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Overseas Jobs (cont.)
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Who do you know there?
It’s an old saying but it rings true –
‘It’s not what you know, but who you know that counts’.
One of the best things that you can do to increase your chances
of finding an overseas job is to ‘network’ yourself.
Try to develop a network of people in your destination country
that you can go to for advice, support, and assistance when you
need it. This might be easier said than done if you don’t
know anyone in the country, but there are plenty of ways to develop
friendships and connections. The Internet is one obvious tool
that you can use – chat rooms, taking part in online discussion
forums (there are many discussion forums devoted to overseas jobs
and immigration issues), and even meeting people through online
dating clubs(there are many people just looking for friendship
there) or pen-pal organisations. Additional ways to make contacts
are through professional organisations, newspaper advertisements,
cultural community groups, and your local Embassy or Chamber of
Commerce. These last two can be particularly helpful in helping
to identify possible companies to approach and Embassies will
normally carry things like maps, telephone books, and other good
research material. They are normally mostly staffed with their
own nationals so they can be a good source of local knowledge. |
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Where
to look for jobs?
Again the Internet can be one of your most valuable resources. There
are no shortages of online job banks and with many of them you can
set up profiles so that you can be e-mailed with any jobs that come
up that match your criteria. As mentioned before however, many advertisements
these days come with a condition that only those who have legal
permits and actually reside in the country may apply for jobs. This
is obviously a result of many job advertisements receiving unsolicited
job applications from people overseas. Do not apply for such positions
if you see that overseas applications are not encouraged, even if
you firmly believe you are the perfect candidate. What you can do
however is make up your own database of jobs that have been listed
and what companies / agencies they were listed with. Over time you
will have a portfolio of companies that you can approach with a
general enquiry about employment prospects. If you already have
a good idea of the kinds of jobs that they have, and perhaps the
remuneration they offer, then this will put you in a stronger position
when if it comes to talking about specific jobs.
Approaching companies direct
Approaching companies directly can also yield dividends but it’s
an approach that you must take with care. Start by listing down
what you know about the industry in the country you wish to travel
to. List any known companies that you may want to approach, and
list all the different ways that you can locate and identify further
companies to contact. For example, searching the Internet, reading
trade publications, writing letters to known companies asking for
advice, online newspapers, job recruiters, friends, etc. The methods
of researching the industry you’re interested in are potentially
endless, but having a firm method of organizing yourself and the
information you find will help make your task much easier. When
you have your list of companies and contacts, start off with a couple
of exploratory letters to two or three of your least
preferred choices. Send off your letters and wait to see what the
outcome is. If you’re lucky, you’ll get a rejection
letter. If you’re not, you'll get nothing. The idea is to
use any feedback that you might get to further improve your letter
or approach to the next wave of companies that you approach. Taking
this approach in waves, although it takes time, means that you should
have a very refined and targeted approach when it comes to sending
letters to your most favoured options on the list.
What you may learn from those rejection letters may prove to be
invaluable when it comes time to apply to the companies that you
are really interested in. Look carefully at the reasons given in
any rejection notice to see if there are areas that you can avoid,
or explain better, in future applications. Every little bit of advice
helps. |
Private agencies
Private agencies are another possible source of assistance but
beware when dealing with any company that requires payment for
their services particularly if you are dealing with them from
overseas. Many agencies offer a two-in-one package whereby they
will help you with the immigration paperwork and then help you
find employment. Not all agencies are created equal and you may
find that you end up paying more money than you had anticipated
or not getting the service you hoped for. Try to get third-party
opinions or references about any agency that you intend to employ
to help you secure an overseas job. Remember that immigration
fees are set by the government and they are the same for everyone.
If you know what the cost of doing the paperwork will be then
you will be in a better position to determine if the additional
cost of employing an agency will be worth the money and the work
they do. Don’t be afraid to contact government agencies
in your destination country if you wish to get a second opinion
about an agency that you wish to use. Many people only have one
chance to try to migrate to a new country and start a new life
and many spend their life savings attempting to do so. Be wary
of charlatans who will willingly take advantage of such people,
and make sure you do your homework before parting with any money.
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