Furthermore, because the country has a strong economy which has averaged four percent growth annually since 2000, the amount of foreign direct investment being ploughed into the country means that there is an annual, gradual increase in the numbers of jobs available in certain key industries in Bulgaria.  This is a guide to the availability of jobs in Bulgaria for international citizens and how to go about becoming gainfully employed.

The main employment centres are Sofia - which is the capital city and where the majority of international companies with a presence in Bulgaria have a base – Plovdiv and Varna – which are other key Bulgarian employment centres, the summer resorts on the Black Sea coast and the winter ski resorts.  For those who cannot speak Bulgarian the majority of jobs available are either in the tourist industry or in the property industry.

For those with experience in travel and tourism there are seasonal jobs in hotels, chalets and guest houses working directly with the tourists that visit the Bulgarian coast in the summer and the Bulgarian ski slopes in the winter.  The boom in the property market in Bulgaria has also produced a plethora of international real estate businesses which seek to employ English speaking staff with sales experience as well as good interpersonal and basic computer skills.

Other industries which offer jobs in Bulgaria to international professionals include the education industry with a small but growing demand for TEFL teachers and a few posts available annually for teaching assistants.  Alternatively posts are sometimes advertised for companies such as British Gas, the Bulgarian-American Enterprise Fund, International Computers Limited, Price Waterhouse Coopers, Rank Xerox, Shell Bulgaria and the ITT Sheraton who all have a presence in Bulgaria.

Those who wish to start their own business in Bulgaria should contact the Bulgarian International Business Association for advice and support.  And for all those who wish to live permanently and get a job in Bulgaria there are various residency and work visas to obtain and the first port of call should always be the nearest Bulgarian embassy or consulate.