How to find a job in Varna?
With its multiplicity, Bulgaria’s Black Sea coast is emerging as a more and more attractive place for expats to settle down. Varna is the biggest city on the Black Sea coast. The so called sea capital is definitely a competitive labour market that offers a wide range of career opportunities. Being both an industrial and a touristic city, Varna is the perfect place for launching a new business. Teaching languages, setting up a touristic agency, opening a restaurant or a bar, entering the financial or real estate markets – all this is feasible in North Bulgaria’s economic hub. The biggest obstacles to setting up a career to an expat are of course the Bulgarian language and the national legislation pertaining to foreigners owning land, obtaining a work permit or setting up a business, yet with a little help from a consultancy, a law- or a professional recruitment agency, they could be easily overcome.
The labour market in Varna
Similarly to Plovdiv and Sofia, as a big urban area in Bulgaria, Varna has recently attracted multinational companies that have outsourced some of their departments there. This means a demand for working force skilled in IT engineering, web design, customer support and marketing. In addition to the relevant degrees, fluency in more than one languages is usually expected. In the above-mentioned spheres, expats have a fair chance of finding a well-paid job that offers opportunities for vertical movement.
Yet another sphere that offers seasonal or constant employment is the hospitality industry. Varna is situated near prominent Bulgarian resorts such as Albena and Zlatni Piasatsi (Golden Sands) where big hotels work with tour operators from a number of countries. In the summer season big groups of foreigners visit Bulgaria’s coast, and for a person native in the languages that correspond to the touristic flows there are job opportunities in animation, entertainments, sports and leisure, etc.
Another possibility for a career in Varna is the private properties market. Tourism and the beautiful landscapes in the region presuppose an active private property environment. The construction of office-, living- and hotel-buildings is a relatively reliable sector too. There is also a practice of lending or selling summer apartments or houses to foreigners, so Varna and the region offer different possibilities for people with experience in real estate.
Another relatively developed sector in Varna and its surroundings, particularly north of the city, is oil and petrol extraction. There are several multinational companies that are currently exploring or extracting land or sea oil and gas deposits, so experts or skilled workers in this area are also in demand.
The shiprepair and shipbuilding industry in Varna is another career opportunity for expats with relevant degrees, skills and experience. The Varna Port could also offer employment to relevant specialists. Another niche are the infrastructural projects such as gasification, road maintenance, and the construction of gas or oil pipelines in the region. In this area, there is also work in consultancies and companies that offer services such as feasibility studies or environment impact assessments of infrastructure projects.