Strategies to find work abroad

Working abroad is becoming a norm as the labour market undergoes globalization. Employers, especially those that cater to international customers, regularly hire foreigners to supplement local talents. There are countries whose labour markets are primarily comprised of expats including Saudi Arabia and the UAE. The competition for a job post in these countries is tighter than ever as workers from the West seek employment in emerging markets in the East.

If you are aiming for a job overseas, take the extra mile by doing the following strategies. Remember that you might be competing for an opportunity with the world’s best candidate.

Perform online and offline research

There is a long list of job hunting platforms online where you can start your journey. Monster.com and GoOverseas.com not only provide job listings, they also have helpful information on salary levels per industry and job type. Talk to family, friends and those who have worked abroad. They may have tips on choosing the employer and position that suit your credentials, as well as in finding accommodation in the right neighbourhood.

Learn the language

Remember that employers have one aim: to hire the best candidate. Raise the bar by learning even the basics of the local language. However, if you are eyeing for a top position, it is imperative to speak and write the host country’s language. Communication skills not only boost one’s résumé but also expand the opportunity of meeting new people.

Choose an international company with operations in your home country

Instead of joining a company abroad, you may also apply in a local firm and transfer with them. This option will do away with the intricacies of applying for a working visa on your own and securing health insurance, accommodations and transportation – these are usually prepared by your employer.

Explore the freelance alternative

Working in an office is not the only way of generating income abroad. As technology becomes accessible to more people, freelance jobs are increasingly gaining popularity. Online platforms such as Freelancer.com and ODesk.com offer venue for people to contract and apply for projects. Most freelance jobs are in creative writing, photography and teaching.

Contact an overseas job consultant

Despite countless materials and platforms freely available online, these is nothing like seeking assistance from a professional. An overseas recruitment agency serves as the bridge to companies actively searching for quality hires. It assists a jobseeker from setting an interview to securing appropriate work and travel permits.

Finding a job, whether locally or internationally, is not always an easy undertaking. If you get rejected, move on to the next job vacancy. As the saying goes, “if at first you don’t succeed, try, try again.”

LinkedIn Networking Tips for Expats Abroad

An expat would always want to have the most convenient of adjustments while living abroad and this is made possible with a strategic networking, and the best social media outlet for industrial networking today is definitely LinkedIn. As expats abroad, you may already know about LinkedIn, you may even have your own profile set up, but are you sure you’ve optimized the networking capabilities of this site? Check out the tips below to learn more about how to make the most of your LinkedIn profile.

• Make Use of a Corporate-looking Photo

Whether you agree or not, first impression is lasting. Even if you don’t get to meet the company representative, the photo you use on your LinkedIn account says many things about you. From the way you comb your hair to the smile you wear, the attire you put on and the overall impact of the image you affixed on your profile will never go unexamined. So wear the best professional-looking photo you have otherwise, get a new picture.

• Consider Making an Eye-catching Headline 

After wearing that “right-guy-for-the-right-job” photo, make use of a one-liner headline. This will not only support the great impression you created with that professional looking image of yours but likewise let the people know your forte and expertise. Through this striking banner you are giving the notion of what they are to expect from you at the same time wanting to know more of your capabilities, thus, stirring up curiosity and interest on having you for an interview. However, the short title that would best describe you should not be a false advertisement nor misrepresentation of your real qualifications and competence.

• Scrupulous use of the Summary Section

It is through this section that you get to have a relatively detailed account of yourself and how you became the person that you are today. In here you can have the subtle boasting of your work experience and how you have been an indispensable person in the company. The tasks and job descriptions you carried and the ways these designations were acted out should be explicitly written. It is also through this portion that you may enumerate your strengths and area of expertise, your goals and missions in every job occupation, and your resiliency to every obstacle and trials that are related to your job.

• Complete an Updated Profile

Any pertinent information in your profile that will have to be updated periodically must be done so. This is to make sure that anybody who will chance upon you in LinkedIn will have the appreciation that your intentions in getting a job are indeed genuine. Any thought of you to be just a flippant trying to appear in all forms of social media will be dismissed by a potential employer. The idea here is to make sure that your LinkedIn account will hold all relevant information about you and your former employments that can be of perusal for future employers.

• Start with Real Life Connections

By networking it does not only connote getting connected to strangers and hoping they’d take you in without even considering that you could be an owner of a bogus account. It is wise that you build first your connections by reaching out to people you already know and you have rapport with. Having an address book with credible and reputable people in it will not only back you up in your quest but will likewise support your integrity as an authentic LinkedIn member.

• Be a Virtual Friend

As the saying goes, “what goes around, comes around.” Sans competition, it is not a bad thing to extend a helping hand to your connections. By providing positive comments to boost a friend’s status, forwarding a job listing to someone in your network is a generosity that is remembered and reciprocated. LinkedIn is a network of co-eds and professionals who are just as much hopeful and in dire need of work as everyone else. Being a “friend” virtually will always have a domino effect and before you realize it, you are already made a favor that will bring you to your new job.

• Connect

With all the connections with real people and having the most attractive of LinkedIn profiles, step away from the computer and have that actual phone call with your connections. Do not limit the link virtually, make the actual association and be able to reach out and connect with the persons and do not remain to just appreciating his profile.

There are many ways to create a LinkedIn account and what you put in it will clearly define the person that you are and the determination you have in making your account work to your advantage. The idea is to make sure you know how to use the key features of this social network to optimize its capacity in linking you to the right persons in the media. The ball is right in your hands.

Suffice to say, that with a great impression created by your professional-looking photo and an attractive profile, plus a good working headline, you are already attracting the eyes of prospect employers. Having the right connections and knowing what to do with them are the key factors that will increase your likelihood to landing in the job of your choice and enjoying its perks.