Four tips to help you build an International career
Love the idea of working overseas but don’t know where to start? Read four tips to help you finally get the International career you’ve dreamed of.
Working overseas is a dream for many people – but not everyone will achieve it. If you are serious about an international career then you need to start planning for it now.
There are some steps you can start taking yourself today that will boost your chances of working in a foreign country. There will also be steps you’ll need more help with – for example visas and other legal issues. For these you will need to work with a professional team who give the right immigration advice.
To help you get started on building an International career, we’ve prepared the following four tips for you.
1) Learn multiple languages
If you’re serious about pursuing a successful international career, it isn’t enough to stick to just speaking English. You also have to invest in learning the language of the country io countries you want top work in. So if you have your sights set on Japan, then you need to spend the time on learning the rudimentals of Japanese.
Not only will it give you an advance over other candidates who don’t have any grasp of the language, but it also demonstrates how serious and dedicated you are to finding a role in that country.
Of course the best way to learn a new language is to immerse yourself in it by living in a country where it is spoken. If this isn’t an option for you right now, then online courses can help you get started. And if you an find a native speaker to practice conversation with, all the better.
2) Study the cultures of the countries you want to work in
Language isn’t just the only big learning curve you’ll need to master if you work overseas. You’ll also need to learn their culture, especially business culture.
Culture plays a big part in a country’s norms, and includes business etiquette, legal rules, compensations, and overall socialization. Culture even includes basics such as how you greet a stranger, and table manners. You;ll be surprised how easy it can be to offend someone simply by not knowing a basic cultural norm.
So if you have a list of countries you’d like to work in, start doing your homework on their culture. You can research their cultural habits and expectations online, and even take courses in business etiquette for specific countries.
It can also help to immerse yourself in their culture by watching films and reading literature from that country, as well as experiences of other expats living there. A quick online search will probably reveal a few blogs from people living and working in your chosen countries.
3) Be aware of the risks tied to the countries you will work in
Each country comes with its own risks – whether you are visiting for a short break, or moving there to live and work. So it’s important to research carefully the countries you like the idea of living in.
These risks include the types of local crime to watch out for. What should you be aware of? What areas you do you need to avoid? What habits do you need to adopt to keep safe?
They also include legal risks. What do you need to know about local laws? How can you ensure you stay safe and don’t inadvertently get into trouble?
If you want to hep lessen the risks that you will face, it might be a god idea to reach out to Immigration Advice Services. They will walk you through everything that you need to know about legal issues, which can help protect you from accidentally falling foul of the local law and ruining your International career before it’s barely got going.
4) Build a useful network
You know the saying ‘it’s not what you know but who you know’? When it comes to building an international career, this is very true. The more connections you have in your own country and overseas, the more likely it will be that someone you know knows about an opportunity you may be right for.
This doesn’t mean you need to physically make more friends where you live – though that can help too. But extending your online professional network can be a powerful way to pursue the career you want. And LinkedIn is the perfect place to do this.
Take the time to build a LinkedIn profile that reflects the opportunities you want, and start consciously cultivating a network of people that may be helpful. Be active on the platform and demonstrate your knowledge and the value you can add.
Engage with people and be generous with your time and expertise to build a positive reputation. Then start putting the word out that you are looking for a role in your chosen country. If people see you as someone they’d be happy to work with, they may recommend opportunities they have seen or even personally put you forward for a job. And there’s nothing more powerful than a personal recommendation.
They can also help with other aspects of working overseas. For example, if you need UK citizenship for your spouse someone in your network may have personal experience to share, or can direct you to an immigration lawyer or seize that can help.
Start planning for an International career now
Your dream overseas job is unlikely to simply fall into your lap. Instead, as you can read, it requires planning and work on your part to make happen. But with that planning and work it can happen. So start taking actions today, and who knows where you may be living and working in two years’ time?
