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Working Abroad
Can Be Extremely Rewarding
The potential of working abroad as a young professional with some
business experience under my belt and a love for travel was very
exciting to me.
I have to admit though, finding
the right job opportunity was a little
trickier than I imagined.
In addition to finding a job overseas, I was
bombarded with the nay-sayers who said I was making a huge mistake and
that the only jobs overseas were entry-level positions.
So after spending about ten years living and working abroad...I can say
proudly, that I am happy to prove them wrong.
I would not change my
time spent overseas for anything.
The key is prior planning and developing a sound career development
plan.
Probably the first thing to jump out at me while searching for
work abroad was the job hunting and job search strategies were a little
different than what I was accustomed to.
The resume, the job interview and the
overall hiring process
were
different than I expected, as well. Not bad...just different.
If you are considering moving abroad, one definite factor in your
favor would be having prior overseas experience.
Employers who have positions overseas are always looking for skilled
employees with international experience.
If you have already lived
abroad, that is definitely a bonus.
If you are interested in working abroad for the first time, there are
some things you can do
to make yourself more employable in the eyes of
your organization.
- Look for some short time overseas employment.
- Such as short-term
volunteer opportunities.
- Take some career education and training that
specializes in
international work settings and cross-cultural awareness.
- Studying abroad, learning a foreign language
and extensive travel
overseas will also be a plus.
- The key is to gain exposure to other cultures.
- This way you will
become more at ease with dealing with people with a different
perspective than yours.
- Employers will like this skill as well.
- Build your international skills by interacting
with people from
other cultures.
- Teaching English overseas is an example of an overseas
job that increases your exposure
to foreign cultures.
- If you are lucky enough to have foreign travel
in your future, use
it as a way to check out the local job market.
- Investigate local
businesses and the international job climate in that area.
Most people realize that it takes courage to pack up and leave family
and friends.
But don't underestimate the potential life changing
benefits that comes with moving overseas...
And the entire international
work abroad experience.
For more detailed information on moving
overseas, such as the working
abroad section here,
please check out the expatriate, international
job search, moving
abroad and overseas
jobs areas.
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