10 Strategies You Should Be Using to Prepare for a Career Overseas (Part 1)

Posted on Sep 7, 2015 | 0 comments

10 Strategies You Should Be Using to Prepare for a Career Overseas (Part 1)

Working overseas can be one of the most rewarding experiences a person can have in his life, but at the same time, it could also be a challenging one if the person doesn’t play his cards well. If you’re thinking about starting a new career overseas, keep reading. Below, I will share with you the first five strategies that will help you prepare for this new adventure in your life.

Strategy #1: Identify your job target

When thinking about working overseas, this step is by far the most important one to take into consideration. Why is that? Well, it’s basically where everything starts. Having a clear idea of what it is that you want to do will help you narrow down your job search and focus on those countries that offer you the most realistic, reliable, and secure job opportunities. Not knowing what is that you want to do will not only hold you back, but also will prevent you from making a wise and emotionally intelligent decision.

 

Strategy #2: Search for available jobs

Once you have identified your areas of interest and have a better idea of the path you want to follow, start looking for available jobs within your countries of interest. The more research you do, the better. Remember, your number one priority should be finding a job that offers you the opportunity to put your skills into practice but that also offers you the chance to have a great expat experience. Take your time looking for that job and trust your instincts. You–and only you–know which job is the best fit for you.

 

Strategy #3: Develop your Résumé/CV

Once you have identified the job(s) to which you would like to apply, start working on your CV. One thing you must remember here is that every country has different requirements for what they want to see in CVs. That being said, do some research about the requirements for CVs in the particular countries where you are planning to apply for jobs. Doing that will not only help you avoid having unnecessary information on your CV, but will also help you make sure that you have the correct information on it that way you can increase your chances of landing an interview. Landing an interview should be your main goal here, and having a great CV will increase your chances of getting one.

 

Strategy #4: Apply for jobs

After creating your CV, it’s now time to start applying for jobs. By now, you should have a better idea of what jobs you’ll be applying for and what mechanisms you need to use to apply for those jobs. That being said, go ahead and start sending those CVs out. Now is not the time to be shy! Go on and start showing those companies who you are and what you have to offer. One thing to remember is that there is no such a thing as a standard CV. When applying for jobs, make sure you adapt your CV to each particular job. Doing that will help you attract the attention of the recruiters much more easily than with a standard resume. Hiring authorities like to see that you took your time to read their vacancy announcements and job requirements. How do you show them that you did that? By having a personalized CV that shows them how you will be the most qualified applicant for the position and the person who will help them cover their needs. A standard CV will not do that for you.

 

Strategy #5: Prepare for the interview

After submitting your CV, and if everything goes well, you should hear from the companies who are interested in you to schedule an interview. At that point, there is a big chance that your head will start spinning, your heart will want to come out of your chest, and you may want to start packing your bags. Well, not too fast. You still need to pass the interview, and, at that point, preparing for that interview should be your #1 priority. Even before receiving the notice that you have been selected for an interview, you should start getting ready for it. The last thing you need/want is to get an invitation for an interview and realize that you are not prepared for it.

 

Once you have submitted those job applications, start putting together an interview plan, which should include: practicing how to respond to possible questions, identifying the documents you need to present during the interview, and establishing the way the interview will be conducted based on your current location/situation. One thing to remember is that each country has its own rules to what can and can’t be asked during interviews. Do some research to educate yourself on this particular topic. Doing that will help you be more prepared for the questions that you may be asked, and, at the same time, will help you increase your chances of having a successful interview.

 

There you have it! The strategies that I mentioned above are the first five strategies to help you prepare for a new career overseas. Following these strategies not only will help you get organized for this new adventure in your life, but will also provide you the peace of mind that you need during a challenge like this. Moving overseas to start a new career is not an easy decision to make. However, having all your ducks in a row will surely make the process a less stressful and more enjoyable one.

 

See you in my next article with the remaining five strategies to help you prepare for this new adventure in your life.


 

WANT TO KNOW MORE ABOUT CAREERS OVERSEAS?

Passport Career provides more detailed career information and extensive resources about networking, finding a job, internship, or alternative career opportunities. If your organization, embassy, university/college, library, or other institution would like access to our country portfolios (15,000+ pages of expert content for 80+ countries and 250+ cities) to share with your students, employees, spouses/partners, and others managing a national or international career transition, please contact us (or send email to: info@passportcareer.com) regarding a free, live, online demo and details on how to obtain a license to access Passport Career.

Marielys Camacho Reyes, Expert Global Career Consultant

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