Working in Austria

What do you need to work in Austria?

So now you know you want to move to Austria, the next important step is probably finding a job! But there are a number of requirements you must pass before working in Austria. EU citizens can enjoy free labour market access. But the main permit types for working in Austria are the following:

• the Red-White-Red Card – valid for twelve months and requires the passing of language module 1
• the EU Blue Card – valid for 24 months and requires no language test
• the long-term work permit – can apply for after five years of legally working in Austria and successfully having passed the language test module 2 – valid for five years and allows you to take up work anywhere in the country

A residency permit is also needed to live in Austria, but you can find out more information about this on our moving to Austria page.

Business culture in Austria

Business culture varies around the wold and it is important to know how you should act in the work place when moving to a new country. Austrian business culture is characterised by the following:

Business communication

For starters it’s probably best to learn the basics of the language. Although English is widely spoken amongst younger generations it is not so common among older individuals. Austrians are conservative and formal people and this is very  different from our own cultural approach. Remember there are no universal gestures, for example in Austria putting your hands on your lap during dining is seen as rude.

Business etiquette

Punctuality in Austria, as in Germany, is a very important feature. Time, therefore, is managed carefully, and you must respect calendars, schedules and agendas. If you are late to a meeting or interview it will be seen as extremely rude and likely to face negative consequences.

Business meeting etiquette

Meetings are taken seriously when working in Austria and may go into considerable detail. Business meetings follow a formal procedure; however patience is a key feature you must take into consideration as Austrians will want to go through every tiny detail before singing any agreements.

Work-life-balance

Working hours are similar to what we have in the UK. 9am to 5pm is common in most industries, with retail having slightly longer hours. The average monthly salary in Vienna in comparison to London is shown below, on average  salary is about 30% less in Vienna in comparison to London.

How to find a job in Austria

Austria is often seen as quite as old-fashion, and the job market stays within the traditional dotted lines laid out. Online job sites do exist but most companies will prefer to find employees the old fashioned way. Therefore print advertisements such as newspapers is common, as well as the ‘Arbeitsmarktservice‘ who help unemployed individuals seek employment.

Applying for jobs in Austria

Your CV and cover letter should be translated to German, unless otherwise specified by the position applying for. It should consist of 1 or 2 pages and there’s usually a photograph at the top.

In an Austrian CV, the following information should be present (in the following order):

1. First and last name, address and phone number.
2. Personal information (birthdate and place, marital status, children and in some cases, name and profession of the parents and religion).
3. Studies (including primary school (Hauptschule), high school (Gymnasium) and University, if applicable).
4. Military or civil service, if applicable.
5. Continuing education.
6. Foreign languages.
7. Working experience.
8. Other activities (sports or politics organisations affiliation, etc.)

Top industries to find a job

The labour market is the most popular one to find work in Austria, despite the fact that jobs are becoming increasingly scarce. While agricultural and forestry employers are struggling with great efforts, the demand for qualified engineers, chemists, computer scientists and logistics is very high. But the major industries include:

• Chemical and vehicles;
• Electrical and electronics;
• Food;
• Machine and steel;
• Wood and paper.

Thinking of moving to Austria? If so, at Sirelo we can help you! We recommend you to have a look at the pages we have linked below -they will help you to start planning your move to Austria in the best possible way. 🙂