Job Search in Poland - Experience of Peruvian Student
When you go to Poland for studies, after a while you could start thinking about getting a job or internship to start your professional development. And this is definitely worth it! This experience enables you to gain first-hand exposure to working in the real world. It also allows students to harness the skills, knowledge, and theoretical practice they learned in university. You can acquire endless amounts of education in your life, however, that knowledge doesn't always translate to the working life.
It is a great choice to start your working experience in Poland. The Polish economy is becoming more competitive and socially responsible. Last year, twice as many foreign companies registered in Poland than five years ago, including investors from Silicon Valley. The Polish economy is rated as the 6th economy in the European Union. Since 1989 the country's GDP per capita has grown by 135%. Thanks to a strong economy, a wide range of investment incentives, and comprehensive government support, Poland has become one of the most attractive investment destinations where, according to calculations, profit from invested foreign capital can be three times higher than in other European countries.
Poland also offers professional development opportunities to foreign students. The Digital Ambassador from Peru Paula tells us about her experience of looking for a job in Poland. Paula chose Poland as a study destination because she found it as the opportunity to be in Europe, to have a high-level education in English, to be surrounded by the other international students, and to be able to boost her professional career into a higher level. She has mentioned that this choice changed her life, made her more independent, and taught to think internationally.
When did you start looking for a job?
I first started looking for a job when I was in the middle of my 3rd year of studies. I decided that I want to gain some professional experience and check the job market in Poland. As I speak Spanish, looking for a job did not take a lot of time. In Poland, there are a lot of people who want to learn this language. I brought my CV to the recruiter of the language school in Katowice and was accepted as a Spanish and English teacher.
Generally, If you come to Poland, language tutoring is always a good option. I know many foreign students who have been teaching Polish people English, Russian, Italian, Spanish… In addition, many international companies that cooperate with different countries are looking for native speakers to lead discussions on their native language.
To conclude, I would like to recommend you to start your professional development during the studies. Thus, after graduation, you have not only a university diploma, but also professional experience.
What is your job now?
When I moved to Kraków, I have received an internship in finance operations at Royal Dutch Shell. It has been an amazing experience - I learned many things in a big corporation and I met many incredible people. After the internship, I was offered an indefinite contact. I am extremely happy to work in an international company when I am only 20 years old just after graduation. Sometimes it sounds unreal, but this market offers real opportunities for development. The working conditions are definitely better than they could be in my homeland.
What would you recommend to the students looking for a job in Poland?
I think it is great to start working in Poland, I saw there are many opportunities for foreigners especially if you know languages. You will always find something, there is a piece of cake for everybody. I would recommend every student to make effort in the university, study a lot, and have good grades. Maybe it sounds banal, but that is what recruiters nowadays look for. It is always an advantage to have volunteering and leadership experience in your CV.
During the interview be yourself and let the recruiter know that you are really interested in the work you apply for. The online platform that could help you find a job are:
- Pracuj.pl
- Glassdoor
In addition, you can always ask locals to help you searching for a job. Connections are always crucial!
At the end of the interview, Paula mentioned that she feels happy being right here at very this time. She repeated that Poland is an amazing place to start your career.
If you would like to read the tips on studying the Polish language from Indonesian student follow this link:
https://go-poland.pl/news/indonesian-student-shares-experience-learning-polish