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>On a more general note, does anyone have any experience of working
>through English in a non-anglophonic country to share?
In general, any company using English as corporate (and documentation)
language is always better off having native English speakers to produce
their material. I am an American working in Denmark and know other American
and British people working around Europe. You will always find locals who
are quite brilliant at speaking and/or writing English. My personal
experience at two companies with highly educated people is that they do a
very good job of writing English but there are glitches throughout: "its"
vs it's", "you" vs. "you're", singular and plural tense confusion, and
problems with syntax. Sometimes there is an attitude that "the reader is
not an English speaking native so it doesn't matter" which I totally oppose
in any professional work!
The whole matter of getting jobs in your situation seems to be like the
lottery. I was fluent in Danish when I got my first major job in Denmark
years ago at the Danish office of an American based company. I got it
because the manager who hired me thought it wise to have someone who could
understand the hows and whys of American behavior and explain it to the
Danes - and vice versa! He didn't care what practical experience I had with
their systems as long as I was willing to learn and work well with the
others. I know another woman who got a good paying top-notch job (also in
a multi-national) for which she had the training (engineer) but without
good Danish skills. Recently I have heard horror stories of some
professionals (an architect and an English teacher for secondary school
students) be rejected despite super skills, recommendations, fluent Danish
skills, and suitability for the jobs in question. They had to fight and beg
to get jobs which were hidden behind a wall of xenophobia. Often foreigners
go independent when the locals "won't have them". In this day and age,
there is potential there: Have modem, will work anywhere!
Another thing for Europeans moving about: EU rules allow for mobility -
reality in individual countries can vary from these rules, as is the case
in Denmark. There is a group of British people here in Denmark fighting for
clarity about pensions and voting rights. Check what your rights are for
unemployment, etc.. In Denmark, if you come in on your own with your own
"fortune" (not as rich as it sounds) in a 5 year residency permit, get a
job, and then are unemployed, you do not have the right to welfare from the
government and you are told this up front. Here too, if a foreigner moves
in with a Danish citizen, that foreigner can say they will be supported by
the local and then the local has to earn so and so much. In other words,
besides your mental state in having or not having employment, you have a
lot of bureaucracy to deal with in your private life. Burdens there can
affect your energy in job searching. I mention this not as a discouragement
because I have just been though it all with my Scottish boyfriend moving
over here. Governments are just not as romantic minded as the governed
citizens can be and one needs to aware of this!!
For you and for single people reading this, another keyword is: network!
Support is needed in changing cultures and countries. All sorts of clubs
exists: sports, musical, national, etc. Clubs relating to your home country
keep your language skills honed (especially important if that is what you
are hawking!!) and keep you informed and even sane!!
Bottom line: Millions have done it before you and have managed! You'll be
all right! Best of luck!
regards, Karen Mardahl
PS Gevene who also answered this thread: I am taking you up on your offer
and contacting you offlist.
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