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Getting Started

There are many resources out there to help you realize your dream of working abroad long-term. Before you begin, it is important to know the reality of working abroad.

Many people take unskilled jobs working as a nanny, picking fruit, or bussing tables at a resort restaurant.  Those who find career-related work often start off working for an international company in the United States and are transferred to an office abroad.

This is because it can be very difficult to obtain a work permit to work legally in a foreign country.  Employers usually have to prove that there are no national candidates qualified to perform the job and that the foreign worker is uniquely qualified. This is one of the reasons that Teaching English abroad has become one of the easiest and most popular ways to work abroad for an extended period of time.

Don't let this discourage you, though; many people are successful at finding long-term work abroad.

Eligibility

To obtain resident and legal work status in a country, usually:

• You must already have a job waiting for you
• You must have means to live in a country without working
• You fulfill government criteria to establish a business
• You are descended from or married to a national
• You have lived legally in the country for a number of years for a reason acceptable to the government
• You are willing to pay a fee to an organization that will assist you in obtaining a temporary work visa. Then it would be up to the employing company to sponsor you for longer. It is not guaranteed that the company you temporarily work for will sponsor you permanently. (e.g., BUNAC, Interexchange, USIT, Alliance Abroad)

--Adapted from Career Services at the College of St. Benedict/St. John's University--

The information in this section and the print resources in the Learning Abroad Center are there to help you succeed in your international job search.

Questions to Consider

Brainstorm how to get started with your international career by asking yourself these questions:

• When do I want to go overseas: NOW or a year from now? What is a realistic timetable?
• What's more important: a prestigous career-oriented job or actually being overseas? In other words, am I willing to be a nanny or a hotel clerk as along as I'm overseas?
• Do I want or need more education before I go? Do the jobs I'm interested in require a master's degree or teacher certification?
• Do I need to get more experience in my career field before I try to find a job overseas?
• Am I willing to volunteer or do I only want a paid job?
• Am I considering going to just one country, one of several countries, or anywhere so long as it's overseas?
• Have I been overseas before? If not, am I ready and willing to handle the cultural differences?

--Adapted from Career Services at the College of St. Benedict/St. John's University--

Remember, the more flexible you are, the more likely you are to find a long-term job overseas.

Common Fields of International Employment

Now that you know the reality of working abroad and have started to think about what you're looking for in an international career, start thinking about some of the fields where international employment is more likely.

• Business & Banking
• Criminal Justice/ Law
• Consulting Firms
• Government
• Healthcare
• Infrastructure/Public Service
• International Education
• Nonprofit and Relief/Volunteer Agencies
• Public Policy Initiatives
• Technical Fields
• Travel Industry

Last modified on November 21, 2008