Ask HN: Do US engineering skills translate well to European companies?
10 dandrew5 20 3/26/2025, 7:21:59 PM
I currently reside in the US and am looking to move to Europe (most likely Germany) some time in the next three years. Has anybody made this journey and have some insights to share?
I'm particularly wondering if there are any technical skills I should hone to give me leverage in the job market when the time comes. Or opposite, any "bad habits" I may have picked up from US companies that simply don't exist in European engineering culture or decision making. Are the interview processes similar to the US?
The biggest issue will be cultural. Don't be a workaholic. Don't live to work. Don't bring that culture here. It is fine if you like to work, but don't project that as expectations on others.
Source: I'm US person who moved to Europe. I've worked for US companies as well as global and European companies.
Will compensation be geared towards it? Or am I expecting to make like $70000 while working 60 hours per week?
The reason you see people talking about terrible work hours is that when you are inexperienced you will definitely be working far more than 40 hours because you will not be able to hit your deadlines otherwise. Getting promoted within a company often requires worked extra hours, however working extra hours is not necessary for good reviews in a healthy company.
If you are a SWE and work for a tech company, you will find that taking European amounts of vacation is okay, again as long as you hit your deadlines. No one has ever cared that I take 6 weeks a year in vacation. But I also make sure to give plenty of notice on my vacations so the company can plan around my absence and I am generally considered to be a productive employee. I have never been laid off from a company. In fact I have survived 2 lay offs.
While US work culture is bad (I will self admit that I do like to work and sometimes work because I want to.), it is not as horrific as people like to claim as long as you advocate for yourself and ask the right questions in interviews to make sure that the team you will be placed on doesn't have ridiculous standards for performance.
I have experience in the IT sector as a manager and while many openly say that the expectations are 40 hours a week wink wink but be expected to answer the phone 24/7 whenever we need you. Oh, 60 hours already this week? Too bad.
Taking time off? Oh, if you even have time. In the companies I have worked, taking 10 days off a year was considered a perk.
It's a different culture. That you'll need to spend a lot of energy to understand.
Also german is a hard language to learn. Typically US people got it easy and don't understand such complexities, but this can be a time consuming endeavor.
Typically Americans have a very naive understanding of how the world works because American imperialism made it easy for them. So you'll need to get over this obstacle when you move here.
I believe it's worth it, it will open your eyes for many things and will make you a more complete human being.
BUT beware, all Americans I know moved back to US to make more money. Often they move here because they believe they are more left-leaning and like the idea about social democracy...
But then go back to the US because everything is easier there, salaries are higher (as long as you are a white-collar worker).
Feel free to mail me, I've been living here for 10 years and can help you understand what you are getting into :-)
Do you have specifics on how Americans adults could be naive on the world?
I am confident my language skills advice still applies.
Aside from being too enthusiastic about work, what other gaps in engineering/work culture exist?