What You Need to Know When Looking for Jobs Abroad
You have decided to move abroad. That’s awesome! What a great decision.
Butttt you know you are going to have to get a job, and if you’re looking for a good one, you are going to have to start searching before you leave. That can be tricky finding a job across the pond. There is the time difference, different phone numbers, and no good way to tell if the position is legitimate. However, it is doable! So here is what you need to know when looking for jobs abroad!
Right Visa
Before you can go start working in any other country, you need to make sure you have the correct visa paperwork. Almost all other countries require a special visa that states you can work in their country. Each visa has certain stipulations. So for example, we are going on an Irish Working Holiday Authorization which we are only able to use because we will have been graduated from school no longer than a year. And with the WHA we can only be there for a year max. That is just what we are going with. There are many different ones out there. If you have a job already lined up, the company can also sponsor your visa. But remember that you find the one that applies to the country you are moving to. It is not one visa fits all.
Be sure to take a look at travel.state.gov to find the visa that applies to your situation. Even if you are going through a company that is helping you, I would still suggest double checking on this website. Maggie and I were given some misleading information from a company and thankfully were able to find out the correct information before applying for the visa.
Location
While you may want to live outside the major cities or in the countryside, be sure you are realistic about where you are going to find a job. You will probably have a better chance finding a job in the city than outside of it. However, if you are looking for something like agricultural or locally owned businesses to work at, living outside the city might be best. You could even live outside of the city if the commute is reasonable to where your job would be. Think about these things just like if you were to move to a different state for work.
Pay
Now after figuring out the area you are probably going to live in, research the cost of living. You are going to want to find a job that can support that and leave some extra money left over. It would be so awful to have to live pay check to pay check and have no money to actually go exploring or socializing. You also want to calculate how much it will cost to get to and from the job. How much money do you need to add to your metro card? How much is gas per week? Think about all of that so you can factor it into how much you need to be paid. Then from that amount, I would add on how much fun money you want to have each month. Fun money is for activities, traveling, or sight-seeing. Thinking these things out will be so beneficial to you when job hunting.
Where to Look
You obviously may not know what kind of job you are looking for. Unless you have visited this country before and had a place in mind, you are starting with a completely blank slate. So to help, I have been using different international websites to help me find open positions in Ireland. Some of my favorites that are specific to Ireland are jobs.ie, ie.indeed and gradireland (which is specific for graduates). I have set it to search for positions that relate to what I am interested in or have experience in and set up email alerts when new positions open up. Be careful about the words or phrases used to search for positions because it may mean something different there. For example, I typed in “maternity positions” hoping to work with mothers, but instead I have been receiving emails about temp positions for those out on maternity leave.
Some other websites that help you look for jobs abroad would be Jobs Abroad, Overseas Jobs, Careers International, and Monster International. You can set it up to where you receive email alerts when new positions in your field open up.
When to Start Applying
So when should you start applying for jobs? Well, don’t be like me and get super excited and start applying 10 months before leaving. I was super stoked and applied. Within a month, the position was filled. They are typically looking for someone that can fill the position at no more than 2 months max. So that’s when I would suggest you should start looking. It’s not too early and not too late. If you have to interview before getting there, most companies now do Skype or just over the phone.
So it’s pretty easy to look for jobs abroad! If you are looking for more resources on jobs abroad, check out our Pinterest board “Working Abroad”!
Resources: Monster International, Jobs Abroad, Overseas Jobs, Careers International, travel.state.gov, jobs.ie, ie.indeed and gradireland
Tavinia
Hello everyone! I am Tavinia, or also known as the Wandering Sunflower, and I’m a free drifting individual that knows no limits or boundaries...like literally I have to be told when to stop. I enjoy learning more about myself through the world around me. Plus I have a sick obsession with sunflowers, hence the name.
19 Comments
Amber Myers
This would be an adventure, that’s for sure. My husband has worked abroad before, but for the military. My mother was also in the military so I got to live in Italy, Germany, and Belgium. It was pretty exciting.
Coddiwomplers
Hey both of my parents were in the military when I was a kid! It is definitely a great experience to have as a kid. Thanks for the response!
blair villanueva
Thanks for sharing these tips. I have friends who are planning to apply jobs abroad. These are very helpful!
Coddiwomplers
Happy to help!
Nina
I think the biggest thing people don’t think about is that visa. Moving to another country and getting a job is just not like getting one in your own country. For native English speakers with college degrees, teaching is one of the easiest ways to get a visa abroad. I teach English in Spain and my program just required that we be native speakers and have a degree. So many countries have similar jobs because the demand for native speakers to teach English is big.
Coddiwomplers
This is a great tip for those looking for a job. Thanks for sharing!
Shelby
Oh this just makes me long to pick up everything and move abroad. These are excellent tips even in general for the US as well when you are planning on moving. Thanks for sharing!
Coddiwomplers
Do it! Thanks for reading!
Rashida
When I was younger, I considered moving abroad to work for a while. I was always inspired by my military brother who has been all over. Now that I have a toddler, life has become a bit complicated so I’m not as interested in working abroad anymore.
Coddiwomplers
Ah yeah might be a bit more difficult but still doable!
Kristina Dapaah
This is a great article. I live in Canada and would love to move to NY for work someday in my dreams lol. But in all honestly once my husband and I are able to afford it – we’d sooo do it. This was a good article for me, even though it’s just a dream today!
Coddiwomplers
Oh thank you! I hope that someday you do!
Rose
I would love to live and work abroad. Maybe when my kids are grown and move out I can live somwhere and experience life elsewhere. I appreciate your tips as I know that it is probably hard to get organized with the extra steps necessary to work and live in other countries.
Coddiwomplers
Yeah or take the kids with you! There is this family (i think the Bucket List Family) that travels around the world. Would definitely be a grand adventure!
houx
I don’t like to fly, but if I did this post would be helpful. It would be a dream to work overseas.
Mayra
This is a great resource for those exploring jobs abroad. Great tips and things everyone sounds be aware of, great post!
nina
the most important thing people need to know before moving abroad for a job, is that working visa. some don’t know that you have to have one before moving to the country to look for work, you need it, or else wil be in big trouble with the law.
vanessa
I remember seriously thinking about moving to Canada a few years back, and this would have been super helpful. There was a lot of research to do, especially on where to live.
Coddiwomplers
It’s definitely a ton of research to move abroad! Of course we’re a little biased but we think you should take the plunge 🙂