Expats: Globalizing the Czech Republic
The country’s thriving tourism sector provides many opportunities to work in the Czech Republic. As many leisure activities are aimed at tourists, jobs in this field are often suitable for foreign workers that speak languages other than Czech. As English is the international language of business and Germany is the Czech Republic’s main trading partner, native speakers of English and German are in high demand.
If you have the right qualifications, you may be able to find a teaching job in a private language school or for a big international company. A university degree and/or a teaching certificate (such as TEFL) plus some teaching experience are generally required. 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.
The Big Players in the Czech Republic
There are major international companies operating in all fields in the Czech Republic. Multinational corporations are your best bet for finding work, as they usually have plenty of experience hiring foreign personnel. Exxon Mobil, Mondelēz International (formerly Kraft Foods), and Tesco, for example, are just some of the global corporations with a major presence in the country.
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 is a good place to find local companies. Alternatively, you can contact your country’s Chamber of Commerce in the Czech Republic.
Finding a Job in the Czech Republic
As mentioned above, your best chance of finding employment in the Czech Republic is with multinational companies. If you have no luck searching for job openings on their websites or by contacting them directly, you could try the traditional approach of applying via recruitment agencies or international recruitment websites. If you understand Czech, you could also use one of the many Czech recruitment websites. Please see our article on working in Prague for a list of national and international job websites.
Companies in the Czech Republic who require highly skilled staff and struggle to fill certain positions often also advertise their vacancies in the register of jobs available for employee cards or for blue cards. Please see our article on moving to the Czech Republic for more information on this topic.
Entrepreneurial Opportunities
If you’re looking for business opportunities in the Czech Republic, the following areas may be of interest to you:
- Science and innovation: This covers various sectors, including biotechnology (priority growth area), nanotechnology, education and training (increasing demand as companies invest in HR), and advanced engineering.
- Healthcare: There is demand not only for medical equipment and healthcare management services, but also for lifestyle products.
- Food and drink: With increasing globalization comes a higher demand for a more international cuisine and catering for special groups (e.g. vegan food).
- Consumer goods: There’s a growing demand for imported fashion items, furniture, and accessories.
Working Conditions in the Czech Republic
Employment in the Czech Republic is regulated by extensive labor laws. The Labor Code stipulates, among other things, that any employment 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 (or six months for managerial positions). Every employee is entitled to four weeks of paid annual leave, with one supplementary week being standard in well-established companies. Average working hours for full-time employees are around 41.7 hours per week, just over the OECD average.
