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A Guide to Working Overseas

Working overseas can lead you to many opportunities. You can meet new people, live in a new place, and learn a new culture. If you choose to work abroad for financial reasons, then it is also the smartest career move. The competition in domestic employment can be too fierce sometimes. And to get hired, you must think outside of the box, or in this case, outside of your home country.

For Unskilled Labor

Today, workforce distribution across nations is better than ever. People who come from developing countries have the chance to sell their labor with a high pay rate. Experienced workers from the developed nations can sell their service to the developing ones and get better appreciations.

If you pursue the unskilled jobs, then the first thing you need to realize is that your goal will take some time to accomplish. First, you may need document approval from your home country. Your civil and medical documents must get through the immigration screening process first. And then, you will get the work permit and visa (depending on where you reside).

However, you have to make sure that all of your previous experiences can be acknowledged and appreciated by employers in your destination country. For example, if you want to work in Australia, there is the RPL (the Recognition of Prior Learning) system to certify a worker’s previous experience.

For Skilled Labor

Skilled labor means that you have an academic degree. In this case, your university’s certificate needs to be standardized by the local authority first, and translation into the country’s language is not enough. Moreover, if you still have a long time before you move abroad, you should seek internationally-acknowledged certifications.

Soft skills like language fluency, management, and leadership all have a certification test for each. For language, there is IELTS and TOEFL. Business analysts need certificates from IIBA (International Institue of Business Analyst. And managers get their management skill tested and acknowledged by CPAM (Certified Associate in Project Management).

Evaluating the Employment Condition

Before you move to your destination country, it is vital to review again how the employment condition is. First, you need to learn the employment policies there. Sometimes, foreign workers are required to follow a certain set of rules that can be disadvantageous. And a surprise such as that is the last thing you need when you work overseas.

Second, make a connection to a professional of the same field in your destination country. Befriend him/her so that you will not be entirely alone once you move. Things such as worker protection, compensation, medical care, and pension plans are the topics you must learn about in advance.

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