Looking for a job overseas is quite a bit different from looking for a job locally. While there are no set rules for looking for work overseas, in my experience there are several rules to be followed.
1. The easiest way to get a job abroad is to know someone already working over there. This is just common sense. Networking is the best way to find any work, including work abroad because that person will be your advocate when it comes to hiring you.
2. Failing that, the best way to find a job overseas is to be on the ground making contacts. This may be difficult, but at times is necessary. In boom times, companies will make an effort to recruit employees living overseas. In recessions, you’ll have to make the effort to move locally. That can be expensive. Alternatively, if you are willing to move to a country with a booming economy, you may be able to find work more easily by aiming your job search there.
3. Look at job search engines that cater to the locality you are applying to. But how do you know which ones are the better job boards? I would look at job boards that have listings by large companies from the area. The best job boards have access to the best jobs, and the best jobs come from the biggest companies. I would also contact people who live in the area and ask them their opinion. How do you find these people? Look for bloggers living in the area who write about their lives there. If there’s any group that loves to blog, it’s expats. They are a huge source of information and I’ve used the blogger community before to get the basics of a country before moving there.
4. Contact the HR departments of companies you want to work for. When I applied to work in Dubai, I sent my CV to the HR department of every PR firm in the Emirate. A few responded back within a few days and I was hired. Of course that was when Dubai was riding high. Now the same tactic might not work, but the tactic might work in a country with a stronger economy such as China or Australia.
I truly believe looking for a job is a numbers game. And in recessions the numbers are a lot higher. By that I mean the effort needed to find a job requires a high number of applications made. People willing to move abroad have an advantage over those unwilling; they are availing themselves of a much larger job market. Do the research necessary to determine which countries have stronger economies and are actually willing to take on expat talent.
