Expats considering working in Poland may find prospects particularly bleak. Salaries are among the lowest on the continent, and unemployment has long been a large economic and social problem in this Central European nation; it was estimated to be as high as 11.5% in September 2010 (TradeEconomics.com).

While the proportion of the population rendered jobless varies greatly from region to region, it mainly affects young people, women and those in the larger cities.

In light of such a staggering rate, creating jobs for a foreign labour force has understandably not been the country's first priority; however, as one of the only European nations that didn't fall victim to the recent recession, there are, ironically enough, positions becoming available in specific sectors.

Poland's primary industries are:

• automotive manufacturing
• food processing
• banking
• construction

However, expats working in Poland will most likely find opportunities in areas that have seen recent growth:

• IT
• Finance
• Human relations
• Business services and management

As 98% of the population speaks Polish, there's also a pronounced shortage of native English-speakers. As a result, there are still plenty of jobs in Poland teaching English, and in many cases, these positions pay more than a position in a large company with upward mobility.

What's more, foreign investment is filtering into the country, up 28% from 2009 (NYTimes.com), and this influx of capital comes with future plans for corporates and multinationals to set up camp. The country itself is also looking to privatise more infrastructure, like the energy sector, shipbuilding and even the postal market.

That being said, working in Poland as an expat is still not the easiest of tasks. According to the World Bank, Poland ranks 70th out of 183 countries in terms of "ease of doing business".

Crippling bureaucracy holds back job creation, and can often stunt competition. Furthermore, as a result of a history of repeated foreign violation, Polish sentiment toward expat businesspeople is a wary one. In order to succeed, it's vital to build relationships based on trust and respect. The language barrier can also be the source of much misunderstanding.

Finding a job in Poland

Citizens of the European Union (EU), as well as the European Economic Area (EEA), do not need a work permit to be legally employed in Poland.  All other nationalities are required to have the proper documentation.

If not head-hunted for a specific position in Poland, expats can use both print publications and online resources to find a job in Poland.
Daily newspapers, both local and nationwide, have designated job sections. The Monday edition of Gazeta Wyborcza, in its "Work" (Praca) insert, and the Wednesday insert in Rzeczpospolita, are both popular options.

Candidates can also place their CV on the following web pages:

• Praca.interia.pl
• Praca.gazeta.pl
• Pracuj.pl
• Praca.wp.pl,
• Praca.onet.pl
• Jobs.pl
• Jobpilot.pl
• Topjobs.pl
• Cvonline.pl
• Jobcenter.com.pl

Workplace etiquette in Poland

In Poland, the average work week is eight hours a day, five days a week. Officially, working hours are from 8am to 4pm, though international companies often uphold a 9am to 5pm day.

Dress is usually casual, but some of the larger organisations do require that their employees wear suits. Punctuality is of the utmost importance, and is paramount to establishing reliability. Only refer to a colleague by their first name when invited to do so.