How to Get a Job in Another Country 7 Practical Tips
Living and working in another country can seem like a far-off dream, but it’s much more within reach than you may think. While it is scary to step into the unknown in such a big way, it’s also important sometimes to take the risks that scare us a bit. That’s where the major growth happens – both personally and professionally.
Of course, a big life change like this takes careful planning and preparation in order to be successful. To make sure you reap all the possible benefits of taking the leap on this dream, follow the seven tips below on how to get a job in another country.
- Research the Market
Before you start daydreaming about living in London or walking the streets of Rome to get to work every day, take some time to research what the job market is like overseas. Start with your city of choice, of course, but don’t forget to compare the opportunities there with other cities and countries.
Who knows, it might be better for you to work in Glasgow first and then start working toward London. Or, you may be able to make a better living with your profession by working in Madrid or Paris.
Don’t forget about smaller cities, either. The more you research all your options – not only the ones in the first city that comes to mind – the better prepared you’ll be to start your overseas job hunt.
- Get Your Working Permissions in Order
Once you have a feel for where the best foreign work opportunities are, it’s time to get your foreign affairs in order. Start by paying a visit to a country’s embassy site. Take a close look at what’s required of foreigners who are moving to the country for work, and look for any specifics that may pertain to your line of work.
Then, start applying for your papers. It’s best to officially get permission to work first so that you can track your paperwork status as you apply for positions – and share that status with potential employers.
- Refresh Your CV
Speaking of preparing paperwork, when was the last time you updated your CV? While it’s good to write a specific CV to every position you apply for, first, you want to brush up the resume that you currently have to appeal to the foreign job market you want to be a part of. Not ready to write your CV from scratch? resume.io is a free resume builder that can get you tailored resumes to each job description.
Give your CV a close, careful read. Ask yourself if there’s any experience worth adding to the points you’ve already made, or if any should be removed. Having this updated CV to reference will save you a significant amount of time as you tweak your resume for each job.
- Have a Local Check Your Wording
Not sure how strong your updated CV is? Not to worry – there are plenty of resources available to help you make yourself marketable abroad.
You can learn about professional resume writers both locally and in your foreign country of choice. You can reach out to locals in the area you’re trying to move to for a review of your CV and feedback on your use of locally-geared grammar and wording.
It may seem like a lot of work to you or a bit of a bother to them, but this is a key step in making sure all your “i”s are dotted and “t”s are crossed when applying for a position overseas.
- Prepare Your References
Another pool of resources worth tapping into in this process is your references. References play a significant role in any job search, but even more so when you’re reaching out to foreign employers. Companies who take interest in you won’t do so lightly; they’ll want to be sure that you’re a good candidate and won’t hesitate to check your references as a first way to learn more about you.
This means you need to ask yourself a few things about your current references. When was the last time you spoke to the references who are currently on your CV? What are your references doing for work now? Is there anyone you should swap in for a person on the list, or someone to remove altogether?
Most importantly, have you mentioned to your trusted references that you’re applying for jobs overseas? Be sure to clue them in on this detail. It’s key that they are prepared for the phone calls they may get, especially considering that some may occur at odd hours due to being in such different time zones.
- Do Some Test Interviews
The next way to improve your chances of getting a job overseas is to do test interviews. Doing so with a reference would be good, but this can be done with anyone.
The key thing here is to work on your video and phone interview skills. Remember, you won’t be able to get in a room with your potential employers when they’re so far away. You have to be able to win them over with a quick call or with not much body language or personal interactions to your favor.
Put simply, you have to be on your game, and a few test interviews will help you do that.
- Change Your Address
The final tip to consider when trying to get a job overseas is not to wait for a job offer to move. If you’re up for a bit of adventure, you may want to pack your bags and relocate prior to accepting an offer.
This way, you can change the address on your CV to be in the local area of where you want to be. It’s a small change on paper, but a big payoff in the long-run. This will help you appeal to companies that otherwise would be averse to investing in relocation costs. It can also play to your benefit when foreign papers and job permission conversations come into the hiring process.
How to Get a Job in Another Country as a Student
It’s one thing to figure out how to get a job in another country as a professional with years of experience already, and another to make this jump as a student or recent graduate with not as much experience to share.
The latter can be a little scarier and riskier, but to the same token, it can also be more rewarding and exciting. Don’t let lack of experience keep you from following your dream.
If working abroad is what you want to do, use the tips above to help you get the process started – then check out our other articles for more insights on how to make yourself marketable.
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