How to Find Your First Paid Job Overseas

Five Proven Strategies to Find International Work

By Zahara Heckscher Contributing Editor and Columnist for Transitions Abroad Updated by Transitions Abroad 6/2016

Setting off to find a paid job overseas can be both exciting and dau

nting.

I understand the dilemma of the first time international job seeker: You can’t get a job overseas unless you have experience. But how do you get experience if you can’t get a job? In this article, I’ll share five proven strategies to break out of this Catch-22. Plus I’ll suggest some additional creative options to explore to get yourself overseas without breaking your piggy bank.

1. Teach Abroad and Build Your Network in Your Field for a Lateral Move

If you chose this option, consider investing in a 4-week TESL/TESOL certificate program that will provide you with assistance in finding a job. While you can teach without it, a certificate will make you a better teacher and will give you access to a worldwide network of schools. You’ll pay a couple of thousand dollars to get the certificate but you’ll almost certainly make it back in teaching wages. My husband used this technique to land a 6-month teaching job in Vietnam. He then volunteered at a local newspaper, got a paid job there, and stayed for six years. Transitions Abroad has many resources on teaching and certificate programs. Also try ESL Café and the classic book Teaching English Abroad: Your Expert Guide to Teaching English Around the World  by Susan Griffin. In sum, teaching can be a career in itself, or a paid stepping stone for an international career.

2. Get a Job in an International Organization and Make a Geographical Move

Use your career center, alumni network and informational interviews to identify internships and jobs at international organizations. You might land an entry level job as a receptionist or administrative assistant. If so, make a goal of having lunch once a week with a co-worker. Learn from them about options in the field. Attend your organization’s presentations and workshops to sharpen your skills and learn from colleagues who have worked overseas. Do the best job you can in your current position. Let your supervisor and HR office know that you want to go overseas eventually, but be prepared to pay your dues and work domestically for a while first. Check out very highly recommended My World Abroad by long-time guru Jean-Marc Hachey, Going Global, and Interaction for lists of international organizations. (Some content at My World Abroad and Going Global may require access from your alma mater or paid registration.) Such an international career route is more prevalent than commonly realized for those with long-term career ambitions.

3. Become an Expert with a Technical Skill, Then Use this Skill to Get a Job Overseas in Your Field

Technical skills include medical (nurse, EMT, PA, or doctor), veterinary, grant writing, accounting, non profit management, training, photography, solar technology, small business development. Whatever your skill, join a professional association and attend local meetings and annual conventions so you can learn from peers with that skill who have worked internationally.

4. Get In-Country and Do Your Job Search There

The in-country job search is a great option only if you can support yourself for at least a month upon arrival and are good at networking (see my Networking Manifesto for International Employment for more). Plan on joining the local Rotary Club, Toastmasters, and/or faith organizations. My friend Jeff moved to Uganda with his wife (who used strategy #2) and, through networking, found out about a job he never would have found if he hadn’t been in country—directing Mango Tree, a fair trade small business. You might also consider finding a part-time volunteer job to give structure to your day, learn local business practices and expand your network. Research visa issues so when you get a job offer you know how to proceed.

5. Apply for a “Paid” Volunteer Program

Programs that cover all expenses for recent grads: Peace Corps or faith based non-missionary programs such as Jesuit Volunteer Corps, Brethren Volunteer Corps, Mennonite Central Committee. Programs for those with lots of work experience or high level skills include UN Volunteers, International Executive Service Corps, and Doctors without Borders.