Courtesy of Britannia Movers International
Unless you are moving abroad to retire or study, the success of your international move can depend on your ability to secure a suitable job, in order to maintain your financial stability and to be able to fulfil your career goals. Landing a job after moving abroad will generally be more difficult than securing a job in your home country and you’ll be expected to research and understand linguistic and cultural differences and the job market in your destination country.
1. Do research on the job market abroad
Once you already know destination country, it’s time to start doing research on the job market abroad. Find out about the jobs that the country might have a shortage of potential employees for, find out if your qualifications make you eligible for potential jobs, and look around for jobs in your employment sector.Whilst the situation might be very similar to your home country, you will always have to be more flexible, and possibly initially accept a job at a lower level than your current position, although this is not always the case. It is also useful to put together a list of online and offline job resources and employment websites and think about networking ideas.
2. Understand your employment options
You should make sure that your visa allows you to work full time if this is your plan. Depending on your destination, you might be able to apply for a skills-based visa, or you can also consider the option of starting out on a temporary visa and acquiring sponsorship for a permanent visa once you are in the country. It is important to keep in mind that your employment in certain sectors might be restricted even if you are on a business visa. If you are immigrating to Australia, for example, it is very unlikely that you’ll be able to find a permanent position in the public sector on a visa, and you’ll need a few years’ of residency and the permanent resident status to be able to apply for jobs in councils or the government.
3. Know How To Stand Out
Your immigrant status can pose a difficulty and could be a drawback with some employers, but others will value the transferable skills, adaptability, flexibility and language skills you can bring to your company. Always keep this in mind when applying for jobs and emphasise how your cultural awareness combined with your professional expertise can make you the ideal employee.
4. Understand Different Work Cultures
Even before you start applying for jobs, it’s important that you understand how the work culture in your destination country differs from your previous experiences. Whilst in today’s globalised economy, these differences are often not very significant, it’s important to recognise how business structures, communication styles, business etiquette, management practices and the value of teamwork are different in your new country. Whilst the typical USA employer could be characterised with a more authoritarian management style and more emphasis on individual achievement, Australian managers are more consultative in their management style and employers in Denmark and other Scandinavian countries will regard team working skills highly. Once you have an understanding of the work culture in your destination country, you will know which skills and achievements to highlight most in your job applications and interview.
5. Develop Key Job & Language Skills
You should find out whether your qualifications and other professional licences are valid in your destination country, and research how to acquire any additional skills of qualifications needed. If you are moving to a country where the language spoken is different from your home country, you should start learning the new language as soon as possible. It’s also important to realise that your lack of proficiency in your new country’s language can limit your chances of finding a suitable job, so you should give yourself extra time to learn the language and possibly learn new skills.
6. Identify Your Job Hunting Strategy
Depending on the employment sector, you can use a variety of job hunting strategies to maximise your chances of landing a suitable job. These can include online and offline job boards, industry-specific publications, networking with professional acquaintances, using social media to make new contacts or even hiring a recruitment specialist.
The process of looking for a job abroad might seem daunting, but if you stay structured, flexible, determined and creative, you increase your success in your overseas job search.
Britannia Movers International, UK specialists in international shipping services www.britannia-shipping.co.uk
