We thank Ashlee, expert recruiting manager, for this comprehensive article that helps you organize your expat career.
Moving to live in another country can be a fantastic way to explore your career options if you are ready for a new challenge. Whether you are changing career for financial reasons, personal drive or just simply coincidence, you will find some great tips in this article to help you make the move a success and organize your expat career.
Get to Know Your New Home
Before you go searching the job market, take some time to get to know the area and the new country that you are living in. It is especially important that you familiarise yourself with the cultural norms. This will help you to stand out in the interview process and really thrive in your new role.
Speak the Lingo
Once you have chosen the country that you are moving to, make sure that you can speak the language well. It is unlikely that you will need to be fluent but being able to ask for directions and pick up some shopping easily will be a big plus. The first few weeks in a new country can be overwhelming and you do not want to be trying to pick up the basics of your new language at the same time. If you can prepare for your move by learning the language first, you will decrease your overall stress levels on arrival.
Work Out Your Strengths
You need to make your transferable skills really clear in your CV. The recruiting manager in your new country may not understand the relevance of your position in a company at your old company. A decade of experience in your home country may equate to no experience in the local market, so it is vital that you make it clear what skills you have that will apply to their role.
Show Your Value
Similarly, make a full list of your achievements so that you can demonstrate your value to the new firm. Be clear about what you did and what the result was.
“Ideally, try to use specific figures, like financial or percentages,” says Abigail Martin, a recruiter at Writinity and Researchpapersuk. “Use your list of achievements as a guide to help you demonstrate your credibility and give you a foundation to discuss at interview.”
Create Your Personal Brand
Having defined your value, you can use the information you’ve gathered to build your own brand so that you can position yourself as the best person for the job. This will improve the change that you will be acknowledged by the recruiter for your unique strengths.
Choose A Mentor
Reach out to your network and select someone that you trust to refer you to someone who is connected to your chosen field. Mentors can be crucial to help give you advice and let you know the main problems in this industry. They may even be able to refer you to people that can put you forward for relevant positions.
Make Wise Choices
Remember the rules of job hunting still apply, even if you are looking for a role in a different country. There is so much emphasis these days on getting the perfect career – something that you love to do even if you were to volunteer.
“Instead of looking for a role that is perfect and will just bring you joy, look to your skills and what you are good at,” suggests Derek Smith, a writer at Draftbeyond and LastMinuteWriting. “Choose roles that match the things that you excel at”.
Have an Exit Plan
When going into a new role, it is a good idea to have your eyes open and know where you want to be in the next five to ten years.
Having a plan helps you to perform at your best while in the job and stay open to opportunities that will help you to leapfrog up to that end goal. It will help you to stay a step ahead of the game and have an idea of how long you want to stay in a particular role. You don’t need to obsess about the plan every day but having some key milestones in mind will help you to make strides in your career in no time!
Ashlee Jones operates as a recruiting manager with both Manchester Writing Service and Gum Essays. Helping prospective candidates is her forte and she loves to prepare them for employment and the interview process. As part of those roles, Ashlee enjoys writing about human resources and the hiring procedures that she is involved in.