Overseas Employment
Choosing a Career as an International Worker
On this overseas employment page you'll find:
Are You Ready to Take on the Challenges of Overseas Employment?
Gathering the background information to make an informed decision
One of the best things about having aspirations for a Global Experience working, volunteering, or traveling overseas, is that you have full control over how you plan this and integrate it into your life.
No one will force you to learn a new language, help the new arrival from a foreign country in your town, make travel plans to go overseas, or offer your services as an international volunteer. These are all steps you take when you are ready.
Living abroad is not for everyone. There are many things to consider, especially in the face of the economic uncertainties and even physical dangers presented by such a lifestyle. That's a decision you'll have to make for yourself.
This section on Overseas Employment, should give you a handle on whether or not you'd like to look further into it.
Many people never even give it a thought, because they know nothing about it. For them, that option isn't even there. For you, that option is about to open up.
Workers in international development are more often motivated by job satisfaction and a desire to make a significant difference in the world, than for financial rewards. Or they want to challenge themselves for the purpose of personal development. Some decide they want to try something new and different, before they have to settle into a ordinary job for the rest of their lives.
Guess what, there are many people out there, that started that way, and when the time came to return, they decided they liked it too much to give it up.
There are many advantages to having overseas employment. Living abroad can give you a whole new perspective on life and show you what your priorities are, what you value most in life.
Why do people choose to work overseas?
If your reaction is: "Why would anyone want to leave the comforts and familiarity of their own home, and everything they know and hold dear, to travel to a foreign country?" then, you are not the type of person to thrive on this kind of adventure.
That's fine, you know yourself better than anyone else.
But for those who are intrigued by this possibility, read on.
Joe Freeman in his book The Do-It-Yourself Expatriate Guide to Living and Working in Europe
says:
"Want to get a 25% raise, at least four weeks vacation, a paid pension, paid health insurance for the whole family, and [not have] to work weekends?"
Joe Freeman
The Do-It-Yourself Expatriate Guide
It's true, in Europe you get all those things. Most workplaces shut down completely on weekends and holidays. They expect you to spend that time with your family or friends.
And what about that raise? Depending on the exchange rate, if you're earning say $30,000 US, if you changed jobs and went abroad today, and earned 30,000 euros or 30,000 GBP (UK pounds), they'd be worth $43,000 US & $50,000 US respectively.
Other Perks of Living & Working Overseas . . .
The reasons for working overseas are unlimited -- from a desire to travel, learn new ways of living, learn a new language, to developing a stronger Career Portfolio with international experience in your field.
Of course, many want to escape to warmer climes, meet new people of different cultures and experience a totally different lifestyle. Others want to escape the "Rat Race", and improve the quality of their lives.
Work-wise, overseas jobs can give you the chance to take on more responsibility and develop some new skills, particularly in the area of cross-cultural communications. The challenges you'll meet will call on your creativity and resourcefulness.
As a family, living overseas can be a wonderful adventure. It's a great way to show your kids the world. Most cultures will have a slower pace of living, which will allow you to spend more quality time with your family.
Immersion in a foreign culture is the best way for kids to become multi-lingual. While they are young, they have a facility for picking up languages. Traveling and working overseas is easiest before the kids reach their teens.
By the teens, they have their own friends and it's more difficult to move, unless you involve them in the decision. If they decide, "Ok, let's go," then, you have them onboard with you, and that will make it much easier.
When Teens are not sure if they want to go overseas . . .
Here are some of the Benefits of Overseas Experience for teens:
- Attending foreign schools may help to confirm their chosen career path.
- Contacts established abroad could be useful for future networking opportunities
- With Skype, they can keep in close touch with friends all over the world
- Having previous overseas experience will help them to find work overseas, when they get older.
- Experience abroad gives them a Global Perspective - see the characteristics of Third Culture Kids.
What are the Advantages of working in overseas employment?
You can probably think of some already. Here are some more.
For Students:
- Develops an emotional and mental maturity beyond your years.
- Provides opportunities for developing responsibility, flexibility, and self-resilience.
- Boosts your language skills in a way you just can't get in a classroom.
- Develops cross-cultural understanding, tolerance, patience.
- Helps to solidify your life purpose, or launches you in an exciting new direction with your career aspirations.
- Fosters resourcefulness, self-confidence, independence.
- Gives you a chance to taste what it's like to live in another culture.
- Allows you to do something different before you enter the world of work full-time.
For Adults:
Any of the above plus . . .
- Challenges you to use your professional skills in a way you'd never have a chance to use at home
- Allows you to develop a network of international contacts and friends, whom you can keep in touch with through the internet
- Gives you a new lease on life, a change from 'the same old, same old', may stimulate an experience of profound change both personally and professionally
- Can be used as a stepping stone to advance professionally in your career, through the development of specific competencies
- Informs you of new ideas, new perspectives, new ways to engage in your work, through the exchange of ideas with experienced foreign professionals
- Can prepare you for an international career change, that can lead to a satisfying life working overseas
- Teachers return home with an infusion of new teaching styles, ideas and techniques that reinvigorates their teaching
- Re-sets your priorities, may give you a new direction in life
- Allows you to stay physically and mentally active and to give back to society in a very rewarding way.
Related Links on Overseas Employment
Select from the links below to find out more about working abroad.
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