International experience can do wonders in improving your career. We have assembled some tips to make your travel overseas easier and less troublesome. You can always reach out to immigration experts such as Aberdeen Immigration Lawyers for assistance in starting your career in a new country.
Specify why you want to work overseas
While moving overseas you must get your priorities straight. Is your career more important or your lifestyle? For example, if you want to visit beaches and have recreation after work then London and Sydney must be the perfect option for you. Moving to these countries can be an upgrade to your lifestyle but you may not be able to have an excellent career due to lesser opportunities and high competitiveness.
Be Open to Ideas For New Locations
If you are interested in an international experience as a way to speed up your career, it is helpful to look beyond the obvious. “If you go to a well-established place, you may have a lot of competitors, and it’s hard to see the results.” said Joanne Chua of Singapore. Robert Walters’ director of customer development in Southeast Asia and Greater China suggests considering developing markets of Thailand, Vietnam, or the Philippines. In this new frontier, the market has not grown much but there is little competition for many opportunities – let alone local culture and heritage.
In a developing market, you can be part of a small, new team and you will have a much higher profile, higher commitment levels, and will develop knowledge and expertise very quickly.
“Many people are influenced by the attractive landscapes of a healthy lifestyle such as Tokyo, Singapore or London, but in places like these, you may be a small fish in a large lake, and if you are determined, a strong urban lifestyle will not suffice over time. Examine your areas of improvement and change.”
Start with the challenges
Your country and the country you are immigrating to decides your immigration requirements and the visa type. So, start thinking, ‘Which passports do I have and where can I go? Do I satisfy all the requirements to travel to my dream destination? Once you know what your problems are, you can start planning and research for real.
Contact your employer
If you are considering applying for entry into an international company, use their HR team or talent development team. Sit down with them and ask for their advice on how travel can be convenient for you, and what kind of progress and assistance you can expect from the organization as a result. You can reach out to immigration consultants to help you get your work visa and to fulfill other requirements.
Do your research
If you have traveled to some places on vacation and you like it, it doesn’t mean that it would also be good for business. Observe the market closely and analyze if you can work with it. How does this market differ from the market in your home country? How often do opportunities arise – and how does the market go? How much will it cost to pay taxes and essentials such as food and public transportation? What are your work hours every week? A good employer can advise you on all such matters, and it is always better to conduct extensive research beforehand.
Think of the skills that are transferred
If your program is going to be overseas for a few years and then you return to your home country, make sure you do not apply for roles with very few skills, which may expire, or they will not just be back home. “Make sure you don’t play a very important role in your community that there is no equivalent to it when you go back, and you end up taking the step back because there is no job like you back home,” Louise Campbell said.
With the fields of technology, digital design, IT, digital marketing, and e-commerce, skills are often highly sought after but within areas such as law, risk and compliance should be taken into account. Some local laws, for example regarding data privacy, will have partners in any field; but some laws and regulations are so specific in one province that they do not translate into another.
Starting a new career in a new country can be a difficult task and it may take some time to get to know and settle in the new environment. But this can be easy if you are mindful of your choices and what you want.
