Forums » Belgium » American in Belgium

• lisamehdaoui

  
   

  August 21, 2008 8:21:36 AM CEST

  Hello there! I am from Boston, Massachusetts and looking to move to Belgium. I will be in Brussels for the month of October and want to look for work in the Arts, Theatre, Arts Management, Education, or Project Management/Event Planning in any business field. Any recommendations of companies that I should reach out to?
  
  I would also be very interested in getting some USA expats together to discuss life, work, finding that 'right' job that will help me get my work permit, etc, etc.
  
  Any and all advice would be fantastic!
  Thanks in advance
  Lisa
• lisamehdaoui

  
   

  August 21, 2008 8:32:18 PM CEST

  Thanks for this, I really appreciate the advice. Keep your fingers crossed for me. I really do love the country and I do speak French which I am hoping will help me in my job search. Take care and thanks again.
  Lisa
  
  
  
  
  

  
  Hello - you are looking at an area that is very competitive in Europe. If you look at web sites such as Stepstone, you can get a feel for the types of jobs that are available. Also, global recruitment companies, like Manpower or Addeco, can give you an idea about what they have available. You may be able to talk to a corporate that is looking for your skills in Europe and have a US office (HP, Mircrosoft, DHL, UPS) to see if they would support you in your quest. There are many online job agencies as well that you can look at. Health care and taxes are very different in Belgium and you must ensure that what ever action or deal you take - the salary covers all the things that you need to account for. Having said that, Belgium is a great place to live, with easy connections to the rest of Europe and Africa. Quality of life is great and there are many US citizens here (I am british). The US embassy is also a good source of information for people that want to move, work and live overseas.

  
  
  
• blarfy

  
   

  August 21, 2008 11:49:01 PM CEST

  Well, good luck. I'm American and looking to leave.
• lisamehdaoui

  
   

  August 24, 2008 9:43:24 AM CEST

  If it is not too intrusive, may I ask why you are looking to leave?
  
  
  

  blarfy (Aug 21 2008, 08:49 PM) said: > original post
  Well, good luck. I'm American and looking to leave.

  
  
  
• blarfy

  
   

  August 25, 2008 4:02:03 AM CEST

  If I answer that one, I'm going to sound like a big sourpuss....
• czicks

  
   

  August 28, 2008 6:33:21 PM CEST

  
  

  blarfy (Aug 25 2008, 01:02 AM) said: > original post
  If I answer that one, I'm going to sound like a big sourpuss....

  
  
  
  It's a fairly common question that you should feel comfortable answering and since you haven't made any indication the reason you desire to relocate I am going to offer this small piece of advice. A change this important should really be motivated by positive thoughts and feelings, not out of desire to escape or change negative aspects of life.
  
  Moving to another country is often a romantic and exciting thought but in reality (especially if you've only lived in the US) the change can be a very taxing experience. If you're serious about moving to Belgium I hope for your sake that you honestly love the country and most everything about it otherwise the added mental and emotional strains may leave you with feelings of regret. Do it because you love it, not because you hate something else. Best of luck.
• eruptiveculture

  
   

  October 13, 2008 10:46:51 PM CEST

  Czicks makes an excellent point, and since the question was never really answered, "Why leave Belgium?" I can give a couple of reasons. Having lived in both the Netherlands and Belgium, I found the red tape in Belgium to be monstrous. I also did A LOT of research before moving there, but still found myself in a less-than-desirable rental situation with a very threatening landlord. These are all specific situations, but as Czicks points out, why choose Belgium? Make sure you are choosing the particular Belgian lifestyle, not a generalized view of how you think Europeans might live. Do some research about jobs, rental contracts, etc. in surrounding countries. You may decide Belgium is the right place for you, or may even decide where you really want to be is Luxembourg.
• euroconnect

  

  • 8 posts
   

  August 27, 2011 12:08:58 AM CEST

  If you will have a good job with good salalry you will love it here.Otherwise you'll hate it.
• abroaduni

  

  • 24 posts
   

  December 7, 2011 3:33:22 PM CET

  oh!It's great, Why you are moving to Belgium,if you want to USA expats together?There are a lot of adventures to see.Very nice destination...

   

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