Become a FREE member now and list your properties for FREE!

Jobs in Bulgaria for Expatriates
By Rhiannon Williamson

Bulgaria joined the European Union on the 1st of January 2007 - but prior to its accession it was already a nation proving interesting particularly among western Europeans who realized that it is a nation with an abundance of natural and architectural charm and history and a country where a little money goes an awfully long way towards a high standard of living!

This peaked interest led to Bulgaria developing an exciting and dynamic property market and becoming a country with a high level of inward expatriate migration; and now that Bulgaria is in the EU it has become even easier for foreign citizens to become resident in the country and take up employment in Bulgaria. As a result of these facts, seasoned expatriates and those looking overseas for a low cost, high level of opportunity and standard of living location in which to begin a new chapter of their lives are considering moving to Bulgaria.

In terms of jobs in Bulgaria for expatriates the landscape is also changing – and certainly for the better. Before Bulgaria was considered to be an interesting country to live in there was a very small expat population which was largely centered around the capital city of Sofia or along the coast in the Black Sea tourism resorts. Employment in the capital city for English speaking expats was largely in the main embassies or with the British Council, there were some international teaching and administrative positions also available but unless one spoke the national language and was fully integrated, getting a job in Bulgaria was difficult.

Along the Black Sea coast there were more seasonal jobs available for expatriates in bars, restaurants and sectors targeting tourism traffic – however, slowly but surely as Bulgaria approached EU acceptance and the world realized the potential of the nation, the property market in Bulgaria began to boom as mentioned, and this led to an avalanche of jobs for expats. British, German and Irish expatriates in particular took up roles in the real estate industry marketing and selling property in Bulgaria - and all of a sudden there was a surge in the numbers of international expatriates employed in Bulgaria.

Now that full EU member status has been bestowed upon Bulgaria it has become easier, safer and more attractive - particularly in costing and affordability terms - for international employers to relocate to, or expand operations in Bulgaria, and so the employment landscape is changing for the better. One of the first international employers to make their presence felt is IBM. They have made a significant commitment to Bulgaria and are employing local and expatriate processionals in a whole host of departments.

The IT industry is a leading sector that is expanding rapidly, with international companies joining local Bulgarian companies and employing a growing mix of local and international staff monthly; in addition there are currently vacancies for English speaking professionals in media, PR, HR and finance sectors and the main international job website for Bulgaria has gone from having no internet presence to being less than 11,000 in the world according to Alexa Ranking - proving that interest in this country among expatriate employees is growing.

Rhiannon Williamson writes about property abroad, living and working overseas and living life as an expatriate, to read more about living in Bulgaria visit her site http://www.shelteroffshore.com/