Finding a Job Abroad

Finding a job abroad is much like finding a job in the U.S. You must first define your career goals, then research the job market and use savvy job search strategies to find work. The difference with a search abroad (besides the obvious geographical complications) is that most entry level opportunities open to you in the U.S. are not available to you abroad. High unemployment in many countries has forced the restriction of jobs to citizens. Also, most countries require you to have a work permit from an employer before you begin work, but some employers want you to have a work permit before they will hire you, resulting in a Catch-22 situation. Despite these difficulties, it is possible to find work abroad.

Decide why you want to work abroad

• Are you aiming for a long-term, professional career in international work? If so, you need to plan your first steps carefully and early. Whether your interests are in international communications, business, law, government or non-profit work, you will probably first have to start work in the U.S. for an international organization until you develop experience and expertise that warrants sending you to a foreign office. It is possible to start your career abroad if you have adequate experience and/or personal contacts, but most likely you will first have to pay your dues in the U.S.
  
  
• Do you just want the chance to experience life in a foreign country for a short time and improve your language skills? If so, you should focus on short-term, organized programs which can immerse you in a culture. These include: work camps (for a Peace Corps type of experience), BUNAC (a British organization which arranges work permits for temporary positions in Britain), CIEE (the Council on International Educational Exchange which can arrange work permits for short-term work in many countries).
  
  
• Do you want to travel around the world to see as many different countries as possible? If traveling is a priority, you will probably need to take seasonal, temporary jobs such as grape picking in France, being an au pair for families in various locations, or teaching English. (See Work Your Way Around the World on the resource list for ideas.) Few full-time, professional jobs involve extensive travel at the entry level, so if traveling is your priority, you will need to take whatever work you can get in the places you want to visit and perhaps put your "real" career on hold until you return to the U.S.

Ask not what another country can do for you...

As with any job search, domestic or abroad, you must know yourself well enough to be able to tell a potential employer what you have to offer them. If you have assessed your interests, skills, and values, you will not only have a better idea of your career goals but will also be better able to articulate what you have to offer. You must think from the employer's perspective. They do not want to hear something like "I want to work for you because I love Paris and want to live there." You will be taken more seriously if you say, for example, "I speak French fluently, have had jobs and internships in which I have developed strong writing skills and organizational abilities, and I have an interest in international communications. Do you know of any way that my background might be of use to your organization?" You must remember that employers are not mind-readers; it is up to you to tell them what you can do and what you would like to do.

Be a World Explorer

To find a job abroad, you must thoroughly explore your options. There are many resources and people who can help you learn about the international job market. It is up to you to use all of these resources to find the ones most appropriate for you. Just remember that you have to be thorough and persistent.

Expand your network

Using personal contacts is often the best way to find a job abroad. See the fact sheets on Networking and Informational Interviewing.

Resources for your job search

The Career Development library contains a wide selection of books that can assist you in your search for positions abroad. Look on the shelf in the Library labelled "International" to find books such as the following:

• International Jobs by Eric Kocher: the most comprehensive guide to international careers with suggestions for career planning and listings of organizations in areas including the federal government, the U.N., international business, international communications, teaching, international law, and international nonprofits.
  
  
• Work Study, Travel Abroad published by CIEE: written more for students or recent graduates than the Kocher book. Very comprehensive country-by-country guide.
  
  
• Work Your Way Around the World: helpful if traveling is your top priority.
  
  
• Financial Aid for Research, Study, Travel, & Other Activities Abroad: a comprehensive directory of financial aid, grants, scholarships, fellowships, and internships.
  
  
• Directory of Overseas Summer Jobs: country-by-country listing of paid and volunteer summer positions.
  
  
• Transitions Abroad: an excellent magazine with articles on work, study, and travel abroad as well as listings of programs. The current and back issues from past few years are kept in binders in the Career Development.

• International Employment Hotline: A monthly newsletter of job listings from around the world. Most listings are for jobs requiring experience and specialized skills, but it is nonetheless a good source of names of organizations which may have entry-level jobs not listed in the newsletter.
  
  
• Full-time Book, Volume 2: This binder of jobs sent to Career Development by employers interested in hiring Barnard graduates can also be helpful. The International section sometimes contains listings of jobs abroad, though the majority of the jobs are for work in the U.S. in international organizations.