5 Best Jobs in Turkey for Foreigners

By Justin Mays:

Turkey receives millions annually who visit as tourists but eventually decide to make it their permanent home. In 2021, 24.7 million tourists visited this great country, and 1,300,220 foreigners acquired Turkish residence permits that year.

Before moving to Turkey, foreigners need to have a lot of information regarding the costs, lifestyles, facilities and other vital factors. However, understanding the job market in Turkey is the most important.

Knowing what Turkey has in store for foreigners in terms of employment can benefit you in the long term and allow you to get the most lucrative job opportunities.

In today’s blog, Prime Property Turkey brings you all the details about the 5 best jobs in Turkey and the platforms foreigners can use to find the perfect employment opportunities.

What Jobs Are Available in Turkey for Foreigners?

Turkey has a substantial young population that is highly educated, so there is no shortage of skilled labor. However, despite this, many jobs are still open to foreigners in Turkey. These jobs can allow you to live in Turkey, enjoy state-of-the-art health and transport facilities, and live a life surrounded by the architectural wonders of the Ottoman empire and beyond. 

Note: Acquiring employment in a Turkish company will require you to sign a contract with them, and they must acquire a work permit for you and provide health insurance (SGK).

Here is a list of all the job opportunities available for foreigners. Every one of these jobs has its own set of requirements:

1. Work as an English Teacher

Because of the drastic expansion of the Tourism sector, there has been a demand for English speakers to work in different companies and businesses.

More people are interested in learning English, which is why language teaching centers and international school systems are always looking to hire native English speakers with the appropriate qualifications (CELTA, MA, etc.) and offer attractive salary packages.

2. Work at Holiday Resorts & Tourism Companies

Summer is usually the peak time for tourists visiting Turkey's cities and towns. During this season, holiday companies all over the country are searching for English-speaking staff to serve as hotel representatives. This job allows you to work in different locations but may require you to work long shifts.

3. Work at Hotels

Working at hotels is a great way to support yourself since hotels are always on the hunt for multi-lingual staff to cater to their diverse clientele. They offer their employees work permits without a hassle since hotels usually have a large workforce.

4. Work as a Writer & Editor

Many large companies in Turkey also have a broad digital presence and require multi-lingual and mainly English-speaking individuals to work for them as writers and editors.

Companies of this sort always require a team of writers, translators and editors to help them create content for their blogs and social media platforms to keep their business going.

Working as a writer and editor is the best job since it offers a stable income and allows you to work in a creative and dynamic work environment. 

5. Work as an Au pair

Local families in the major cities are always searching for au pairs. The best part is that you don’t have to worry about accommodation expenses since you’ll be living with the family once they hire you. 

If you have all the right qualifications for this job and possess a pristine track record, you can quickly come across countless opportunities online to work as an au pair. 

You can also read our blog post on jobs and salaries in Turkey to know which professions are prohibited for foreigners to practice in this country.

What Platforms Should You Use to Find a Job in Turkey?

There are several platforms that you can look into in order to find the job that suits you the best. These include:

LinkedIn

You can make an account on LinkedIn and look up different companies that interest you and are looking to hire English-speaking foreigners for both in-office and remote positions.

Kariyer.net

Kariyer.net is an important Turkish job searching platform to check out since it is preferred by many companies here.

Other Job Search Platforms & Job Boards

Some of the other ones you can explore are Learn4good.com and indeed.com. Yenibiris.com is a local job searching website that Turkish job seekers widely prefer. 

Give Freelancing a Try 

Freelancing is a great way to work from anywhere you like and still make a comfortable and stable income. It has now caught more and more people’s attention because of its flexibility and casual lifestyle.

There are many platforms that can provide you with opportunities to take up freelance projects. These include Upwork, Fiverr, PeoplePerHour, etc. 

Many foreigners are employed at companies in their home countries but work remotely and choose Turkey as their prime destination. This is why we are witnessing an enormous increase in digital nomads moving to Turkey from all over the globe.

Head to our blog on Living in Turkey as a Digital Nomad for more information on what facilities Turkey offers remote workers.

To Wrap It Up

There are plenty of opportunities for foreigners to find employment and earn a high income. The process of finding a job in Turkey as a foreigner may seem daunting, but you just have to know where to look. 

This concludes our post on the best jobs in Turkey for foreigners. Leave us your thoughts and any questions you may have for us.  

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