Experiences

Hey Danny,

Thanks for the experiences from your side, and your experiences reflect experiences of others I'm sure. Many of the foreigners I do know in Poland do have a difficult time due to lack of work, poor quality workplaces, etc. Which of course is why I prefaced my 'tips' by saying that my very positive work experience is definitely due to the quality of the company I work for. Visit woodmizer-europe.com for more information on them. Every time I'm in town and the locals ask why I'm in Poland and where I work, when I say 'Wood-Mizer', they shake their heads knowingly and say something like, 'Ah ha! That is a very fine place to work!'

It's true that Eastern/central Europe isn't well known for dream jobs, and many businesses still operate in the old way - demand as much as possible from your workforce, and 'motivate' using the tactics you described. There are a variety of factors that contribute to this, but I'm happy to report that businesses in Poland are shifting (of course some will never change) towards the Western idea of creating a business environment where the employee is able to thrive. My boss often meets with other business owners in this area, and his feedback was that younger business owners are embracing a more friendly and nurturing environment, while older business owners are still stuck in the old ways. Change takes time. Also, I'm basically in the central/western area, which may be a little different than the area you were in.

I realize that I'm actually quite fortunate to have the job I do. Counting my blessings for that. I had no intention of moving to Poland, it was simply that the company I worked for in Indianapolis also had their EU HQ in Poland, and there was a vacancy and they asked if we'd be interested to fill it. Completely out of the blue. So unfortunately I don't have much good advice for others about finding the right workplace. In regard to hiring, Poles put a lot of emphasis on appearance, presentation, and qualifications (as you mentioned). They can be quite demanding and critical when hiring. So keep that in mind as you prep for interviews.

As far as advice goes for others, my wife has actually found all kinds of work teaching English. Because we live in a small town, there are really not many other native English speakers, so the local English schools compete for her services! She is being paid around 30pln per hour, and could probably make more if she freelanced, but she's very happy with the school she's working with, and is treating it more like a hobby. So that's working out well for her. Others may have different experiences, but in our town of about 15,000 people, there's no lack of people who will pay to have lessons with a native speaker. Even though my wife has no formal training, it hasn't made a difference. I think that someone motivated to live in Poland, who is friendly and seeks out students could stay quite busy.

You're right about the weather and good times in the garden. We've been here the last two winters (which were very mild), but I'm used to extreme weather changes (having lived in California, Washington, and Indiana), so we'll see what the next winter brings. Summers are quite pleasant. And you're very right, Poland has wonderful, relatively undiscovered places to visit, and prices for entertainment, food, and accommodation are still quite low compared to what you'd pay in Western Europe.

Best regards, fortune and luck going forward, and feel free to discuss or message me further :-)