Moving from Chicago to Bucharest.

Hello Vlad.

Welcome to Expat.com!

Hope you'll soon get some useful informations from other members.

Thank you,
Aurélie

No worries.Cars are abit more expesive than in US,but gas is 1,6$/liter not galloon.
try www.ejob.ro
Dan

Do you still have family in Romania? Father, grandparents etc. ? 7000 is a bit low, although perfectly doable for someone who speaks the language ( you can still re-learn it ) and still has the citizenship ( which, i believe, you had to give up ).

I have family in Galati and Campina. I still am a Romanian citizen yes.

hy
it would be grate to work here as a Farmacy tech  but not knowing romanian i don't know how many chances you have. Finding a job here is not that easy. In Galati for example there is a serious problem with jobs.

Hi Deadsnake!

The sallary of a pharmacist in Romania ranges between 400 and 800E. The sallary of a pharm tech is 200- 500E depending on the city you work in and if it's a pharmacy chain or an independent pharmacy. In small cities you should expect much smaller salaries than in Bucharest.
  Besides that there is little need for pharmacy technicians in this period in Romania and they would expect from you to speak romanian. Pharmacies here don't prepare prescriptions anymore.

I'm a pharmacist myself but don't work in a pharmacy. I think you should search for a job in an international pharmaceutical corporation operating in Romania. Maybe they would appreciate your language skills ( english)

Let me clarify. I speak Romanian, not the best but I do, and I am willing to spend a couple months upon arrival on relearning the language to be at a better standard. RomanianTraveler, is pay really that low? How can one live comfortably at that pay? Isnt rent somewhere around 300? Are there many English speaking companies there? And what do you mea by they do not prepare medications anymore?

1) I mean..they don't prepare Rx's. They only sell industrial pharmaceutical forms. They don't compose capsules and so on..like in other countries. I don't find the rigt words to explain. Pharm and pharm tech only sell drugs. Very few pharmacies have functional labs and if they do, it's only for marketing purposese..for their ,,professional'' image.
  2)  Regarding the salaries. I worked as a chief pharmacist in a pharmacy 70km from Bucharest, in Giurgiu, in 2007 ( before the crisis) . There was a lack of pharmacists there because everyone from Giurgiu wanted to work in  the capital. For me it was an hour drive and the salary was actually higher than in Bucharest and I had nothing to do, it was a relaxing job.
  But: The pharm techs were locals, from Giurgiu, and their salary was 200E . In poor towns, especially women can find nothing to work. Maybe in the city hall ( for the connected ones/relatives of the maayor) or in a supermarket or gas station( for less money).
  In Bucharest, the same pharm tech could earn 500E, working for a pharma chain.
   You can find branches of all major pharma companies in Romania ( bayer,sandoz, pfizer) but it's hard to get a job, tens or hundreds of candidates apply for a position and most of them will demand university degree in life sciences. They are also better paid .

RomanianTraveler wrote:

1) I mean..they don't prepare Rx's. They only sell industrial pharmaceutical forms. They don't compose capsules and so on..like in other countries. I don't find the rigt words to explain. Pharm and pharm tech only sell drugs. Very few pharmacies have functional labs and if they do, it's only for marketing purposese..for their ,,professional'' image.
  2)  Regarding the salaries. I worked as a chief pharmacist in a pharmacy 70km from Bucharest, in Giurgiu, in 2007 ( before the crisis) . There was a lack of pharmacists there because everyone from Giurgiu wanted to work in  the capital. For me it was an hour drive and the salary was actually higher than in Bucharest and I had nothing to do, it was a relaxing job.
  But: The pharm techs were locals, from Giurgiu, and their salary was 200E . In poor towns, especially women can find nothing to work. Maybe in the city hall ( for the connected ones/relatives of the maayor) or in a supermarket or gas station( for less money).
  In Bucharest, the same pharm tech could earn 500E, working for a pharma chain.
   You can find branches of all major pharma companies in Romania ( bayer,sandoz, pfizer) but it's hard to get a job, tens or hundreds of candidates apply for a position and most of them will demand university degree in life sciences. They are also better paid .

Okay I understand what you are saying, thanks!

I don't know if you are familiar with Wagreens and the way a pharmacy is ran here in the US, maybe I could relate to the work in Romania. Either way I want to come back regardless. I am a man of hard work and passion, I know I will be able to find work and means of earning a living. I know that it will be more of a challenge than it is here in the states but I am willing to take that chance and come home. After all, there is no place like home! I know I will be happier there. There is still a lot of research for me to do, I want to make sure I am prepared when I do come. I still have family there to help me but I would feel more accomplished if I were able to do it on my own!

Deadsnake, is your plan to come for living, or do you plan to go to the University? ( very important question, as the rest of responses will help. ). I guess it is clear that making a living as a Pharm Tech will be more difficult than in the US.

I am coming back to live there, weather I will have a job as a Pharm Tech or not, doesn't really matter to me. I have acquired a few skills while living here. I can perform other healthcare tasks, I am a decent car mechanic, ETC. I plan on coming to live there for good and to attend school.

In which case, living with family for the first months would be advisable.
Galati is a great city, but if you can do it, I would choose Bucharest. Try to do things the Romanian way and notspend money in the beginning.
Try to get a second Romanian driver's licence ( and do not tell them you have an American one. In fact, try no to tell them you're American, unless you feel it can help ).

Car mechanics and nurses aren't making great lives here so you might want to focus on something more smart and profitable, like : being a guide for some investors, offer " work and travel" positions for students, get any job within the US Embassy ( ask them, kiss their asses, anything ), represent potential employers in the US for that 1 1/2 programme, represent one or more decent-priced immigration lawyers...etc.

Call-center "jobs" will not help very much.

This is what passes through my mind, for the moment, to help you define your carreer plan.
As always, you should have a short-term plan ( getting a small job to put food on your table ) and a medium-term plan ( go to University - why not choose Medical School ? - make big bucks, whatever ).

I am sure you are an enthusiastic, full of life young Romanian-American, from whom Romania will benefit. But I would hate to see you failing because lack of planning.

I will definitely take everything in account. Now one more question... if I were to get my teaching certificate, would it be a smart choice? I could teach English in Romania.

Yes, it would be a great , wonderful idea. Send some mockup CVs to English schools in Bucharest or anywhere and check what the results could be , before investing.

callincard wrote:

In which case, living with family for the first months would be advisable.
Galati is a great city, but if you can do it, I would choose Bucharest. Try to do things the Romanian way and notspend money in the beginning.
Try to get a second Romanian driver's licence ( and do not tell them you have an American one. In fact, try no to tell them you're American, unless you feel it can help ).

Car mechanics and nurses aren't making great lives here so you might want to focus on something more smart and profitable, like : being a guide for some investors, offer " work and travel" positions for students, get any job within the US Embassy ( ask them, kiss their asses, anything ), represent potential employers in the US for that 1 1/2 programme, represent one or more decent-priced immigration lawyers...etc.

Call-center "jobs" will not help very much.

This is what passes through my mind, for the moment, to help you define your carreer plan.
As always, you should have a short-term plan ( getting a small job to put food on your table ) and a medium-term plan ( go to University - why not choose Medical School ? - make big bucks, whatever ).

I am sure you are an enthusiastic, full of life young Romanian-American, from whom Romania will benefit. But I would hate to see you failing because lack of planning.

Just curious, why would you tell him "Try to do things the Romanian way and notspend money in the beginning.
Try to get a second Romanian driver's licence ( and do not tell them you have an American one. In fact, try no to tell them you're American".

This means he has to spend money on a Romanian driving school, which he does not need.  He can simply exchange his American driving license for a Romanian one with no tests and only a translation/declaration.  He can even keep the American one, it does not need to be surrendered.  There's no shame in admitting you're American or dual national is there?

Also, I know of car mechanics here that make a pretty decent living here.  Romania is a country that lives on 2nd, 3rd, 4th hand cars...and these cars need to be fixed often.  No need to discourage the young man if that's what he is qualified to do.

Get a life, Romaniac.

callincard wrote:

Get a life, Romaniac.

More useful advice? Thanks

Hi OP,
If a good job and education are your two goals I don't get why you would pick Romania over the US. if Chicago is bad pick another city! ---ok just my two cents there.

No one will laugh at you for not speaking Romanian well. Everyone speaks English in Bucharest. 1 or 2 months in the countryside and you'll be fluent I'm sure.

Best of luck to you.