defense contractor, previously living in Estonia and now in the Middle East. My fiancee is Polish, and we would really love to move there and start our family. The main issue for me regarding this is employment. I was hoping to hear from some other expats that work for multi-nationals about what opportunities exist. I have tried a number of searches, and there just does not seem to be a centralized place to search for expat careers. I don't need to post my CV here, but I have two masters degrees, one in Education (US certified educator), and the other in Global Supply Chain Management(Logistics). I do not speak Polish, only English & Russian. While I wanted to stay in defense contracting, this does not seem to be possible as there are no contracts in Poland currently.
Really looking forward to hearing from you guys, always interested to find out how expats get on abroad. Have a great day everyone!
does not seem to be a centralized place to search for expat careers.
Because it would be impossible to be. If you are an expat then you are sent abroad by your employer according to the definition of the word "expat". If you want to go abroad and find the job when over there then you are just migrant, I can imagine that "expat" feels better to you but facts don't care about your feelings.
Wulkan.... Thanks for the precision of language and the Ben Shapiro quote. It is the prevailing term used, but I actually have no problem being an emigre since I'm marrying a Polish citizen. Perhaps I should have clarified, careers for westerners who do not speak Polish?
Your best bet is to use your supply chain skills - it is a badly underserved area in Poland at the moment so they will overlook your language issues if you have some genuine experience. Good places to look for leads would be the Amcham which is very active in Poland and also maybe see if your Alma Mater has a careers service or an alum network - if so they might put you in touch with other people from your school here. Or you could just go on spec to some of the bigger logistics companies - Schenker, Raben, Pekaes etc.
Defence contracting is not going to be easy to get into - you might require vetting and your time in Estonia might be an obstacle to that - but again maybe check that through Amcham contacts as a good number of US defence firms have operations in Poland.
BTW Merriam Websters definition of Expatriate is "living in a foreign land". I am guessing the OED is something similar. God knows where this idea that you have to be sent abroad by your company comes from. If there was a meeting arranged for e.g. Canadian expats in Warsaw, that would mean basically anybody from Canada was welcome.
Thank you for an excellent reply bro.......I thought along the same lines as you. The vetting will not be a problem as I'm currently working on a 1bln$ contract administered by the US Army, I jumped through 6 months of hoops and BI's before I deployed here to the middle east. You are right that if I need a TS for any of those jobs, my foreign contacts from my years in Estonia will all need to be investigated, and that just means a long arduous process.
I wouldn't be able to survive on a salary teaching English, what do those guys make, $800/month? That's cool for a backpacker, and I am only 29, but I'm a grown up, ESL is not a career.
I thank you for the other leads you mentioned, I'll be certain to investigate those thoroughly. Props on the expat definition, I don't really understand the hostility when I was just asking some questions and being polite.
General dictionaries are not adequate for this purpose.
The Oxford Dictionary of Human Geography specifies: "In practice, the term is usually applied to professionals, skilled workers or artists from affluent countries, often transferred by companies, rather than immigrants in general."
i think general dictionaries are fine. how about , if you live abroad and want to call yourself an expat, go for it. I prefer to call myself an economic immigrant ( coming from a dying superpower an all...)
I'll be an expat until I have a Polish passport. Even so, I still have allegiance to America, and dying though it may be, it is still the best and most powerful country in the history of human existence, and the greatest country on Earth.
Right, because being patriotic is a problem? I guess you should drive around Chicago and tell the people with Polish flags hanging from their porch that they have to go back to Poland. That doesn't bother me, they add something great to America. I hope you can sort out whatever inner issues you have that makes you behave this way with disdain and hate.
most powerful country in the history of human existence
Woah! Steady on there old fruit, we're getting a bit carried away aren't we? I know you don't really learn history in American high schools but have you heard of the Roman empire etc? And if you knew the history of Britain you would know that their name is synonmous with the words 'the oldest' 'the first' 'the largest' 'the best' etc for hundreds of years. They really did lead the world for a very long time and the legacy remains in many areas. America only emerged as a world power in the last hundred years.
it is still the best and most powerful country in the history of human existence
This is relative as you cannot set it against a different historical background. Keeping that in mind, I think the Roman Empire was actually stronger and more powerful in their time than the US is in our time.
It would depend on which metric you wanted to use to determine that. I wasn't speaking empirically, but emotionally, of course I love the country which allows me to travel the world, which offers amazing consular services wherever I am in the world. Honestly, I hope everyone feels that their country is the greatest in the world. I am certainly not the "Murica F-yeah" guy in the room, quite to the contrary, and if you read my posts you can see I have a great deal of respect for the nations that have hosted me as a resident. We can save the debate on the relative power of the early Roman Empire versus present day America for another thread, it would be interesting, as there are some striking similarities.
@rozumiemnic
You may be amused, I don't feel any contempt for you either, but rather pity that things didn't work out in your country of register and now you feel disdain for your countrymen. I feel bad for a person that makes assumptions about other people they've not met (career). I can't make any assumptions about you because I don't know you, I'd never be so haughty as to do so.
America only emerged as a world power in the last hundred years.
ah yes, that was about the time America sent old General George Cornwallis home with his knee highs sagging and his tail between his legs if the old American history books are correct. :-)
One of my favorite dark comedy movies is pain and gain.. In the beginning the narrator talks about how 'a few puny colonies managed to beat the worlds greatest superpower and later become the most beefed up, strongest country in the world.' We did kind of lose the latter war of 1812 pr atleast certainly didnt win it tho.. It was more of a separate theater of the Napoleonic wars and mostly resulted in stalemate. Nonetheless we maintained our independence and that's ultimately what matters.
America's amd the wests position is certainly declining especially with the new China Russia paki Iran axis that has formed. Once a new basket currency replaces the dollar its over for the us. China is actively working on that with its allies. There's a lot of problems in the us but nonetheless I still firmly believe its the land of opportunity. Idk of any country where a guy can arrive without knowing the language with few hundred in his pocket and end up an upper middle class English speaking us citizen in a short time.
The roman empire certainly controlled more land but their economy was basically based on conquest. Also in terms of size I believe the mongol empire and Macedonian empire under Alexander were actually larger in terms of size but certainly not more advanced economically, culturally, etc. I took Latin for 4 years in hs I got to read a lot about Cesar and ancient Rome.
I agree with that. I could move to Japan and get citizenship, but I will NEVER be Japanese. America is a truly unique place that welcomes people with open arms, and allows you as a 1st generation immigrant to be one of us. I would hope I receive a warm welcome when it is time to make the permanent move to Poland, some of the comments here don't give me hope however.
it is still the best and most powerful country in the history of human existence, and the greatest country on Earth.
You sound like a fanatic.
America is a truly unique place that welcomes people with open arms
How can you say that with trump in the WH?
hope I receive a warm welcome
Well, don't expect a tickertape parade. Poles tend to keep themselves to themselves. You might find that they appear unfriendly compared with the ubiquitous smily haveaniceday attitude in the US, but they are just reserved. Take the country on its own terms and you'll be fine.
I would try monsterpolska.pl/en?intcid=swoop_TopNav_English and linkedin.com/jobs
btw., also with my employer, we use "expat" for a specific purpose: employees from foreign subsidaries working here for up to 5 years. Expats continue to be paid by their home company + some extra allowance. All others are "local hires" - regardless of nationality.
America is a truly unique place that welcomes people with open arms, and allows you as a 1st generation immigrant to be one of us.
Absolutely. There is some fear by certain groups of others but in general the US is one of the few countries where if a person is hard working and ambitious, they'll make it. The American dream isn't dead yet no matter what newspapers write. I see and meet people everyday living the American dream. The problem is people have now become accustomed to just have things handed to them or automatically expect success without the necessary work.
I would hope I receive a warm welcome when it is time to make the permanent move to Poland, some of the comments here don't give me hope however.
You will I guaruntee it - especially as an American as Poles still have a fascination with America. If you make the attempt to learn Polish, even a few phrases, Poles will really appreciate it. In the larger cities generally English is enough to get around on and find some work at an international corp - depending on the position though of course.
I meant that more as a sentiment than honestly believing I was going to have some welcome parade from the Poles. This isn't my first rodeo, I lived for the past 3 years in Estonia, I speak fluent Russian, and I am quite familiar with slavic culture being that I'm engaged to a Pole and all. The stoicism is not unfamiliar to me.
BTW have you thought of Amazon - they are making huge investments in Poland and I am sure that anyone who can read and write and knows something about logistics must have a half chance of getting a job. Of course it's an awful company to work for but apparently they pay well and you can get the name on your Resume and then leave whenever you get burned out.
