Bulgaria is an efficiency driven country. Its economy is based mainly on the industrial, agricultural and construction sectors. Nevertheless, Bulgaria is one of the European countries with the fastest expansion of services in the last five years.
Economic activity is centralized in the capital Sofia, which provides 33% of Bulgaria's GDP, and its own economic growth is 13 to 15% every year. Other big cities are Plovdiv, Varna, Bourgas and Russe.
You can expect many job possibilities in the industrial spheres of household electrical appliances, the production of medium high technologies and automobile production, which are the fastest developing in Central and Southern Europe. A labor shortage is present in the processing industry including clothing, beverages, food and tobacco. There is also a lack of ICT and computer specialists and professionals fluent in foreign languages.
Local companies will first recruit Bulgarian graduates before considering foreigners. Your chances of getting a job will be improved by having some work experience and if you speak Bulgarian. However many big international companies that have offices in Bulgaria are looking for English speaking employees.
Entrepreneurs
Want to start up your own venture? Bulgaria might be the right place for you. There are no restrictions on foreigners setting up a company. Besides, real estate investment has produced a plentiful supply of modern offices at very competitive costs, while corporate taxes and labor costs are quite low compared to European standards.
Foreign language and teaching
Learning foreign languages is obligatory in Bulgarian schools. You can find a job in one of the many private schools interested in employing English language assistants.
Tourism and seasonal work
Tourism is one of the fastest growing sectors in the Bulgarian economy due to the excellent geographical location, rich nature, diverse relief and moderate continental climate.
Thermal baths, cultural and ecological tourism plus seaside, ski and mountain resorts equal many job possibilities. Seasonal work in these tourist spots is available to international students or graduates and is easier to get, as are jobs in education and information technology.
Volunteering
There are various volunteering projects in Bulgaria, mainly in conservation and youth work. Examples include Balkan Wildlife Society. Search the WorldWide Volunteering (WWV) database for possible opportunities.
Internships
An internship is an efficient and common way to take the first step in to the labour market. The network of internship offers in Bulgaria is still scarce compared to other countries so you will probably have to rely on your inventiveness to find a position in an organization. You can look for offers on company websites or on websites specializing in international internship offers.