8 Most Effective Job CheckList to Start Working Abroad Now!

Does your career plan involve working overseas? Whether you are looking to expand your profile with an international working stint in Asia, Europe, or the US, or simply want to experience new cultures and people, finding an international job that fits your set of skills can be a daunting task.

Not only that, the logistics of landing a foreign job can sometimes turn into a nightmare if you’re not careful. It pays to know how to improve your chances of finding the right employment abroad, so here are a few tips on how you can build a career (or maybe an entirely new life) in a completely different part of the world.

1. Focus your search

When searching for a job domestically, it’s okay for you to send your resume to multiple companies from different industries, but applying the same tactic on an job abroad search can be overwhelming because there are literally hundreds of thousands of international job openings on the Web.

The key is to focus your job search using specific industries, skills, keywords, job positions, and country.

2. Develop an in-demand skill

Understand the marketable skills not only in the job you want to apply for but also in the country you want to relocate to. This is important to help you make better career decisions.

Acquire or fine-tune a specialized skill that will allow you to fill a skills gap in the international marketplace.

The more in-demand the skill you acquire, the increased likelihood that you’ll get hired in a country of your choice.

3. Land an international internship

International internships are an effective way to position yourself for a work in abroad.

That being said, landing the right internship means diving headlong into internship research and exploiting all resources available to you, such as using your existing contacts to network, researching online, and selling yourself and the value you could bring to the job and to the company.

One thing to keep in mind is that an internship usually involves entry-level pay (and sometimes none at all). The reason for this is that you are paying for the knowledge and skills you are acquiring from the job with work.

The key here is to be flexible and financially prepared to handle the income loss. If you are not able to work for free, consider taking on a part-time internship and partner it with the second job that pays so you won’t find yourself in a financial rut.

4. Prioritize multinational companies

Look into multinational companies, especially ones that have global exchange programs in place. Apply for work locally, but make it clear early on that you intend to work abroad down the line.
Once you’ve established a good rapport with the company, you can ask HR about the possibility of relocating to another country.

You may also tell them that you are interested in working overseas from the get-go, just make sure you don’t come off as opportunistic. Perhaps they already have plans of hiring local folks for an overseas job, and that could be your way to make the transition happen faster.

5. Don’t fear the language barrier

Most people won’t consider a job abroad because they don’t speak a foreign language, but knowledge or fluency in another country’s language is usually not a necessary requirement for career overseas.

More often than not, the only language requirement for working abroad is that you speak English. In fact, native English language speakers, are at least those who have a good command of it, are the types of candidates that many multinational companies are looking for.

Of course, even if the job description doesn’t outwardly state that knowing the native language is an absolute requirement, there’s no denying that it can give you a professional edge in certain countries.

You can try taking a language course or connecting with a native speaker, or you can take a DIY approach to a new language, such as having a dictionary with you at all times or watching YouTube videos.

6. Be aware of visa requirements

You want to make sure that you are legally qualified to work in the country you are applying to. You don’t want to spend your hard-earned money flying off to another country half a world away, land an interview, and get an offer, only to find out you can’t accept the position because of legalities.

Check the country’s work visa requirements online, read job listings carefully, and make sure you fulfill the requirements asked of you, such as having a valid passport and/or working visa, receiving certain vaccinations, and so on.

Take care of these tasks at least a month ahead of time, so you don’t have to delay your start date, or worse, lose the opportunity altogether.

7. Improve your online profiles

With 70 percent of employers today checking the social media profiles of candidates before hiring them, you need to ensure you have an online presence that’s clean, strong, and consistent with your brand image. You can hire our LinkedIn profile analysis team for complete review of your profile

Update your career profile in your social media accounts and get rid of posts that make you appear unprofessional. Highlight skills and interests that can get you noticed, and keep your profiles updated with the new things you’ve learned.

Use the power of connections, that can help you in providing references to the company you are applying to. Personal Branding on social media can help you get success or failure. You can read the complete blog here.

8. Revamp your resume and cover letter

You may have crafted a masterful one-page resume of your work history, but before you start patting yourself on the back, make sure that it lives up to the standards of the country you are applying to.

The ideal resume in one country could look a lot different than a standard resume in yours, and something that’s totally acceptable there might not be an agreeable practice where you belong.

For instance, in the US, while it may seem odd to add a photo of yourself in your resume, it is considered essential in many countries. Thus, you need to tailor your resume to the country’s preferred format, even if it’s for an entry-level international job.

As with your resume, make sure the rest of your application materials are in the right format as well, so they don’t end up in the hiring manager’s recycling bin.

Don’t leave any guesswork on the recruiter’s end. In case you need help, our professional resume writers are prepared to supply you with the most effective resume, cover letter, and thank you letter written explicitly for the country and company you’re interested in working in.

View our available resume packages and choose the one that works for you.