HN Explorer

Ask HN: How to get a software developer job in Europe as an American?

10 points by mattyb678 ↗ HN
I’m a US citizen but I’ve always wanted to live in Europe. It seems like the few times I’ve applied for a job in Europe I get dismissed just because I’m an American. Are there companies or countries that are more willing to hire someone from the United States.

16 comments

[ 3.1 ms ] story [ 45.4 ms ] thread
NicoJuicy
I don't think there is any discriminations against Americans, it's definately not unrare to work with > 3 nationalities.

I think the issue is most likely that you are not living here yet, remote isn't frequent for where i live.

Send me an invite in Linkedin and give me a PM with your cv. I'm pretty sure a lot of recruiters ( that tried to recruit me) would be happy to suggest you to their clients :)

https://www.linkedin.com/in/nicosap/ ( cfr. Belgium), recruiters are pitching me for Netherlands, Belgium and the UK fyi.

If you want a job in the Netherlands or Belgium, Tweakers is a popular dutch platform and for IT, most companies don't care about nationality: https://elect.tweakers.net/

mattyb678
Yeah, I don't think it's any kind of discrimination based on my nationality, but just might be more of a headache to interview and hire someone who lives so far away. Thanks for the tip on Tweakers, and I'll send you a PM!
philshem
They’d also need to support you for a work visa, which is not needed for any of the 400 million people inside the Schengen zone.
g1991
^ This is likely a large component - hiring in foreign workers who will need visa support is a lot of effort and money. You may need to have a niche skill that cannot be found locally, for hiring you to be worth the additional expense over a local candidate.
nocubicles
I've always wanted to visit Brugge after watching the movie In Bruges. Maybe this summer I'll get to it :)
NicoJuicy
Just give me a notice then, always happy to meet fellow HN'ers :p
thenaturalist
Definitely seen quite some folks from across the pond in Berlin. Happy to share your CV if that is of interest to you, contact details in profile.

In general, I'd recommend you check out platforms like [0] and [1], they are used quite often by companies and as a developer, you talk to companies directly, not recruiters.

I am by no means affiliated in any form with either of those companies and solely post them here as advice I think is relevant to OPs question.

[0]: https://www.talent.io

[1]: https://www.honeypot.io

mattyb678
Thanks, I'll check out those sites!
olegious
Update your LinkedIn job preferences to list the cities that you're interested in. Use your network. That's how I received multiple offers, I'm not an engineer, should be even easier for an engineer. Be prepared to take a big pay cut and get a new appreciation for the USA ;), although some things are much better in Europe.
world32
Out of curiosity, would you be happy with anywhere in Europe or are you looking at certain countries / regions?
mattyb678
I’m conversational in Spanish and have visited it a few times, so I’d love to live there. I love the biking culture of the Netherlands. If not Spain, then a place that I could get by with English while I learn the local language.
world32
Other than Spain, I think the Netherlands, Germany, Austria, Switzerland and most of the Scandinavian countries are ones where you could get by with English while you learn the local language. Oh and of course, the UK and Ireland (if you consider those as European). Though because of that, I think its likely you will never really learn the local language because you will have no need to. In most big cities in those countries people will probably talk back to you in English even if you try and speak the local language. But it really depends on what kind of experience you want.
temp99990
Interesting. I’ve gotten two offers from two European tech cos, one in London and one in Amsterdam though did not end up accepting either. In both situations I felt they were pretty eager/open to hiring.

The biggest hurdle they face in hiring non-Europeans is that I believe they must somehow prove that you possess skills that are uncommon in the local talent pool in order to get you a work visa. I think SWE, other technical skill set, or having an advanced degree all would help there...

janbernhart
I've hired US citizens to the Netherlands frequently. Basically, only needs for work permit & visa are A) company is whitelisted by the immigration services and B) the pay for the job meets a certain threshold (which is the main proof it's a 'highly-skilled' job). This threshold is a bit different in different cases, but in most cases anything 60K and up is sufficient. If the netherlands/amsterdam would be an option, connect with me and I'm happy to help. (I know most companies that can & will hire from non-EU). https://nl.linkedin.com/in/janbernhart