While people from Slavonia are very interested in seasonal job opportunities in Austria, Istrians prefer to stay at home.
Not even impressive monthly salaries, free apartments and food, and a guaranteed Christmas bonus can make inhabitants of Istria willing to spend the winter tourist season working at hotels in Austria. “Among the job-seekers interested in going to Austria, there are few Istrians, unlike people from Slavonia, who are much more interested,” said Aleksandra Berkelt form the Euro Career employment agency, specializing in finding chefs, waiters, receptionists, housekeepers, beauticians, physiotherapists and masseurs to work in four or five star hotels in Austria, reports Glas Istre on October 2, 2017.
From late 2016 to the end of September this year, the agency has found employment for about 80 workers. The full winter season in Austrian hotels will begin in early December, so there is still enough time to apply for a job abroad.
“The fundamental precondition is the knowledge of the German language. Waiters and people working at hotel receptions, those who are in direct contact with guests, must know the language very well, while chefs and housekeepers need to know just the basics,” explained Berkelt.
Jobs are mostly located in tourist destinations in the Tyrol and Salzburg regions. Salaries vary depending on whether they are for seasonal jobs or permanent employment for an indefinite period, but chefs can earn monthly salaries of between 1,600 to 1,900 euros during the winter season. The salary of a maid is about 1,400 euros net. All employees have free accommodation, while meals are provided by employers.
For year-long jobs, salaries are somewhat lower, and accommodation costs about one hundred euros. All employees – both seasonal and permanent – receive the 13th and 14th salary or the Christmas bonus.
“The procedure for getting a job is as follows: the employer which we contact first confirms that they want to hire a certain employee. We then request the issuance of a work permit, which lasts for about three weeks. Therefore, for the winter season which is ahead of us, it is enough to send an application at the beginning of November. Workers from Croatia have expressed a lot of interest during the summer and the upcoming winter season. We expect we will send about fifty workers to Austria in the coming season,” said Berkelt.
Translated from Glas Istre.
