Guest Post: How to Prepare for an International Job

Working internationally

Today’s guest post is brought to you by Jim Key, Director of Global Marketing at Intrax Internships Abroad. Learn about his suggestions to land an international job.

Getting a job in the US or Canada is already hard enough. Getting one in a foreign country while separated by time zones, culture, and language is just that much more challenging.  Before I launch into some things you can do to put yourself in the best position to work abroad, let me emphasize that there is no perfect path. The idea here is to improve the odds and put you “in the arena” – in a position to make yourself standout. The idea is to take your passion for the international (international studies, international affairs, international business, international development – you name it) and turn it into concrete actions that show a Skill Set. Your Skill Set is your basket of knowledge, abilities, and experiences that you bring to the table. It is what makes you as interesting to that company or NGO as they are interesting to you.  At Intrax, we look for general skills to accept someone into the program (as that makes them easier to place). Our host companies look for those plus sometimes a combination of technical skills, relevant experience, and language skills. If you are looking to make yourself a good fit for a company abroad, that is a good place to start:

General Skills

1)     Professional At its base, being professional is about being appropriate for a work environment and acting in a way that will put you in a good light (being agreeable, getting your work done, etc). As you gain experience, you’ll see professional norms and etiquette more specific to an individual industry. As you might imagine, the way you dress, the way you interact with co-workers, the working hours, the speed and detail with which you respond to e-mails, and so on varies by environment.  Nonetheless, professionalism is a general skill that translates regardless of environment (whether an ad agency, investment bank, or NGO). The sooner you get into those environments, the sooner you’ll see what works and be able to display professionalism to potential employers.

2)     Adaptable Studying abroad is one great way to show that you are adaptable because you adapt to a different culture, usually for an extended period of time. A diverse set of professional work experiences is also important in displaying your track record of performing in a variety of work situations. If you are looking for an international placement, you’ll want to show that you are adaptable in both cultural and professional scales.

3)     Engaging Communication in a foreign culture is simply harder than in one’s native culture, so it is that much more important than usual that you can display that you understand what they mean and can effectively make yourself understood. Being engaged on both the transmitting and receiving side of this communication equation is a skill to actively cultivate. We also find those engaged with the host culture simply enjoy it more (even if that student is a bit more quiet or introspective at home).

Specific Skills

1)     Technical Skills These are the broader abilities that one can learn in school (Accounting, Engineering, Financial Modeling) or technology-related knowledge related to your studies such as software or programming which can help you add value right away (e.g. graphics software for Design work, Search Engine Optimization tactics that relate to Web Marketing). There are some jobs in which the only way to qualify for the entry level job is to have specific technical skills. Even if you do not love learning the ins and outs of this software or that database system, this knowledge can be the difference between getting started and continuing to look for a job.

2)     Relevant Experience This relates to technical skill, but is a little broader. If you’ve interned or worked full time in an industry or in certain functions, you have a track record that makes you much more appealing. The fact that nobody needs to “show you the ropes” makes you a more alluring employee for two reasons:  1) You know what you are getting into and are less likely to quit at 6 months, having decided you don’t like this field, and 2) you can contribute right away – the ramp up time is much shorter.

3)     Language Skills – With few exceptions, you cannot be serious about a global career without knowing one or two other languages. If you only speak English, you can often “get along” but you won’t stand out and your language (in)abilities will be a liability. When places like France and Spain already have unemployment rates of 35-41% among those under-25 years old, a foreigner who does not speak the language is simply not in demand (unless you have a great 3-point shot). Add additional languages as they relate to what is needed where you want to be (e.g. if you want to be in Australia, add Mandarin or Bahasa; if you want to be in the Czech Republic, after Czech add German; if you want to be in Argentina, after Spanish add Portuguese).

Warning: You’ll notice I did not include Intercultural Skills for a reason. Cultural insight is essential to do a good job and it helps you relate with others.  However, Cultural Skills stand out more by their absence (e.g. failing with certain clients or partners) than by employers saying “Wow, Amy really gets along well with French people.”  In an interview situation applicants can mention those Intercultural Skills, but those who lean on Intercultural Skills can be perceived as trying to make up for weakness in technical skill or experience. So cultivate intercultural competence to do well after you get the job, but do not play it as a trump card to get a job.

Finally, write down what your strengths are as they relate to these six Skills and think of a few stories relating to each that you could share to demonstrate each. In doing so, you may also see the gaps that you need to work on between now and graduation (or if you have already graduated, things to work on now).

In summary, build the general skills that are transferrable and make you a more appealing employee in a range of environments. Be strategic and focused in choosing the specific skills and experiences as they relate to specific jobs or regions where you want to work. Developing and identifying your skill set prepares you for your next step: researching potential employers abroad. That’s where we’ll pick things up in our next blog post.