daveh

Hi All

I am currently living and working in Finland and I am now thinking about my next move. I work as an SAN/ NAS IT specialist and there is plenty of work in Europe so my choice of country becomes more personal than practical. The main limiting factor is my complete lack of language skills. I did German and French at school but that was 17 years ago. Luckily most finns speak good English, as I have been trying to learn Finnish but it is a very difficult language to learn. Some of the guys I work with have been here 10 years and have still not mastered the language.

My contract runs until April, after that the company I work for want me to go permanent, but Finland is a difficult place to live. The winters are harsh, the summers are mosquito infested and very humid. The tax system is nothing short of criminal, and I have yet to find a half litre of beer for under 5 euros! . However the pace of life is a lot better then the UK and I have no desire to return there just yet. So I am think about what other countries in Europe I could work in. Rather then spending my time trying to learn Finnish I could work on other language skills.

So my question to the forum is which language skills should I look at for working in other European countries. I do not fancy working in France or Spain, but I have visited most European countries for holidays and I could imagine myself living in most of them. I am single so I don't need to think about schools etc.

Any advice is greatly appreciated.

Cheers

Dave

C-Cat

Hi Dave,

Have you considered Germany? If you studied German at school, however many years ago, you would probably find that doing some kind of refresher course would make you quite confident and proficient with the language - I think it's one of the easier European languages to get to grips with, as it seems to stick in the mind (especially if you've already done some German) but of course this is my personal point of view; I do find however that many people agree with me on this.
My last German lesson at school had been in 1968 but fast forward to the year 2000 and I remembered enough to hold quite a lengthy conversation with two elderly German ladies who were lost on a Greek Island and were desperate to find someone who spoke a bit of German!
You'd be surprised how much of it you would remember..........

Have you ever been to Germany on a visit?
If not, I'd suggest you choose a region that appeals to you (look on the web)and go for a 'reccy.'
Although I've never worked there, I've visited the south and it's particularly lovely; the food is out of this world! Many southern Germans speak a dialect but you'd soon get used to it - it's easy to understand, and everyone can communicate in the 'high' German you would probably have learnt.

Re the climate, generally speaking, it tends towards the continental; warm summers / cold winters. At least usually better than the U.K (and by the sound of it, Finland too!)

Good luck with whatever you decide.
C-Cat

Ophelia

Have you thought about other parts of Scandinavia proper? The languages there are a million times easier than Finnish. I studied Finnish for a year.... dear god... minä en puhu suomea! Suomen kieli on todella vaikea!!!! But Finland is a cool place, I like it. You could try Denmark or mid or southern Sweden? Languages are much easier, the tax... well, it's 30% in Sweden. No idea about Denmark although alcohol is cheaper in Denmark. Its tough to get work in Sweden, but it sounds like you have marketable skills, so I guess that wouldnt be a problem for you.

Turku is a cool place (Ã…BO in swedish). I have been there once, in march though, so it was pretty chilly. Have you managed to get over to Moominland during your stay there?