Career Planning

Career Strategy

Essential Websites & Resources for Software Engineers in Europe (2025)

Curated list of 30+ must-know platforms for European tech careers: job boards (EuroTopTech, SwissDevJobs), communities (Reddit, Blind), salary data (levels.fyi), and career resources organized by category.

The European Engineer

April 29, 2024

13 min read

Whether you're searching for your next role, researching salaries, or seeking career advice, having the right resources at your fingertips is crucial. Here's a comprehensive, curated list of the most useful websites and platforms for software engineers in Europe.

Start your job search on EuroTopTech →

🎯 Job Boards & Hiring Platforms

Premium Job Boards

EuroTopTechJobs.com ⭐ Featured
The platform for top-paying tech jobs in Europe and six-figure remote positions. Best for learning how to secure top roles and seeing in-depth personal finance data for tech workers in Europe.

Why use it: Curated high-quality positions (€80k-€300k+ range), European market focus, career guides, and salary/savings data

Country-Specific Job Boards

SwissDevJobs.ch
Nice portal specifically for software engineering jobs in Switzerland

Best for: Targeting Swiss market (highest salaries in Europe)
Typical roles: €100k-€250k+ positions

GermanTechJobs.de
Job board focused on German tech market

Best for: Ge

rmany's large tech ecosystem
Typical roles: €60k-€150k+ positions

DevITJobs.uk
UK-focused developer job board

Best for: British job market including London
Typical roles: £50k-£150k+ positions

DevITJobs.us
US-focused but includes remote positions available to Europeans

Best for: Remote opportunities from US companies
Typical roles: $100k-$300k+ remote positions

European & Remote Job Boards

Djinni.co/hire
Popular in Eastern Europe for tech positions

Best for: Poland, Ukraine, Romania markets
Typical roles: €30k-€100k positions

NoFluffJobs.com
Transparent job board with salary ranges listed

Best for: Poland and Central Europe
Unique feature: Salaries always visible

JustJoin.it
Major Polish tech job board with European reach

Best for: Poland and neighboring markets
Community: Strong developer community

Otta.com
Modern job board focused on startups and scale-ups

Best for: UK and European startup ecosystem
Unique feature: Personalized job matching

RemoteOK.com
One of the largest remote job boards

Best for: Fully remote positions worldwide
Typical roles: Mix of $50k-$200k+ remote roles

TrueUp.io
Tech job board with startup focus

Best for: Startup and scale-up positions
Unique feature: Company funding information

Compare opportunities across platforms →

💬 Communities & Forums

Reddit Communities

r/cscareerquestionsEU
Large community of tech people in Europe

Members: 150k+ developers
Best for: European market advice, salary discussions, interview experiences
Activity: Very active, daily posts
Tone: Helpful, sometimes pessimistic

Best threads: Search for city-specific discussions, company reviews, salary negotiations

r/EuropeFIRE
Financial independence community focused on Europe

Best for: FIRE strategies, savings rates, investment advice
Audience: FIRE-focused professionals, many in tech
Related to: Our FIRE guide for engineers

Professional Communities

TeamBlind.com
Large community of tech people, mainly tailored to big tech market

Best for: Anonymous company discussions, salary sharing, interview experiences
Primarily US-focused but has European discussions
Unique feature: Verified employees only (through company email)
Tone: Very direct, sometimes toxic, but information-rich

Key forums: Compensation, Layoffs, Company-specific boards

Pro tip: Use search for specific European office discussions (e.g., "Google Zurich salary")

LinkedIn.com
Professional networking platform

Best for:

Finding people to network with and ask for advice
Finding jobs and getting recruiter reach-outs
Building professional brand
Researching career paths

How to use effectively:

Optimize profile: Professional photo, clear headline, detailed experience
Network strategically: Connect with people at target companies
Engage authentically: Comment on posts, share insights
Use job search: Set alerts for specific roles/companies
Research people: See career paths of people in roles you want

Related guides: Early career tips (networking section)

💰 Salary & Compensation Data

Levels.fyi
Comprehensive compensation data, with focus on big tech companies

Best for: Researching total compensation at specific companies and levels
Data quality: Very good for US, decent for Europe
Features: Company comparisons, level translations, negotiation tools
Note: European data less complete than US data

How to use: Search "[Company] [City]" (e.g., "Google Zurich" or "Amazon Berlin")

CodeCapitals.com
Saving rates for software engineering jobs in big tech across top European cities

Unique focus: Shows savings potential, not just salaries
Best for: Understanding true financial outcome in different cities
Data: Comprehensive European focus
Related: See our article on how to use CodeCapitals data

Why it matters: €200k in Zurich vs €150k in Barcelona - which saves you more? CodeCapitals answers this.

Compare your potential savings →

📚 Career Guides & Learning

TheEuropeanEngineer (This Blog)
The first newsletter and blog on tech careers in Europe

Topics covered:

Unique value: Europe-specific advice, real numbers, strategic career planning

Pragmatic Engineer Blog
Gergely Orosz's excellent blog on software engineering careers

Best articles:

Trimodal nature of software salaries
Equity compensation guides
Big tech compensation breakdowns

Focus: Global, with good European coverage

Taro (JoinTaro.com)
Career growth platform for software engineers

Best for: Interview prep, career advancement, mentorship
Content: Videos, courses, community discussions
Focus: Primarily US but applicable globally

🎓 Interview Preparation

LeetCode.com
Essential for algorithm interview preparation

Best for: Big tech, trading firms, technical interviews
How to use: Start with Easy, progress to Medium, then Hard
Recommendation: 100-200 problems for solid preparation
Premium worth it?: Yes for company-specific problem lists

Pramp.com
Free mock interviews with peers

Best for: Practicing live coding under pressure
Cost: Free
Format: 1-hour sessions, both interview and be interviewed

Interviewing.io
Anonymous technical mock interviews

Best for: Realistic interview practice with engineers from top companies
Cost: Free basic, paid for premium features
Unique: Can lead to real interviews if you perform well

System Design Primer (GitHub)
Comprehensive system design resource

Best for: Preparing for senior+ interviews
Cost: Free
Format: GitHub repo with explanations, examples, practice problems

🏢 Company Research

Glassdoor.com
Company reviews and salary data

Best for: Reading employee reviews, interview experiences
European coverage: Good for major companies
Caution: Reviews can be biased (unhappy people review more)

Crunchbase.com
Startup and company funding information

Best for: Researching startups, understanding company financial health
Data: Funding rounds, investors, company news
Use case: Assess startup risk before joining

BuiltWith.com
Technology stack analysis

Best for: Understanding what technologies companies use
Use case: Target companies using your tech stack

🛠 Skill Development

Coursera & Udacity
Online learning platforms

Best for: Structured courses in CS fundamentals, new technologies
Certifications: Some employers value them, most don't
Use case: Fill knowledge gaps, learn new domains

Frontend Masters
Premium frontend development courses

Best for: Deep diving into JavaScript, React, web technologies
Quality: Very high
Cost: Subscription model

Educative.io
Interactive coding courses

Best for: System design, coding patterns, interview prep
Format: Text-based with embedded code environments

📊 Market Intelligence

HackerNews (news.ycombinator.com)
Tech news and discussions

Best for: Staying current with tech trends
Special: "Who's hiring" monthly threads
Audience: Startup and tech-savvy crowd

TechCrunch
Tech industry news

Best for: Funding announcements, acquisitions, industry trends
Use case: Track which companies are growing (hiring signals)

🌍 Relocation & Visa

[Official Government Websites]
For visa and work permit information

Germany: Make-it-in-Germany.com
Netherlands: IND.nl
UK: Gov.uk/skilled-worker-visa
Switzerland: SEM.admin.ch

Always check official sources for visa requirements

💡 Cost of Living & City Research

Numbeo.com
Crowd-sourced cost of living data

Best for: Comparing costs between cities
Data: Housing, food, transportation, utilities
Accuracy: Generally reliable for major cities

Expatistan.com
Cost of living comparisons

Similar to Numbeo: Different user base, cross-reference for accuracy

🎯 How to Use These Resources Strategically

Phase 1: Career Research (Months 1-3)

Read: TheEuropeanEngineer blog for European market understanding
Research: Use levels.fyi and CodeCapitals for salary expectations
Network: Join r/cscareerquestionsEU, start building LinkedIn connections
Learn: Identify gaps, use Coursera/Educative to fill them

Phase 2: Job Search Prep (Months 3-6)

Practice: LeetCode (100+ problems), Pramp (5-10 mock interviews)
Target: Use EuroTopTech, country-specific boards for job hunting
Research companies: Glassdoor, Crunchbase, company websites
Network: Reach out to 20-30 people on LinkedIn at target companies

Phase 3: Active Job Search (Months 6-9)

Apply: 5-10 applications per week across multiple platforms
Track: Spreadsheet of applications, interviews, follow-ups
Engage: Active on Blind, Reddit for company insights
Prepare: Continue LeetCode, system design prep

Phase 4: Negotiation & Decision (Months 9-12)

Leverage: Use levels.fyi data for negotiation
Compare: Use Numbeo for true cost/benefit analysis
Decide: CodeCapitals to compare savings potential
Plan: Government visa websites for relocation logistics

Start your strategic job search →

Resource Combination Strategies

For Maximum Salary

Research: Levels.fyi + CodeCapitals
Target: EuroTopTech + SwissDevJobs
Prepare: LeetCode + System Design Primer
Network: LinkedIn + Blind

For Work-Life Balance

Research: r/cscareerquestionsEU + TheEuropeanEngineer
Target: NoFluffJobs + Otta
Evaluate: Glassdoor reviews (look for "work-life balance")
Compare: Numbeo (shorter commutes, costs)

For Remote Opportunities

Find jobs: RemoteOK + DevITJobs.us + EuroTopTech
Research: Otta + TrueUp for remote-friendly companies
Network: r/digitalnomad + remote work Slack/Discord communities
Tax: Research country-specific digital nomad visas

For Relocation

Choose city: TheEuropeanEngineer city guides
Find jobs: Country-specific boards + EuroTopTech
Research costs: Numbeo + Expatistan
Visa: Relocation guide + official government sites

Pro Tips

1. Cross-Reference Salary Data

Don't rely on single source. Check:

levels.fyi
Glassdoor
r/cscareerquestionsEU discussions
CodeCapitals

Typical variance: ±20% depending on source

2. Use Job Boards Strategically

Premium boards (EuroTopTech): Quality over quantity
Country-specific: Better local market coverage
General boards (LinkedIn): Broaden net

Apply to mix of all three types

3. Reddit/Blind for Real Talk

Official sources (Glassdoor, company pages) are often polished. Reddit/Blind gives you unfiltered reality:

Layoff discussions
Interview difficulty
Team culture
Promotion timelines

Caution: Can be overly negative, balance with other sources

4. Build Your Network Early

Start LinkedIn networking before you need it:

Connect with 5-10 new people per week
Engage with their posts
Build relationships over months

When you need referrals, you'll have warm connections

5. Subscribe & Set Alerts

Job board email alerts (EuroTopTech, LinkedIn)
Reddit keyword alerts (IFTTT or similar)
Google Alerts for target companies

Be notified of opportunities, don't wait to search

Conclusion

Having the right resources can accelerate your career by years:

Job boards get you in front of opportunities
Communities provide insider knowledge
Salary data ensures fair compensation
Learning platforms fill skill gaps
Our blog provides strategic guidance

Bookmark this page and revisit it at different career stages. Different resources become relevant as you progress from junior to senior engineer.

Most important: Take action. Reading about resources doesn't help - using them does.

Start with EuroTopTech job search →

Frequently Asked Questions

Which job board is best for finding €100k+ jobs in Europe?

EuroTopTech.com specifically curates high-paying positions (€80k-€300k+ range). For country-specific: SwissDevJobs (Switzerland), LinkedIn (all markets), and company career pages directly for big tech.

Strategy: Use premium boards for quality, country-specific for volume, LinkedIn for networking, and apply directly to target companies for best results.

Are Reddit and Blind reliable for career advice?

Yes, but with caveats:

Reddit (r/cscareerquestionsEU) - Reliable for:

Realistic salary ranges (verify with levels.fyi)
Interview experiences
City-specific advice
General career questions

Blind - Reliable for:

Company insider info
Layoff discussions
Compensation negotiations
Office-specific culture

Downsides:

Can be overly negative
Survivorship bias (unhappy people post more)
US-centric (Blind especially)

Best practice: Cross-reference Reddit/Blind with official sources and personal network.

Is it worth paying for LeetCode Premium?

Yes, if actively preparing for interviews (3-6 months). No, if casually browsing.

LeetCode Premium ($35/month) worth it for:

Company-specific problem lists
Solution explanations and discussions
Premium problems often asked in interviews
If preparing for multiple big tech interviews

Skip if:

Just starting (free tier has 100s of problems)
Preparing for single interview (not worth ~$100 for 3 months)
More than 6 months away from interviewing

Alternative: Buy 1 month when actively interviewing (1-2 weeks before), binge company-specific lists.

How do I know if a job board or platform is legitimate?

Red flags:

Asks for payment to apply
No company names listed
Requests sensitive personal info upfront
Too-good-to-be-true salaries without verification

Legitimate indicators:

Clear company names
Reasonable job descriptions
Direct company links
Community validation (mentioned on Reddit, etc.)
Been around for years

All platforms listed in this article are legitimate and widely used by European tech community.

Should I use recruiters or apply directly?

Both! Different advantages:

Recruiters (third-party):

Pros: Do legwork for you, have inside connections, can negotiate
Cons: Take cut of your salary, may push wrong roles, less control

Direct applications:

Pros: Full control, no middleman, better for internal referrals
Cons: More work, harder to get attention, negotiation on your own

Optimal strategy:

Apply directly to dream companies (with referrals when possible)
Use job boards (EuroTopTech, LinkedIn) for discovering opportunities
Work with 1-2 good recruiters specialized in your tech stack/market
Network actively for referrals (highest success rate)

Never rely solely on recruiters - they're one tool among many.

What's the best way to stay updated on European tech market?

Weekly routine (30 minutes):

Read: TheEuropeanEngineer latest posts
Browse: r/cscareerquestionsEU top posts
Check: HackerNews "Who's hiring" thread (monthly)
Monitor: LinkedIn feed from people at target companies

Monthly routine (1-2 hours):

Research: New companies expanding to Europe (TechCrunch, Crunchbase)
Update: Salary expectations (levels.fyi, community discussions)
Network: Reach out to 5-10 new people on LinkedIn
Reflect: Is your career on track? Adjust strategy if needed

Quarterly routine (half day):

Deep dive: Chosen city guides, company analysis
Skill assessment: Are you learning enough? Take course if needed
Market check: Could you get a better job today? Test market if yes

Staying informed = staying ahead. Most engineers don't do this consistently, which is why strategic engineers progress faster.

How do I evaluate if a company/offer is good?

Use multiple resources in combination:

Salary check:
- levels.fyi (is it market rate?)
- CodeCapitals (what will I actually save?)
- Reddit/Blind (reality check)
Company health:
- Crunchbase (funding, runway)
- TechCrunch (recent news)
- Glassdoor (employee satisfaction trend)
Culture/WLB:
- Glassdoor reviews (look for patterns)
- Blind discussions (search company name)
- LinkedIn (message current employees)
Career growth:
- Company size/growth stage
- Internal mobility options
- Promotion timelines (ask in interviews)
Strategic fit:
- Aligns with your career goals?
- In a city you want to live?
- Technology stack you want?

If most signals are positive, it's probably good. If several are negative, reconsider.

What resources do I absolutely need vs nice-to-have?

Essential (use these):

✅ Job board (EuroTopTech or equivalent)
✅ LinkedIn (networking + jobs)
✅ r/cscareerquestionsEU (market intelligence)
✅ levels.fyi (salary expectations)
✅ LeetCode (interview prep when needed)

Very useful:

✅ TheEuropeanEngineer blog (strategic guidance)
✅ CodeCapitals (savings calculations)
✅ Blind (insider company info)
✅ Numbeo (cost of living)

Nice-to-have:

⭕ HackerNews (stay current)
⭕ Glassdoor (company research)
⭕ Learning platforms (skill gaps)
⭕ Mock interview tools (if needed)

Reality: You can succeed with just the "Essential" tier, but "Very useful" tier significantly accelerates career progress. "Nice-to-have" provides marginal gains.

Don't get overwhelmed - start with essentials, add more as needed.