Finding a job in Prague

Prague's economy and labour market

Formerly an important industrial base, Prague is now a modern city which successfully attracts both foreign and domestic investment. The service sector is the city's growth engine and employs around 82 % of the workforce. The most important areas are the financial sector as well as trade-related services. Another increasingly relevant industry is tourism. It is deemed to be the capital city's second economic pillar thanks to the growing number of visitors — in 2018, Prague welcomed over 7.8 million tourists.

Despite Prague's rich industrial past, most of today's work opportunities lie in the service sector as well as IT and technology, logistics, transports, education, and construction, among others. In the private sector, multinational companies provide career prospects, namely in information and communication technology, logistics, finance, and technical jobs. International companies in the IT and high-tech sector seem to offer very attractive expat packages — both in terms of salary and work to life balance.

Finding a job in Prague

To be able to hire you, your potential employer will need to demonstrate that the position you are applying for cannot be filled by a Czech citizen — this is not the simplest process and can take quite a bit of time. Things are much easier with international companies, especially if you don't speak the Czech language. You can start by checking the list of international companies and checking open positions on their career websites. 

English teaching is in high demand in Prague — you can get in touch with private language schools in the city directly to learn about potential openings. As a native speaker, you have a significant advantage. Networking is also important — if you have friends or relatives living in the city, it's a good idea to ask around for opportunities.

There are also quite a few specialised job-hunting websites where you can find job offers in English. Alternatively, contact a headhunting agent to help you with research. The biggest recruitment agencies in the city are, for example, Grafton, Adecco, Hays, Manpower, Axial Personnel Agency, Advantage Consulting, etc.

Do you want to find an office job in Prague? Many international companies have a shared services centre or contact centres in Prague. Big companies separate all operational types of tasks and departments like accounting, HR, IT, purchasing, or compliance are moved to another country. Check directly the career section on the website of the biggest employers like Honeywell, Amazon, Exxonmobile, Accenture, DXC Technology, SAP, Oracle, Johnson & Johnson, Novartis, Medtronic, SITA, ADP, Siemens, Edwards Lifesciences, etc. It is a perfect option for English speakers with ideally some other language. No need for mastery of the Czech language.

If you do not have enough sources, use job portals to look for a job. Jobs.cz is the most famous and the biggest one; there are many others like Indeed, Monster, or Glassdoor. As you can guess from the name, Startupjobs is great website which focuses on jobs within start-up companies.

Tips about the CV and interviews in Prague

When sending your CV to a recruiter, do not forget to attach a cover letter. One page with a short introduction, the reasons why you like the company and the job is enough. Try to be concrete and show the recruiter your interest. The same advice is for your CV, do not put too much information; one A4 page is enough. A simple, well-structured CV with nice layout and picture is what HR specialists want to see. 

References are not necessary, in case that employers want a recommendation, they will ask for it during the interview. 

Once CVs are sent, you will have to be patient. Sometimes, the hiring process in Prague can be very fast. If you are extremely lucky, you go for an interview on Friday and start to work on the following Monday. Of course, it does not always work like that, especially in summer months like July, and August, the process can take several weeks or months. 

Most of the companies do short phone pre-screening and one or two rounds of interviews – the first one with the recruiter and a direct manager. If there is the second round, the manager of the whole department will probably be present or the CEO in the case of a small company.

Each company has different processes, people and interviews. If you are invited for an interview to the start-up company, the dress code can be less formal, and a smart casual outfit will be enough. Other companies and corporations will appreciate people dressed in business casual. Are you applying for a job in Big Four companies or law firms? Then, pay attention to the dress code and choose a formal one.