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English Speaking Jobs in Brussels, Belgium 

2024-10-26

Outside of the EU Institution Jobs, people often think that you must be multilingual to work in Brussels.
This is not the case, jobs in Brussels for english speakers are abundant. It is often the case that initially one comes to Brussels in search of job opportunities in EU policy, to then find a fun job in another field.

For context, Brussels is the most international city in Europe. The average Bruxelloise speaks 3 languages, and English is a required language. Especially if one wants to have a wide range of opportunities. Even more surprisingly, when one comes to Brussels, one will realize that many of the English speakers don't speak French. Actually, the French speakers, amongst immigrants in the EU bubble, are a rarity.

Of course, English speakers who are also French speakers have an advantage, but language skills is not a "must".
If however your job search includes EU positions, check out our article on internships: Your First Internship in EU Institutions.

What English Speaking Jobs In Brussels Are NON-EU Related?

If you do a simple job search for "English Required" in the job description, you'll find over 16 pages of results (as of November 2nd). There are jobs in senior management, project manager positions, specialized roles in Finance, Journalism, and in a myriad of companies that have their EU headquarters in Zaventem, Waterloo, or Brussels itself.

For students, there are job opportunities in bars, restaurants, and so much more - however, usually these jobs don't appear on job search(s) because it's usually more efficient to contact the locals directly, CV/Resume in hand.

For more mature professional vacancies, something that is important for hiring managers is the legal right to work in Belgium. This is often shocking for job applicants. In fact, recruitment professionals can apply for employment permit related visas for expats - this often baffles people - if they can, why not get the best candidate and help them get a visa?
The sad truth is that job listings almost always mention the right to work in European countries. Why? Because the European job market is huge. From the hiring manager's point of view, it’s either 1) do more work and hire the best candidate, or 2) hire a candidate that is almost the same but with less work.

So When Does the English Required Condition Lose to French Speakers?

Any job in the Belgian Federal Government, or any role that requires cross-cultural business where teams can be both Flemish and Walloon, will always need a French Speaker - basically any career in a local institution (banks, small companies, etc.). Also, any communication role that is local will require French.

However, any other job that has global reach (almost every other good job) is an English speaking job. Even better, often local jobs can also be covered by non-French speakers.

English Speaking Jobs in Brussels Are Expat Jobs

In short, you can be sure that the Brussels job market is inclusive and needs diversity. The main takeaways of this article are:

  1. English Speaking Jobs in Brussels require EU Work permits (they won't sponsor you),
  2. There are non-French Speaking jobs outside of the EU Institutions.

Good luck finding an English Speaking job! Brussels rocks, and you'll have a great time.