How to Find a Job Internationally By: Dakotta J.K. Alex
As global commerce emerges, and flights to other countries take as long as sitting in Los Angeles rush hour traffic, more and more young people are considering the idea of working abroad. A major factor prohibiting people to look for jobs in the international market is the uneasiness of immigration rules abroad but mainly the inability of securing a position. Here are some tips and suggestions which can help you in getting to the other side of the pond: Research the job market: It is important to carry out a thorough research of the job market. For example if one is interested in getting a job in the UK, it becomes imperative to carry out a thorough analysis of the job market. Find out whether there is a requirement for your skill set. Also, a country may require more manual laborers than white-collar workers. In such a case, it will be futile for you to go to that country armed with a degree in software engineering. Acceptance of skills: Make sure that the skill set possessed by you is recognized in the country where you are trying to seek employment. For example, non-EU doctors seeking jobs in UK should pass preliminary British tests like PLAB. Hence, if a US doctor is planning to seek job in the UK, it will be beneficial if he/she is aware of the nature of the test and prepares accordingly. Check out organizations like Skill Clear ( http://www.skillclear.co.uk/ ) which specialize in giving you a free skills audit to see if your skills are in demand and marketable enough to obtain a visa. Recognition of the degree: The degree possessed by you should be recognized in the country where you are trying to seek employment. For instance, the CFA degree is offered in India and the USA. However, each is different from the other in terms of the institute offering them etc. Hence, one must make sure that the degree obtained in India is recognized in the USA. Assessment: Answer basic questions like why you want to pursue an international career. Would you be comfortable working in an alien environment? Do you want to settle abroad permanently, etc.? Try to visit the embassies and the consulates of the country where you wish to work. They can provide you information about the rules and information about migration and rules regarding employment etc. You can find your local embassy here ( http://www.embassyworld.com/ ). Job sites: Online job sites are one of the best resources available for locating international jobs. Many of these sites categorize the jobs according to country, experience, industry, date of posting etc. This makes the task of the job seeker easier. Job sites also provide visitors with the option of specifying the criteria for searching a job. Job sites like Monster have a very wide international database that can be used to locate a job. Resources like The Riley Guide ( http://www.rileyguide.com/internat.html ) keep a well-maintained site. Alumni networks: Almost all the major colleges and schools across the globe have their own alumni association. Making a connection with ex-students can give you an idea about how to search the market for international jobs. Members of the alumni associations are also in a position to give you advice on what necessities are required for bagging an international job. Sometimes, they might give you a lead that can be successfully pursued and result in getting an international job. Many times, exstudents themselves are in an influential position and can turn out to be extremely useful contacts.
Using social sites like ( http://myspace.com/ , http://www.facebook.com/ as well as http://classmates.com/ ) could assist with locating alumni. Companies: Reading the title ‘Companies’ will make you wonder how they can assist in your pursuit of international jobs. Well, nowadays many companies send their staff abroad for training sessions and skill enhancement programs. Though many companies usually select only top and middle-rung employees, one can still try this route. This route augurs well even if you are relatively inexperienced and still want to take a shot at the international market. Many of the Fortune 500 companies also post their employees abroad for a long stint. A good resource to find companies is on websites like: ( http://www.simplyhired.com/ , http://www.indeed.com/ , and http://www.fasthire.com ). Newspapers: In the age of digital communication, the traditional method of finding jobs rarely crops up in the minds of people. However, the newspapers continue to remain a powerful aid in searching for jobs. Many times newspapers still carry adverts of top-notch jobs from big companies. They continue to be a cheap resource for finding jobs. Try to look for newspapers that focus on job markets. Many of the regular papers also carry special supplements that list out various job openings. A good site for this is ( http://onlinenewspapers.com/ ). Acquaintances: Acquaintances also prove to be an important source to gather information about international job openings. Your relatives, friends, ex-colleagues, and high-school mates can be a useful resource for finding jobs in the international market. Though they may not be in a position to directly lead you to the job, they can serve the purpose of ‘informers’. If you don’t have many acquaintances, do a Google search for (American Chamber of Commerce + the country in which you are interested in). You can additionally check out the US Chamber of Commerce: ( http://www.uschamber.com/international/default ) also a great resource to use in finding contacts in ( http://www.zoominfo.com/ and http://www.linkedin.com/ ). Online networking communities: Networking is powerful tool that can aid in your pursuit of finding a job. There are many social and business networking sites through which you can get in touch with people who are directly involved with the recruitment process. Networking is also helpful in gathering leads, which will ultimately lead you to the job. Networking sites work like stairs that help you in reaching the final destination, the job. Say you are a biotechnologist looking out for international openings. A member from your online community informs you about a friend. You contact that ‘friend’ and realize that her sister’s company is looking for a biotechnologist, got it? A bit confusing, but this is how networking aids you in finding an international job. You can find many of them listed on ( http://groups.yahoo.com/ , https://www.orkut.com , http://www.friendster.com/ , http://www.ecademy.com/ , http://www.ryze.com/ , http://www.xing.com/ ). When starting your job hunt, it’s best to start in your originating country and then get transferred out with an expat package. Immigration places a large opposing force when hiring non-residents especially in some countries like China, where one must leave the country in order to re-enter with a work permit. Remember, before looking for a job, get your basics right and do a thorough research of everything related to the country in which you are trying to get a job including visa laws.
About the author: Dakotta J.K. Alex, social networking director and author of “Damn, I Need a Job. Again!” and “The Recruiters Guide Book,” is a Global HR Solutions Consultant specializing in human capital recruitment, process management and career analysis in the US, Europe and China. With over 9 years of consultancy experience he has found his niche in the social networking arena and now runs the 3rd largest recruiting network forum http://www.RecruiterGroups.com in addition to a candidate / recruiter forum known as http://www.AskTheRecruiter.com. Information regarding Dakotta’s other ventures, books, and articles can be found at http://www.dakotta.com.