Czech Job Search

 

After the days of communism, the Czech Republic is establishing their own national recruitment habits. Recruiters shift from the selection on the basis of academic criteria to skills and qualities.

Choose between Czech and English for the cover letter and the CV and stick to one language once chosen. While English is the language of business, a sound working knowledge of Czech is highly appreciated, although not essential.

Czech Republic Basic Data

Background: Following the First World War, the closely related Czechs and Slovaks of the former Austro-Hungarian Empire merged to form Czechoslovakia. During the interwar years, the new country's leaders were frequently preoccupied with meeting the demands of other ethnic minorities within the republic, most notably the Sudeten Germans and the Ruthenians (Ukrainians). After World War II, a truncated Czechoslovakia fell within the Soviet sphere of influence. In 1968, an invasion by Warsaw Pact troops ended the efforts of the country's leaders to liberalize Communist party rule and create "socialism with a human face." Anti-Soviet demonstrations the following year ushered in a period of harsh repression. With the collapse of Soviet authority in 1989, Czechoslovakia regained its freedom through a peaceful "Velvet Revolution." On 1 January 1993, the country underwent a "velvet divorce" into its two national components, the Czech Republic and Slovakia. Now a member of NATO, the Czech Republic has moved toward integration in world markets, a development that poses both opportunities and risks. In December 2002, the Czech Republic was invited to join the European Union (EU). It is expected that the Czech Republic will accede to the EU in 2004.

Capital: Prague

Climate: temperate; cool summers; cold, cloudy, humid winters

Ethnic groups: Czech 81.2%, Moravian 13.2%, Slovak 3.1%, Polish 0.6%, German 0.5%, Silesian 0.4%, Roma 0.3%, Hungarian 0.2%, other 0.5% (1991)

Languages: Czech

Economy - overview: One of the most stable and prosperous of the post-Communist states, the Czech Republic has been recovering from recession since mid-1999. Growth in 2000-03 was supported by exports to the EU, primarily to Germany, and a near doubling of foreign direct investment. Domestic demand is playing an ever more important role in underpinning growth as interest rates drop and the availability of credit cards and mortgages increases. High current account deficits - averaging around 5% of GDP in the last several years - could be a persistent problem. Inflation is under control. The EU put the Czech Republic just behind Poland and Hungary in preparations for accession, which will give further impetus and direction to structural reform. Moves to complete banking, telecommunications, and energy privatization will encourage additional foreign investment, while intensified restructuring among large enterprises and banks and improvements in the financial sector should strengthen output growth. But revival in the European economies remains essential to stepped-up growth.

Labor force - by occupation: agriculture 5%, industry 35%, services 60% (2001 est.)

Unemployment rate: 9.8% (2002)

Natural resources: hard coal, soft coal, kaolin, clay, graphite, timber

Industries: metallurgy, machinery and equipment, motor vehicles, glass, armaments

Currency: Czech koruna (CZK)

Internet country code: .cz

Czech Job Search Info

Now to finalize your job search, if your cover letter and CV are ready, you may email them through our international job search engine to recruiters and executive headhunters.

In addition, on czech cover letter, czech CV and czech job interview pages, you will find useful tips.

Good luck with your czech job search!