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Dreamfedjob - Turning unemployed into employed.
Before you dive into the process of looking for work abroad, ask yourself what you want to gain from your experience. Are you looking for:- A fun time exploring a new country and culture?
- A life-changing experience?
- A full-time service opportunity in a developing country?
- An opportunity to improve your language skills?
- A way to make some cash to fund some travel?
- An experience that will provide some preparation for an international career?
If your main goals are to improve your language skills and have a good time, maybe working at that Left Bank restaurant would serve you better than an internship working with Americans at the U.S. Embassy in Paris.
On the other hand, if your goal is to begin an international career, perhaps the State Department internship is better suited to your interests. Many Americans start their international careers with a job or internship at an international organization in the U.S.
If you are hoping to save money for study or travel abroad, you may be better off finding paid work in this country, and then traveling later. Contrary to the myths about making lots of money working abroad, most short-term jobs in foreign countries will allow you to cover your living expenses and not much more.
Consider all your options. For example, paid work in developing countries is rare, but "volunteering" with a service agency could provide you with your housing and your food, and perhaps a small stipend to cover your living expenses.
Careers abroad - It is important to understand that, without first establishing a career in the U.S, it is extremely difficult to land a career position abroad. In the next several blogs I will offer a brief discussion of the various paths to professional, career-oriented jobs abroad.
A FEW ORGANIZING PRINCIPLES
- Keep a notebook, preferably a three-ring binder, in which you can place website printouts, photocopies of book pages, and your own notes. Why keep a notebook? Your international job search is likely to involve a lot of research and many different possibilities. Without a notebook (or an organized filing system), you'll end up with piles of pages floating around everywhere.
- Ask for help. Books and the Internet offer great resources, but there will be plenty of times when you need advice and details, or you'll just want to bounce some ideas off somebody. Speak with representatives of any organization with which you are considering participation. Ask trusted friends and family for encouragement.
- Don't rely solely on the Internet for information. There are some great resources online, but there are also plenty of books that offer much more detail and depth than you'll find anywhere on the Web.
VISAS AND WORK PERMITS
This is an expensive process for the employer, so most will not offer a job to a foreigner who does not already hold a work permit visa. And the penalties for hiring someone without a work permit can be severe. Though Americans do sometimes work "under the table" in foreign countries, I cannot recommend this option, as the penalties can be severe, including serious fines and even expulsion from the country.
Student work exchange programs offer the one of the few legal ways around this obstacle. These types of programs are discussed in the sections on teaching English abroad and short-term work abroad.
Dreamfedjob is a blog that highlights the newfangled ways we are custom-blending careers in the private and civil service, and shares tips for doing it better. Professionally written resumes now available through dreamfedjob.com. For inquiries email us at resumes@dreamfedjob.com
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