Jim Key - Director of Global Marketing at Intrax Internships Abroad
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.
You want to work abroad, but you are studying here in the US or Canada. You probably figure the place to start your research is scanning job sites overseas. Sure, go ahead and scan them. There is no harm in finding out what jobs are out there. Just keep this in mind, unless they are actively looking for someone from abroad, you will start at a huge disadvantage vs. local applicants that only starts with the legal/paperwork challenge of getting a visa. This is why few (if any) organizations actively seek employees from abroad for entry level skilled work unless their country is at full employment. Recognizing this mean knowing that employers won’t look for (or find) you, so you better find them through a thoughtful strategy.
1) Where do you want to go? You speak Spanish, you studied in Spain, seems like Spain is the obvious choice. Right? Determine the markets that are best (or least bad) for you. Most students that I talk to have a top choice and are flexible about where they might want to go. Let’s say you want to go to Europe. I’ve got a copy of The Economist right here – Spain’s unemployment rate is 20.5% and Norway’s is 3.3%. Outside of Europe, South Africa is at 25.3% unemployment while Thailand is at 0.9%. Not trying to say all unemployment is created equal – every country has its own definition of unemployment. Context matters – Japan’s 5.1% is high by their standards while Germany’s 7.5% is historically low, so the business confidence is higher in Germany. Still, all things being equal, do you like your chances better in a place where 20% of the locals (and 44% of 18-25 yr olds) can’t find a job? Big caveat to this: of course all things aren’t necessarily equal. If your expertise and/or connections point to a certain location, that changes things. Likewise, some places are positively welcoming with their visas (Australia comes to mind) while others are more restrictive. Putting it together, think about where you want to go in broader terms than where you studied or where you enjoyed visiting.
2) Who do you know? If you have lots of local contacts and people vouching for you somewhere, that makes a huge difference in getting your foot in the door. A frequent source of frustration among students I speak with is that they do not know enough people. If you have not already gotten going on LinkedIn, start now. Connect with your friends, people you’ve worked with at internships, professors and Career Services people who you know, and so on. LinkedIn is designed to help you see through the people you know to their contacts so that you can make a more personal connection. You can take a look at our video or many other videos and articles on the topic to learn how to make LinkedIn a tool for you to make that connection. While we’re on social media, why not use Facebook updates to let your friends know you seek a job in China (and you’re open to suggestions)?
3) Figure out your skills who might need them: Let’s say you’re four (or five) years into a Bachelors degree and you have been immersed in North American culture most of your life. What do you know that others don’t? Think strategically and broadly about your interests and education. Talk with someone at your school’s career center. A company in London needed a student comfortable with mobile phone applications. Another company in Berlin is looking to develop Facebook marketing strategies. Do you know anyone who has logged hours on Facebook, (seemingly every day), developing their knowledge? You see where this is going. Usually it relates to newer technology, but you may have a skill set that has a market and stands out more overseas than at home.
4) Dig: It’s easy to put together your dream list of organizations that you (and many other people) want to work for: from Apple, the United Nations, and Lonely Planet to Goldman Sachs and Google. Those household names are popular so the jobs at those companies are pretty competitive. There are fewer people reaching out to and applying to that 10-person mobile phone app company in London or that 50-person social media marketing agency in Berlin. Search for companies doing what you want to do in places where you want to work. You’ll find the big names, but specifically look for startups and smaller firms that could want your skill set. Generally, smaller firms can make faster decisions too. In addition to Googling, look at lists from Chambers of Commerce, industry lists, entrepreneur incubators, and even venture capitalists. Every country is different, so be resourceful here.
In two weeks, we’ll put this together. If you’ve gone this far, you have found the right country, leveraged your connections, targeted the right industry for your skill set, and uncovered some hidden gem companies that are not bombarded with thousands of resumes daily. Needless to say, the outreach needs to be thoughtful too.
I think you make a good point about “digging” – it was at a smaller company that I was able to find my (part-time) job when I studied abroad in Japan. Indeed I was surprised at their willingness to settle the visa issues when they hired full time employees – however those people already lived in Japan when they got the job. I was wondering what your opinion is on dealing with the “must reside in country” prerequisite so many employers seem to have?
Hi Natalie!
Thanks for leaving your comment. Glad to hear that your experience in Japan was a good one. It’s always amazing to me how many opportunities are out there once you ask. I will be sure to forward your question along so that our guest blogger can answer for you.
Cheers!
Natalie,
Japan is one of the more challenging markets for getting a visa. In truth, if there is a market where you want to work, you are in much better position to get a job if you do reside in the country. Simply put, employers have a hard time evaluating someone on a Skype call. You give yourself the best chance by finding companies that need something you have – a smaller company that wants to export to North America and does not have English skills or native market insights. Being there gives you a much better chance, whether the job description says anything about residing in the country or not. I wish you well.
Sincerely,
Jim
At this point in the economy, one should look at all options. Who you know is always a plus in job seeking. In this time when people are extremely mobile and communication is easy, many contacts are made in numerous ways. Keep in mind – what is posted online is there forever. Some companies own what is posted and said. Employers look and find new and old information. This is happening in all countries.
Great point Sue! That is why it is integral to protect your online reputation. Social media and its dynamic nature is setting the bar higher for conversations happening in the open forum of the internet. Hence the need to stay professional in social media networks where potential employers could be viewing your information.
Thanks for sharing your wisdom!
Olga
Hi there – great post! We’ve added a link to it in our APIstudyabroad Alumni LInkedIn group
http://www.linkedin.com/groups/APIstudyabroad-Alumni-3740559
Thanks Jeramy! I have really enjoyed the posts in your group. Looking forward to learning more from you guys. You and the API team are doing a wonderful job!