How do I find a proper job in a new country? Not just a backpacker type of job to save up money, but a real job that I want to stay in and can be proud of. This is probably one of the top 3 questions people ask me as part of planning their big move to a new place.
If you’ve followed me for a while you know that I’ve lived and worked in a few different countries by now and managed to secure good jobs in most of them. I will admit though that it sometimes felt like a lot of trial and error, not to mention quite exhausting to keep moving and stay motivated.
A few weeks ago I held a webinar specifically around how to position and market yourself to find work in another country and if you’re interested you can listen in here to part 1 and part 2 of that webinar.
The key components to find work that I’ve seen people struggle with time and time again are:
- Clarity on what you really want, what would be ok and what you absolutely don’t want. Without clarity on these you won’t know where to look. Remember, the clearer you are on the opportunities you are looking for, the more easily people can help you achieve that. If you tell a local that you’re “happy to take any job” they probably don’t really know where to start and you’ll come across as desperate.
- Manage your expectations and do your research. So many people go to a new place and expect it to be the same as where they came from. It won’t be. You need to do a little bit of homework on the job market, type of roles available in your industry and roughly what these pay.
- Position your CV and experience in the best possible way. Yes your experience will matter, but HOW you present it is almost as important. Showcase what you’ve done and make sure to tailor slightly for each role you apply for. How do you fit what they want and how will you help their organisation as a result of potentially joining them?
- Be willing to go out and network with the purpose of building connections and adding value. Don’t go out and network (face to face or online) to get. Network to give, add value and become memorable. The more people you connect and help them solve their problem (lack of resources or skills in a certain area) the more they’ll want to help you. The law of reciprocity is a powerful one! The more specific you are in terms of the type of company/role you’re looking for – the easier it will be to network.
If you’re curious to find out more on how you can go about this specifically in Australia, I’m holding another free webinar at 8 pm (AEST) on Wednesday 29 June. We’ll talk specifically about the 2 key strategies you need to be aware of (depending what type of job you’re looking for) to massively increase your chances of securing the job you want. You can register for the online webinar for FREE via this link!
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