The Czech Republic at a Glance
Work Opportunities in the Czech Republic
123RFThe automotive industry (here: the Škoda factory in Mlada Boleslav) is the Czech Republic’s largest industry.
Following the general introduction to the Czech economy and working in the Czech Republic on the first page of this article, we would now like to give you a short overview of work opportunities for expats in the Czech Republic.
Opportunities for Expats in the Czech Republic
The country’s continuously growing tourism sector provides many opportunities for working in the Czech Republic. As many leisure activities are geared at foreign tourists, jobs are often suitable for speakers of languages other than Czech.
On a similar ticket, you can look for work as a teacher of foreign languages. English being the international language of business and Germany being the Czech Republic’s main trading partner, native speakers of English and German are particularly in demand. If you have the right qualifications, you may be able to find a teaching job in a private language school or a big international company. A university degree and/or a teaching certificate (such as TEFL) plus some teaching experience are generally required in order to find work in this field. You can contact the cultural representation of your country in the Czech Republic (e.g. the British Council or the Goethe Institut) for job openings and more information.
Big Employers in the Czech Republic
Major international companies operate in the Czech Republic in all fields from banking to business support, from logistics to food stuffs, and in the manufacturing and automotive industry. Multinational corporations are your best bet for finding work in the Czech Republic, as they probably have plenty of experience with hiring foreign personnel in the Czech Republic. Exxon Mobil, Kraft Foods, and Tesco are only some of the globally operating corporations with a major presence in the Czech Republic.
There are, of course, also homegrown companies which are big players on the international market, e.g. ČEZ, Agrofert, Agropol, Zentiva, Bata, Škoda, Budvar, and Pilsner Urquell. The worldwide business directory Kompass can assist you in your search for companies in the Czech Republic. Alternatively you can contact your country’s Chamber of Commerce in the Czech Republic.
Sectors with Potential
If you’re looking for business opportunities in the Czech Republic, the following areas may be of interest to you:
- Science and innovation: This spreads over various sectors, including biotechnology (priority growth area), nanotechnology, education and training (increasing demand as companies invest in HR), and advanced engineering.
- Health care: There is a demand not only for medical equipment and health-care management services, but also for lifestyle products.
- Consumer goods: fashion, furniture, accessories
- Food and drink: Increasing internationality comes with a higher demand for a more international cuisine and catering for special groups (e.g. vegan cuisine).
- Technical textiles
Finding a Job in the Czech Republic
As mentioned above, your biggest chances of finding employment in the Czech Republic are multinational companies. If you have no luck searching for job openings on their websites or by contacting them directly, try the traditional approach via recruitment agencies or international recruitment websites. If you are conversant in Czech, you can also use one of the many Czech recruitment websites available. Please see our article on Working in Prague for a list of some national and international job websites.
Companies in the Czech Republic who require highly skilled staff and cannot fill certain positions also advertise their vacancies in the register of jobs available for Green Cards or for Blue Cards. Please see our article on Moving to the Czech Republic for more information on Green Cards and Blue Cards.
Working Conditions in the Czech Republic
Mutual relations between employers and employees in the Czech Republic are governed by the Labour Code. Among other things, it stipulates that all employment relations must be regulated by a written employment contract detailing the nature of the work and other important details such as working hours, the length of the probation period, annual leave, minimum wage, etc.
By law, the probation period cannot exceed three months. Every employee is entitled to four weeks of paid annual leave, with one supplementary week being standard in well-established companies. Average working hours amount to 40h per week, split over five days.
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