Can I intern/work in Europe with speaking English only?

Hi Haolin,

To work in Europe you have to satisfy two main requirements:

• Language
• Working visa

In terms of language, with English only you could target the following countries:

• UK
• The Nordics
• The Netherlands (only for some companies like Bain, as others require Dutch)

Working visa depends on the specific office and company.

Your best bets in my opinion are:

1. Look for a referral in some of the above countries. It would be very difficult to be considered without a referral if you don't have a connection with the country. Moreover they may be able to clarify with regards to the visa
2. Apply in China and try to move to Europe after some time

You can find more on referrals at the link below:

https://www.preplounge.com/en/consulting-forum/hey-everyonehope-all-is-well-3176

Best,

Francesco

Hi Haolin,

First of all, congratulations on the career trajectory so far!

This is indeed an interesting question which is probably relevant for quite a lot of users, so I am happy to provide my perspective on it:

• Generally speaking, in order to work in whatever region, you need to speak the local business languages and you need to be allowed to work.
• Given your specific situation, I would advise you to have a look at the following countries since most consulting companies have English as business language:
  • UK
  • Belgium
  • The Netherlands
  • Nordic countries
• Moreover, in order to be absolutely sure, I would advise you to contact recruiters from your target companies, explain your situation and ask about the possibility to apply given your language skills.

In case you want a more detailed discussion on how to best secure an invitation in your specific situation, please feel free to contact me directly.

I hope this helps,

Hagen

Hi there,

First of all, no matter what anyone says here, you may as well try! Get networking ASAP across Europe and, during those calls, ask them what offices are open to someone like you applying.

All it costs you is time.

In terms of your odds, they're quite frankly low. Without working rights AND without speaking the local language, what do you have that 100 other candidates don't? Think about it, would you hire you?

That said, if you are looking, then the UK and the nordic countries (Scandinavia, Netherlands, etc.) are your best bets. 

Good luck!

Hello Haolin,

from my experience, unless you would be joining expert career track & specialized competence center it is unlikely you get an offer without C1 level of local language and work permit :-( 

I would recommend to join eventually MBB in China and once in apply to any internal position and transfer within the company which is usually fairly easy (temporary or permanent) to move and work around in the world.

Wishing you all the best!

Lucie

Was my answer helpful? 

Without speaking the local language it is quite hard. Your focus should be on cities that have a large presence of multinationals (this means English may be more often the business language… and if the headquarters are there they will be more open to people who don't speak the local language, as they have a global business)… or countries that are quite open and don't have a language that is not widely spoken…

Overall I would consider The Netherlands, Belgium, Ireland, Denmark and Sweden as your best chances.

I completely agree with Francesco here..

All the best.

Hello!

Nice to find IE alumni here, I used to be an associate professor in the MiM and I absolutely loved it!

You will need to aim either at the UK or some of the Nordics

Cheers, 

Clara