Finding a job can be challenging for anyone, irrespective of age, location, or specialization. Oftentimes, it is just a matter of "luck," or "being at the right place at the right time." It is no different in small Estonia, where people working in the same domain often know each other, and many jobs are fulfilled by recommendations and word of mouth. Depending on the field you are working in, there might be only a handful of relevant positions available. Also, many local positions require knowledge of the Estonian language.
On a positive note, your career can have a fast boost as things can happen quickly in Estonia, and experts are valued highly. There is also always a need for dutiful workers for high-paying manual labor jobs, as well.
Where To Look For A Job
WorkInEstonia website
The most compact and well-updated place to start is workinestonia.com, a website that has a lot of practical information and recommendations available, and also lists all available English-speaking jobs in the area. It includes English-speaking jobs from cv.ee and cvkeskus.ee, which are the biggest local job portals. Also, WorkInEstonia offers a possibility to sign up for their newsletter to have the latest job offers sent to your email, if you are casually waiting for the right offer.
cv.ee & cvkeskus.ee
If an Estonian starts thinking of changing his or her job, then they start browsing the cv.ee and cvkeskus.ee websites for potential opportunities. Most public jobs are advertised in at least one of those portals. These two websites also have a good filtering option, and they are also available in English. You can use these resources for field overview, to understand when positions are most wanted and what skills are usually needed for those jobs. These sites are free to use, so take advantage of these great resources available to you.
LinkedIn
If there isn't anything popping up in the job portals, then people usually head to LinkedIn to update their profile information and search within the job boards there. It has become quite common for local companies to advertise job offers on LinkedIn. Also, many headhunting companies use LinkedIn actively to contact potential candidates. When looking for a job, let your network know that you are on the market, and ask for their recommendations and testimonials.
MeetFrank https://meetfrank.com/MeetFrank is a cool Estonian startup that allows work-seeking talents to find out who wants to hire them, and what are they willing to offer. This recruitment app aims to bring more transparency to the job market, paired with open salaries and companies starting conversations with potential candidates. It is easy to set up and free for candidates. Try it out!
Estonian Unemployment Insurance Fund
https://www.tootukassa.ee/en/article/estonian-unemployment-insurance-fu…
Estonian Unemployment Insurance Fund is a governmental institution that helps unemployed job seekers, offers career planning, and cooperates with employers. You can find help from there for individual job mediation and career counseling. You need to have a residence permit in Estonia to register as unemployed, and then will have your own consultant with whom you can meet and who will be mediating job offers and providing the help you need
Executive Search
Many companies use executive search agencies to fill high-level positions, or to look for specialists with a specific skillset. Depending on your career aims, you could arrange a meeting with one of those companies to have career counseling, or to work with a coach. Groups such as Fontes, Ariko Reserv, Tripod, HR Factory, or Brandem, can put your CV into their database, to eventually contact you with relevant offers.