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Overseas Jobs (cont.)
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Know your destination country
Even with countries that share the same language
there can be significant cultural differences. Becoming familiar
with these differences will help you avoid any potentially embarrassing
mistakes and demonstrate that you have knowledge of the country
you wish to live in. These cultural differences are, of course
enhanced when moving to a country where the native language is
different from that of your own, and it is normally the job of
the applicant to demonstrate that these differences will be no
obstacle if employed. It is not the job of the employer or their
company to bend towards accommodating your needs and cultural
differences. Having specific local knowledge (however superficial)
will also demonstrate an interest in the company you have approached.
Knowledge of your destination will also help you to identify the
merits of any job offers that you receive. Incidental issues like
local schooling (if you have children), accommodation prices,
transport and the like will have to be taken into account when
deciding where to work and whether to accept any overseas job
offered to you.
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Learning about your destination will also have far-reaching effects
further down the road if you are successful in moving to your new
country. The more you understand about your new home the better
the transitional period will be for you. Additionally it pays to
be familiar with the format that local employers prefer to receive
C.V.'s and prepare your own documents to match. You may want to
keep a little of your own individuality of course as you will be
walking a fine line between persuading the employer that you are
as qualified as a local (if not moreso), but offer something just
a little different. If you’re serious about wanting to work
in another country you may wish to use the services of a professional
resume writer from your destination country, but be confident in
the service they offer before parting with any money.
Know the kind of work you want
While we touched on this earlier, even if you know the industry
you wish to work in there are numerous avenues within that industry
where you can pursue a career. For example if you work with computers,
you can find overseas work with private businesses, voluntary organisations,
educational institutes, international agencies, government departments,
and so on. Don’t be frightened to explore areas where your
skills might be useful but you haven’t considered working
there before. If you’ve worked your whole career life with
private business, you might be loathe to consider working for a
government department - yet such a department might be your best
shot at finding an overseas job. Flexibility is one of your key
assets when looking for an overseas job, so keep your mind open
and look for opportunities where you may not previously have thought
there would be any. |
What
skills can you offer?
Your
skill set is probably your biggest bargaining chip when it comes
to finding an overseas job. You will undoubtedly be competing
against local competition for that job so having a skill set that
sets you apart from the crowd is a must. Even if you feel your
skills are on a par with local candidates try to emphasize what
you, and you alone, can bring to the position that the local candidates
cannot. Language ability will be extremely important particularly
if your native languages are not the same - so if you are sending
an application in any language other than your own be sure to
have it professionally translated. If you do have fluency in other
languages other than the native tongue of the country you wish
to work in, make every effort to target companies and organisations
where your language skills will put you at an advantage. If you
have travelled or worked overseas before make sure to mention
this also. It will help your cause if you can demonstrate that
you have comfortably relocated to another country before. Give
some thought to upgrading your skills if you are looking at a
long-term position in a new country. In the familiarity of your
own country you will be more able to devote time and energy into
up-skilling as opposed to attempting to do so in a new country
and new environment. Lastly, be honest about your claims when
submitting your credentials to a prospective employer. Just because
you are from overseas don’t be fooled into thinking that
they will not check up on your previous work and educational history.
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