Technical work in Europe.

[Guest]

tl;dr

Which country wants workers? Do they want electrical technicians, or programmers? 

 

Long version:

I want to move from the United States to Austria, Finland, Germany, Norway, Sweden, Switzerland, or another similar country within Mid-Eastern Europe. 

I am studying Electrical Technology, but don't know if I should change to Computer Information Systems to be a programmer/Information Technology person. 

I love programming, networks, and circuits so I have no problem studying any of these things. 

 

I've asked some relatives, and friends about how to seek employment, and citizenship. 

In Austria you NEED to find employment before applying for a working permit. Other benefits to get the permit are to have a degree in the field. (May be required as well)

At least that's what the Austrian work site said. "ams.at"

I did see that the French leader had called "All scientists, engineers" and other similar workers to think of France as a second home. I looked into it but couldn't find any resources. 

 

Where are some technology centers hubs? Are programmers and computer operators more in demand? Or are electrical technicians? 

Electrical technicians if you don't know are people that repair, and maintain electronic devices like factory machines, solar panels, wind turbines and so fourth. 

 

Last time I was in Europe is seemed that Munich was a HUGE technology location. I don't know what resources, and websites are available.

Especially not for American born Citizens. My grandparents are German born citizens though I think that's not recent enough to count. 

 

What other technology centers are there? What's in demand? I'm aiming for Germany, or Austria, though I'll take any Germanic, or northern Eastern European country.

 

I'm not so much looking at countries like Turkey, and Greece. Anything East of France, (Including France) and at the level at or north of Switzerland, Austria, Hungary, and Ukraine. 

 

In conclusion:

1. What cities are great for technology emplyoment for Americans wishing to move to Europe.

2. Is it more in demand to be a programmer/network admin/web developer, or an Electrical technician?

3. What online resources are there to find employment? 

4. What countries are hiring? 

 

I'm expecting to graduate school by 2019/2020. I have several years of programming experience. 

[jeff.proto-_-]

For technology things in Europe, then middle-eastern Europe is not the place to go for a high-paying job. I'd recommend somewhere in the UK, like England. I get that you want to go to central Europe, but the UK is where most of the European tech jobs are right now. You could end up working at Microsoft in England. Another reason to go to the UK to work would be the currency, as the Great British Pound is worth more than the Euro. This may sound biased, coming from someone who lives in the UK, but this would probably be the best place to go tech-wise. Hope this helps

[Biggerboot]

I think it depends on the industry and/or company.  When I hear the term electrical technician I think of the 'on-site' guys doing the wiring and hardware installations.  But if you're into the eletrical engineering/R&D side it matters alot more where you go.  It can be very rewarding if you end up in the right place.  If you're into software/programming/IT, you can go almost anywhere that has industry, cuz they (companies) all need that stuff.

[SpaceGhostC2C]

2 minutes ago, jeff.proto-_- said:

For technology things in Europe, then middle-eastern Europe is not the place to go for a high-paying job. I'd recommend somewhere in the UK, like England. I get that you want to go to central Europe, but the UK is where most of the European tech jobs are right now.

Citation needed? There are many jobs throughout the continent, especially in German-speaking countries.

2 minutes ago, jeff.proto-_- said:

You could end up working at Microsoft in England.

Or Prague...

2 minutes ago, jeff.proto-_- said:

Another reason to go to the UK to work would be the currency, as the Great British Pound is worth more than the Euro.

Er... that's known as "money illusion". It doesn't really matter AT ALL what the nominal exchange rate is between two currencies, since what really matters to you is A) the real exchange rate, that is, after taking prices into account (which in the UK are quite high, especially if you consider living in London), B) your real income, that is, how much can you buy with the money you get. Getting a seemingly high-paying job in a country with a nominally valuable currency doesn't rule out going to the supermarket and finding out you can't really buy much with it...

Bottom line: no, just no, that's flawed logic...

 

[jeff.proto-_-]

Okay, reading through my comment again, and your comment, I've realised how flawed some of my logic was and you pointed it out for me. 

 

The next best place I can think of that is in your area that you are looking for is Sweden, one of the most tecnologically 

[chilicheeseburger]

Well.. what languages do you speak? 

[Guest]

1 hour ago, jeff.proto-_- said:

For technology things in Europe, then middle-eastern Europe is not the place to go for a high-paying job. I'd recommend somewhere in the UK, like England. I get that you want to go to central Europe, but the UK is where most of the European tech jobs are right now. You could end up working at Microsoft in England. Another reason to go to the UK to work would be the currency, as the Great British Pound is worth more than the Euro. This may sound biased, coming from someone who lives in the UK, but this would probably be the best place to go tech-wise. Hope this helps

I appreciate the concern of currency value. I wouldn't mind the UK, though I would prefer more mid-Europe. I am a native English speaker so this does help. Are there any resources for the UK to help? 

I'm guessing London is the tech centre of England? 

1 hour ago, Biggerboot said:

I think it depends on the industry and/or company.  When I hear the term electrical technician I think of the 'on-site' guys doing the wiring and hardware installations.  But if you're into the eletrical engineering/R&D side it matters alot more where you go.  It can be very rewarding if you end up in the right place.  If you're into software/programming/IT, you can go almost anywhere that has industry, cuz they (companies) all need that stuff.

When I say technician I mean "the 'on-site' guys doing the wiring and hardware installations."

I need help finding companies looking for software programming IT, hence one of the reasons for the creation of this post. 

Can you help me find any resources to this? 

1 hour ago, SpaceGhostC2C said:

Or Prague...

I wouldn't mind the Czech Republic! 

Quote

Er... that's known as "money illusion". It doesn't really matter AT ALL what the nominal exchange rate is between two currencies, since what really matters to you is A) the real exchange rate, that is, after taking prices into account (which in the UK are quite high, especially if you consider living in London), B) your real income, that is, how much can you buy with the money you get. Getting a seemingly high-paying job in a country with a nominally valuable currency doesn't rule out going to the supermarket and finding out you can't really buy much with it...

Bottom line: no, just no, that's flawed logic...

I'm okay with earning the average salary of a country. Most European countries are socialist (to a degree) from what I've seen, so I have no urge to become a super mega bill gates rich celebrity. I just would like to live in Europe. These jobs just seems like paths to live where I want to. I am well aware of the strict rules, and high taxes in some countries, however I will happily pay them because that is where I want to live. 

59 minutes ago, jeff.proto-_- said:

The next best place I can think of that is in your area that you are looking for is Sweden, one of the most tecnologically 

I know PewDiePie lives there, but I don't know many other tech people/companies there. Can you help guide me into finding emplyoment in these place? 

58 minutes ago, chilicheeseburger said:

Well.. what languages do you speak? 

I speak English, I know some Russian, and some German(some Bavarian). I want to study German whilst at school here, and I like learning that in my spare time when I'm on break. I tried learning a bit of Croatian, which wasn't too difficult to begin, however without actively speaking with others I forgot most of these languages. (Aside from English.) I can refresh my Spanish with some practice, so any Romance language can be learned. If I can find a company before I graduate, I will learn the language of said country as best as I can as I will expect to be living there. 

 

EDIT:
I told my career services that this is something I'm interested and they're contacting other colleges to see where foreign exchange students, are from, and what other local colleges can do to help find resources, however anything additional that can be provided would be a huge help! 

[johnukguy]

Speaking as a Brit, do not go to the UK. That is really bad advice. It is not where the jobs are, in fact many are leaving because of Brexit and most major companies are now setting up in Frankfurt and other places. If you do want to get in to the European scene, which is a great idea as it's a much better place to live than the US or the UK, with much higher living standards, perhaps consider applying to a German university as a student? They offer Americans free tuition and a small grant and that gets your foot in the door. Work is also pretty easy to come by in the larger German cities especially.  Do not though even try the UK. I don't know why anyone would advise you to do so as they clearly don't work in IT in either Europe or the UK. Also, you cannot get into the UK in any case because of immigration restrictions. There are also difficulties for Americans in the EU as generally American degrees are considered to be lower than European or UK degrees. Apply as a student though, use whatever you have for credits and you can pretty quickly be qualified in Europe and have a better chance of getting legal work.

As for what type of jobs are in demand and will continue to be for a while yet, programmers (depending on languages) and network admins are still in demand. There is almost zero demand though for web developers and electrical engineers. Frankfurt, Bonn, Berlin and Munich are your best bets, especially Frankfurt, which is also getting many of the financial companies that are leaving the UK because of Brexit. Also, wages in Germany are much higher than the UK. There are smaller cities like Bremen, where I've lived, that are also very very cool if you can get something there.

Do though be prepared for an extreme culture shock. Workers in the EU are treated better than in the UK generally and much better than the US. You will be expected to take all of your vacation days, unlike in the US and that means being prepared to take around a month of paid vacation per year to start. That increases the longer you work for a company. Also, overtime is paid, not expected and there are limits on shift lengths and how many hours you can legally work. Most overtime in much of the EU is paid at time and a half, double time after a certain shift length and for nights often. Health care is also much better and virtually free out of pocket. though many have some form of supplemental insurance, but it's nothing like the US, much cheaper and better quality care. The social life is pretty full on in Germany too, so get used to being out a lot more than in the US. There are also no 'sick days,' as they have them in the US. If you're sick, provided you get a doctor's note after a few days, you take as long as you need to recover, at full pay up to six weeks. After that you use what's called the 'Krankengeld,' which pays you 70% to 90% of your salary for up to 78 weeks.

https://www.relocatemagazine.com/news/technology-tech-jobs-already-relocating-abroad-survey-says-david-sapsted

https://www.ft.com/content/8360ed4a-7116-11e7-aca6-c6bd07df1a3c

https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2017/mar/30/uk-games-companies-leaving-brexit-vote-eu-workers

[Guest]

7 minutes ago, johnukguy said:

Speaking as a Brit, do not go to the UK. It is not where the jobs are, in fact many are leaving because of Brexit and most major companies are now setting up in Frankfurt and other places. If you do want to get in to the European scene, which is a great idea as it's a much better place to live than the US with much higher living standards, perhaps consider applying to a German university? They offer Americans free tuition and a small grant and that gets your foot in the door. Do not though even try the UK. I don't know why anyone would advise you to do so as they clearly don't work in IT in either Europe or the UK. Also, you cannot get into the UK in any case because of immigration restrictions. As for what type of jobs are in demand, programmers (depending on languages) and network admins are still in demand. There is almost zero demand though for web developers and electrical engineers. Frankfurt, Bonn and Munich are your best bets, especially Frankfurt, which is also getting many of the financial companies that are leaving the UK because of Brexit. Also, wages in Germany are much higher than the UK.

Will the German schools offer education to people already kinda... not doing school anymore? Any links, or references to opportunities? Perhaps some companies you know of that’re looking for workers? 

[johnukguy]

Any major German university will offer courses to mature students and your work and previous academic qualifications (if any) earn credits. The German Academic Exchange Service is one place to check first. Higher education is considered to be a basic human right in much of the EU, not a privilege and the ability to apply to university as a mature student, or someone even with no previous higher education reflects that, though they may ask for your high school GED or equivalent. Work history can also count here. 

https://www.daad.de/en/

These links may also be helpful:

https://studentloanhero.com/featured/6-countries-with-free-college-for-americans/

https://www.theguardian.com/education/2017/apr/07/whats-it-like-to-study-in-germany

Also, do read what I added about culture shock, coming from the US, in my last post. It really is a totally different work ethic in Germany and indeed most of the EU. Do not apply to private universities if at all possible. The state run ones tend to be better overall and the private ones tend to charge tuition fees, though they are a hell of a lot lower than those in the US. As for companies hiring, if you are on a tech course especially, you will come across opportunities but may have to work under the table a little until you are qualified to officially work in Germany. Most of the time it's still well paid work with proper vacations, health care and so on, so not a real hardship at all. Unless you try and do construction work or similar, which are much shittier and mostly employ Eastern European and Turkish workers.

[johnukguy]

By the way, if your father is a German citizen, you can apply for German citizenship,so long as you can speak German, and  you will then also be an EU citizen automatically, which means that you can live, work and claim benefits, including health care, in any EU member state and several of the Scandinavian ones such as Norway.

[LogicalDrm]

Are you currently student in college or uni? You could do exchange period (6mo to 1yr) pretty much any country. While doing that, visit some conferences of your field of expertise and talk with people there.

[bigneo]

Decent IT salaries in Ireland. Since you speak English natively, Ireland would be no problem for you. The only thing is the weather in this country.  

[Guest]

9 hours ago, johnukguy said:

Any major German university will offer courses to mature students and your work and previous academic qualifications (if any) earn credits. The German Academic Exchange Service is one place to check first. Higher education is considered to be a basic human right in much of the EU, not a privilege and the ability to apply to university as a mature student, or someone even with no previous higher education reflects that, though they may ask for your high school GED or equivalent. Work history can also count here. 

https://www.daad.de/en/

These links may also be helpful:

https://studentloanhero.com/featured/6-countries-with-free-college-for-americans/

https://www.theguardian.com/education/2017/apr/07/whats-it-like-to-study-in-germany

Also, do read what I added about culture shock, coming from the US, in my last post. It really is a totally different work ethic in Germany and indeed most of the EU. Do not apply to private universities if at all possible. The state run ones tend to be better overall and the private ones tend to charge tuition fees, though they are a hell of a lot lower than those in the US. As for companies hiring, if you are on a tech course especially, you will come across opportunities but may have to work under the table a little until you are qualified to officially work in Germany. Most of the time it's still well paid work with proper vacations, health care and so on, so not a real hardship at all. Unless you try and do construction work or similar, which are much shittier and mostly employ Eastern European and Turkish workers.

What do you mean Mature students? 
Thanks for the referances and links! 

I think I like the work ethic from what I've seen. It's work when you're at work, and less leniency for slacking off. (kinda?)

10 hours ago, johnukguy said:

By the way, if your father is a German citizen, you can apply for German citizenship,so long as you can speak German, and  you will then also be an EU citizen automatically, which means that you can live, work and claim benefits, including health care, in any EU member state and several of the Scandinavian ones such as Norway.

Unfortunately, only my grandparents on my Mother's side are born in Germany. 

4 hours ago, LoGiCalDrm said:

Are you currently student in college or uni? You could do exchange period (6mo to 1yr) pretty much any country. While doing that, visit some conferences of your field of expertise and talk with people there.

That sounds like a good idea! I will see what's available. 

58 minutes ago, bigneo said:

Decent IT salaries in Ireland. Since you speak English natively, Ireland would be no problem for you. The only thing is the weather in this country.  

I love the rain, so if that's what you mean, I have no problem with that. 

Any resources you can provide me? 

[johnukguy]

8 hours ago, fpo said:

What do you mean Mature students? 
Thanks for the referances and links! 

I think I like the work ethic from what I've seen. It's work when you're at work, and less leniency for slacking off. (kinda?)

Unfortunately, only my grandparents on my Mother's side are born in Germany. 

That sounds like a good idea! I will see what's available. 

I love the rain, so if that's what you mean, I have no problem with that. 

Any resources you can provide me? 

Mature student basically means anyone over 18 or so who has been out of formal higher education for a while.  The work ethic in most of the EU is pretty simple - you work to live, not the other way around as in the US, and the work/life balance is just so much better. Ireland is also a solid destination but harder to get into. The thing is that once you get into the EU, you're pretty much set.

[Guest]

1 hour ago, johnukguy said:

Mature student basically means anyone over 18 or so who has been out of formal higher education for a while.  The work ethic in most of the EU is pretty simple - you work to live, not the other way around as in the US, and the work/life balance is just so much better. Ireland is also a solid destination but harder to get into. The thing is that once you get into the EU, you're pretty much set.

I'm aiming for that, so when I have kids they can live in the EU. 

I remember hearing how there were laws passed in France allowing anyone to ignore all work calls after 5 in the afternoon, or when not at work. 

Just for future reference, how would I go about earning EU citizenship; I don't want to cheat, and just marry a someone to sneak in-I would feel horrible like I was just using that person. Is there any other way? I'm okay with renouncing all past citizenship. 

[johnukguy]

That I don't know much about but you can also go for residency as a start in many EU countries, once you've been living in one for a while, which gives you many of the same rights as full EU citizens.

[Teddy07]

On 26.10.2017 at 11:28 PM, fpo said:

I'm expecting to graduate school by 2019/2020. I have several years of programming experience. 

 

Should not be a problem to find anywhere a job

 

I would recommend great countries like Swiss, Germany, UK... the usual subjects.

 

I am 31 and just started my computer science degree in Germany at a university and I am not even the oldest guy in the class. The economy does so well --> Programmers are needed everywhere.

 

full disclosure: I will leave Germany after my degree

 

 

Quote

Just for future reference, how would I go about earning EU citizenship; I don't want to cheat, and just marry a someone to sneak in-I would feel horrible like I was just using that person. Is there any other way? I'm okay with renouncing all past citizenship. 

 

There are really many ways. Marriage is just one option. Just google it because it depends from country to country

[Guest]

3 hours ago, johnukguy said:

That I don't know much about but you can also go for residency as a start in many EU countries, once you've been living in one for a while, which gives you many of the same rights as full EU citizens.

Thanks! I saw Austria offers residency permits with working permits. 

2 hours ago, Teddy07 said:

Should not be a problem to find anywhere a job

 

I would recommend great countries like Swiss, Germany, UK... the usual subjects.

I did see a lot of postings in Germany. I'll have to be sure to keep searching. 

2 hours ago, Teddy07 said:

I am 31 and just started my computer science degree in Germany at a university and I am not even the oldest guy in the class. The economy does so well --> Programmers are needed everywhere.

Would you mind sharing the college? Even in a direct message to me for privacy? Also are you a German? 

2 hours ago, Teddy07 said:

full disclosure: I will leave Germany after my degree

Can I have your Germany job I'd love to get in contact with your college's career services, or see if they wouldn't mind helping my college help connect me with a job/transfer/foreign exchange. 

2 hours ago, Teddy07 said:

There are really many ways. Marriage is just one option. Just google it because it depends from country to country

I will look into that! 

[Mihle]

I dont know if this will help you, but the Scandinavian countries, people living here are generally good in English compared to other parts of Europe (exept UK ofc).

Germany is the most obvious recommendation... The powerhouse of Europe or whatever people call it...

[Teddy07]

1 hour ago, Mihle said:

I dont know if this will help you, but the Scandinavian countries, people living here are generally good in English compared to other parts of Europe (exept UK ofc).

Yes, they are also great and are known for their excellent education system! Norway is higher on my list where I want to live after my degree together with Swiss.

 

2 hours ago, fpo said:

Would you mind sharing the college? Even in a direct message to me for privacy? Also are you a German? 

 

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

In general about the German education system and situation:

I assume you want to study for some IT degree? IT and healthcare are in desperate need for qualified people here in Germany and the rest of the world. You chose your employer and not else if you know what I mean. That is one reason why I started to study computer science it at age 31, or as we call it Informatik.

 

Keep in mind that the German university education is split into two different parts: There are the universities which are known for their theoretical knowledge transfer. This is considered slightly above the other option because it is harder in part due to more theory and more (higher) math. The math part depends on your subject.

Then there is the Fachhochschule which teaches you more practice-oriented stuff, which means it is easier and has less math. You work there with companies and do projects, do internships a full semester... It doesn't mean it is worse, just different. The pay difference isn't much in the end.

 

What is the difference in the end? A university degree has slightly more prestige at least in the student's mind as well as slightly more pay in the end at least in the start.

A tier system for employers doesn't exist as long as you don't pick a subject with plenty of students such as economics. Some universities are more focused on one discipline than others but it doesn't matter in the end when you want to get an IT degree. Any company will take you with a wrist drop. This means just pick the university that suits your needs the most.

 

The first degree that you want to get at a university is a Bachelor, which you will achieve in ~3 years if you are on time. Then comes the master with an additional 2 years.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

My university:

I study at the University of Bayreuth which is located in the southern part of Germany called Bavaria. It is a smaller one with only 13.000 students. This winter semester started ~130 computer science students. As you can see a really tiny number compared to the overall students. I really like smaller universities because you see the same people every day which makes it a lot easier to form connections.

There are many foreign students in Germany. I read in a recent newspaper article that are are 7% foreign students at my university but there are plans to increase it to 10%. Many Chinese people make their economics master in Bayreuth because it has a good reputation for that discipline and probably also because Germany trades a lot with China.

 

I would say that foreign people that want to study and afterwards stay in Germany prefer an IT degree because they know the good job opportunities and pay after. I have for example foreign students from Marocco, Isreal, Azerbaijan, Syria ... I would say that the foreign student's number is higher in computer science compared to other subjects.

 

The computer science master is held in English at my university and many others because the text sources required are mostly written in English there.

 

I advise against enrolling at my university. Why might you ask? Because all my foreign computer science friends struggle with the language and in part with math like most do . It is advised that you have higher knowledge in the German language when you want to study a university, at least the C1 grade.

 

This is because the course material is written precisely which means it is more difficult than the German language you will encounter in the workplace or anywhere else. The problem is that nearly all of my friends only have the B1-B2 grade and really struggle to finish the homework in time because they simply don't understand the materials well enough. They also often fail in the exams because they do not get more time and can therefore not finish in time. That is why the university dropout rate of foreigners are high especially high, even more so in degrees that need a lot of math. Many universities have language courses for foreigners to improve their German (mines does).

But don't worry that´s where the Fachhochschule comes into play again. It against has again easier requirements in terms of language skills. My friend from Marocco recently told me that a friend of him studied computer science at a university but did not pass one exam in 3 semester due to bad language and math skills. He switched to the Fachhochschule and all his problems vanished. At least that is what he told me.

 

What does B1, C1... mean? here: https://www.goethe.de/ins/de/en/kuv/stu.html)

 

But there is an even better option if you want to make your Bachelors degree in Germany. I have read that there are even Bachelors degrees completely held in English at some universities because Germany attracts so many foreign students that the universities followed the demand and launched English only subjects. Just google  

 

Oh, I forgot that you do not need a special work permit if you only want to study here. A study permit is enough. Even my friend from Marrocco got one and African students are less likely to get that. The requirements aren't high in general. The problem is that Bavaria is known for their tough stance on foreigners which means that the foreigner's registration office has tougher rules than in other parts of Germany. This office has to extend your student permit if you do not have other options for getting a permit. Just google your options because I am no expert there!

Sure there are ways around but the foreigner's office in Bayreuth gave my friend from Marocco some tougher restrictions. He will soon change his residency to a place in another federal state and continue to study in Bayreuth because he likes it here and rents are really low.

 

My university has an international office: http://www.international-office.uni-bayreuth.de//en/contact/index.html  You can still contact them and ask questions even if you don't want to enroll there.  I think every university has a foreign career service because so many foreign people study here

 

2 hours ago, fpo said:

Can I have your Germany job I'd love to get in contact with your college's career services, or see if they wouldn't mind helping my college help connect me with a job/transfer/foreign exchange. 

 

2

Don't worry, there are enough jobs for everyone at least in the IT sector. Jobs are here plenty and the economy does well for years now.  I recently read that a spokesman of the car manufacturer BMW (huge great company) now nearly hire as much computer science students as mechanical engineers. This is insane! They are producing cars! It was way lower in the past he said and it will continue to increase.

My professor also explained that ~50% of a cars manufacturers profit is now made with their special software. Sick!

 

My professor, for example, said that there are currently ~70.000 IT jobs vacant in Swiss while it only has 8 million citizens. I can tell you that swiss is fucking great and beautiful but expensive! But you have to like winter and a lot of snow! I was once in Zurich (Swiss) and have honestly seen more luxurious cars there in one day than a whole year in Germany. You might already know that Swiss is high on my list to work after I finished my degree

 

I have now spoken only about Germanies positive sides but it of course also has its downsides. I didn't speak about the downsides because it doesn't matter for your studies and they arent that huge. You wont even notice them because you haven´t lived here for years

 

I think I have answered all the important questions. But really feel free to ask more questions, either here in the forum or through a private message.

[Teddy07]

I would probably just search where you can get a student permit and study there for your Bachelors, preferably in a country that has university degrees in English because it will make your life so much easier. You can afterward just move to Germany or your prefer country to make your masters there in English as well.

[Bouzoo]

On 10/26/2017 at 11:47 PM, SpaceGhostC2C said:

Citation needed? There are many jobs throughout the continent, especially in German-speaking countries.

Or Prague...

German-speaking countries are a good start, as is is Ireland, have friends that landed jobs in Microsoft and Intel (iirc MS employees >30% of tech jobs in Ireland). UK is not a bad option as well if we're honest, but I'd suggest Ireland if you're really going mostly for a job. I have few cousins in Austria, good standard, lots of jobs. Afaik Sweden is looking for electrical engineers/technicians at this moment so check that up.

[dfsdfgfkjsefoiqzemnd]

The only problem with German and French speaking countries is that they dub their TV shows.  That means that a lot of (usually older) people simply don't know English because they never had to use it.  Younger people don't seem to have that problem anymore though, so the language situation will only get better over time.

 

The Netherlands or Flanders (the Northern region of Belgium) is an option too.  People generally do speak English, but it is advised to try to learn Dutch (which is a difficult language, I have to admit) anyway.  But of course learning the local language is always recommended.

 

To get Belgian citizenship, you'd need to prove that your main residency was here for the past 5 years, that you speak one of the languages (In Belgium we have 3 different regions with their own language: Dutch, French and German) and that you have "genuine attachments" to the country (job, friends, family, investments, properties and/or debts).  If you have children under 18 at the time of becoming a citizen, they also get citizenship by default if they live with you. 

You can have dual citizenship if you want to, so you don't have to give up your US citizenship. 

 

To get Dutch citizenship, you have to have legally lived in The Netherlands for 5 years, but they are considering raising that to 7 years.  You'll have to give up your other nationalities, but exceptions are possible (for example Turkey makes it really hard to give up the Turkish nationality, so those people get exceptions).  Of course you'll need to speak Dutch too.

[Ahoy Hoy]

You wont get shit all of a job in most of the European countries if you dont speak the language. You have to be very worth while to a company for them to avoid the fact that you cant communicate with a vast majority of the company or customers. And with a basic university degree you wont have anything that someone from their home country can offer.

Its probably a better idea to stay in america for like 3 to 5 years, go through jobs find the jobs youre good at and enjoy. In your spare time learn a language and also SAVE UP YOUR MONEY. When you move you need cash, banks in Europe probably wont give you loans since your not a resident you wont have employment. So when you move you need to have enough money to get a place to live have enough to buy food for possibly two months.