Job Searching: Brussels Edition

So, you’ve made it to Belgium. Now you just need a job.

Whatever the circumstances – be it your first job after school, first position in the country or a career change – job hunting can be difficult in Belgium, and even more overwhelming in Brussels, a European capital full of job-seeking expats just like you. Combine this with language barriers, different job networks and rising unemployment and it's enough to make you consider a return ticket back home.

Still, all is not lost: with the right resources, it may be more straightforward than you think to find employment in Brussels. Let this Bulletin guide point you in the right direction.

Working at/for the EU institutions
Being the European capital, Brussels is dominated by European Institutions. The positive side of these posts is that they tend to favour English speakers, while the downside is that given their reputation and good salaries, your application is one of thousands.

If you want to work within the European institutions, you should start by perusing the listings on the European Personnel Selection Office website. This is the official agency set up to recruit for the institutions and is the only way of securing a long-term position at the European Commission or Council. Candidates must pass a competition or concours, which comprises a series of tests and interviews over several months. The competition is tough, but don’t let this put you off – after all, 27,000 people work at the Commission. Note however that most competitions are open to European citizens only.

Recruitment agencies
Temp agencies are a great way to get your foot in the door, and are often used by larger companies (like the Commission) who prefer grooming their employees through a long recruitment process before committing to them long-term.

Recruitment agencies exist throughout Belgium. To get started at one, you can either browse and apply for a specific post on their websites, or just drop by one of their offices with your CV (this option, while more time-consuming, is often best as it ensures the recruiter will remember you).

The key to using recruitment agencies is flexibility. These recruiters receive dozens of applications daily, so do not be surprised to apply for one post and be proposed another. The post had probably already been filled when you applied. Also, some agencies take a few weeks before getting your CV into the system and offering you decent posts. Finally, think long and hard before refusing a temporary post. These jobs lead more often than not to more permanent posts in a company.

Some major Belgian recruitment agencies are Start People, Adecco, Manpower and Tempo Team.  Smaller-scale agencies like BIK Interim and ViaVera recruit for higher-level employers while having more time to attend to your needs as a job seeker. Then you have agencies that specialise in certain domains, such as Electus and Expertize that specialise in communications, finance and IT jobs. T-Brussels meanwhile is the official recruitment agency for Actiris, Brussels’ employment office. 

European Commission’s recruitment agency
Unknown to many is the option to work as a secretary or administrative assistant on a short-term basis at the Commission. Every few years, a different recruitment agency is selected to fill these roles. Randstad is the current official recruiter. Roles last from a week to six months and are ideal for people looking for experience at the Commission. You can work for up to three years in this way; however, for every six months worked, you must take a break of four weeks.

International organisations, embassies & companies
As it's the capital of Europe, many international companies place their European headquarters in Brussels and employ large numbers of expats. These organisations usually seek people with strong English skills (in your favour), but still desire proficiency in other EU languages. Euractiv and EuroBrussels are great job-searching resources for those specialised in European, public and international affairs. Brussels Jobs meanwhile publishes expat jobs in the secretarial, ICT, HR and management domains.  If you’re looking to work in international development cooperation, Acodev and 11.11.11 are Belgian websites that often publish job announcements for international officers.

Looking for writing or journalism opportunities in English in Brussels? JournaJobs, the job website of the European Journalism Centre, is your best bet.  Finally, don’t forget The Bulletin’s own job announcement page; these jobs are specifically aimed at the expat community.

Embassies
Another route of recruitment is through your country’s embassy in Brussels. Not only do these institutions recruit locally, but they will also be able to inform you about potential problems facing its citizens as well as a list of the companies from your country that have branches in Belgium.

Social media
In today’s world social media is also a very quick, cheap and easy form of recruiting for Belgian, European and international agencies alike. So make sure to update your LinkedIn profile and begin networking with potential Belgian employers. Go to LinkedIn’s careers section and you'll find hundreds of job announcements for Brussels (often posted only on LinkedIn and nowhere else).

Employers also like to post their job announcements on Facebook and Twitter. Begin your search by using hashtags like #job and #Brussels, followed by a hashtag of the domain you want to work in (#comm, #HR, #dev). 

Belgian job sites and employment agencies
Many Belgian companies recruit expats for their international departments and projects. Although they usually prefer you to be able to speak Dutch or French in addition to your perfect English, exceptions can be made (and often are). Vacature and Stepping Stone have by far the largest number of employment offers across Belgium, while Alterjob proposes jobs working for Belgian non-profits and NGOs. If you're searching for a job in the medical, psychology or social sectors (social workers, after-school teachers in arts, sports, music, IT, etc), then GuideSocial is a great website.

Another way of finding a job in a Belgian company or organisation is through Belgium’s three regional employment offices. Actiris is the employment office run by the Brussels-Capital Region, followed by Forem for Wallonia and VDAB for Flanders. These agencies not only publish job offers (often aimed at people who have been seeking unemployment for a long time), but also can also help when it comes to applying for unemployment benefits. They also propose a variety of free vocational coursework and trainings (including language courses) to help get you back on track towards your dream job.

Apps
Indeed is a great app for job searching in Belgium and elsewhere that does searches by location and keywords. The app offers an incredibly thorough job search, as it scans all available websites according to the location. 

International schools
International schools may be an interesting source of employment for teachers who don’t speak French or Dutch and are unable to teach at Belgian schools. They teach the children of expat workers in Brussels, where they can receive their education in many languages. English is studied by almost all students. Although mainly recruited through government secondments of teachers from around the EU, positions are sometimes advertised on EuroBrussels, The Bulletin’s website or on the sites of the respective schools.

Language teachers in general are always in demand – Berlitz, the British School and International School of Brussels may be looking for teachers. German, French and Spanish native speakers can contact the Goethe Institute, Alliance française or Instituto Cervantes. Also see The Bulletin’s Education Guide for a list of language schools.

Artistic professions
Freelancers and those in the creative professions also have options. Creative Club is one resource. Another aid for artists or musicians who are setting up as self-employed under the tax system is SmartBe. This not-for-profit organisation serves as an advice bureau and will help you identify what taxes you should be paying and what you should declare as expenses. You can make an appointment to speak to an adviser.

Spontaneous applications and word of mouth
Spontaneous applications are often overlooked when searching employment, and yet according to Partena, one in four job seekers succeed in getting hired from this age-old method. Employers figure that, if you took the time to research them and prepare an application, you’re probably equally motivated to work hard for them.  

Another great way to land a job is by classic networking. Word of mouth spreads fast in Brussels' social networks. Let people know you are job-hunting – you never know, that person you mentioned it to at a party or in passing at a yoga class might have just heard of a vacancy at their company. Some jobs are never advertised, or may start off as a temporary opening, and you might be lucky enough to be able to step in, especially if they are looking to hire immediately.

Photo: Flickr/Kate Hiscock