Tip & Tricks to Start a Successful International Career
Imagine working as a professional in Paris or Singapore one day. You will be paid well enough to live in a nice apartment, drive a car, and take short holidays to neighbor tourist attractions. Your life will be filled with fascinating discussions with friends from all around the globe. If you plan ahead, you can live this life.
International careers do not just appear out of nowhere. They are meticulously planned and constructed over time. Before sending you to work in another country, multinational employers demand that you have prior foreign experience. The key to getting foreign experience is to immerse yourself in all things international during your undergraduate years and by taking a gap year.
Here are a few things to keep in mind if you are planning to move overseas,
- Clarity is important
Is it about my career or about my lifestyle? Is it about my career or about my lifestyle? If you prefer the thought of working throughout the day and then heading directly to the beach afterward, a relocation might be for you. However, because you’ll likely be moving sideways, such a shift may be less significant in terms of your career progress.
- Don’t limit yourself
If you’re looking to relocate by gaining international experience, it’s important to look beyond the obvious destinations. If you go for a well-established location, you’re going to have a lot of competitors, and it’s tougher to see results. So, take a chance and look at rising areas like Thailand, Vietnam, or the Philippines. The market isn’t as developed in this new frontier, yet there’s less competition and more options, not to mention intriguing local culture and heritage.
- Do your research
So, you went on vacation to London, Hong Kong, or Sydney, but while that will give you a decent sense of the place, you’ll need a lot more knowledge to make an informed decision about your move overseas. What is the state of the job market in your area? How often do opportunities present themselves, and how mobile is the market? How much will you need to earn to cover rent, food, and public transportation? How many hours are you likely to work per week? A skilled recruiter can help you with all of these issues, and if they’re a worldwide firm, they can work for you both before and after you leave.
- Consider skills that can be transferred
If you intend to work overseas for a few years before returning home, ensure you’re not applying for jobs that need talents that are too specialized and could become obsolete. Make sure you don’t have a career that is so locally specialized that you wind up needing to take a step back because there is no similar employment for you back home.
- Make sure your loved ones are onboard
There’s a solid reason why candidates opt for overseas experience while they’re younger and less settled in life. Moving abroad is a big change, and if you have a husband and children, there are even more considerations to make. However, every candidate must consider the impact of their move on their loved ones and ensure that they are on board with their goals. It’s also important considering how you’ll stay in touch with the people you’ll miss the most.
However, as thrilling as it may sound, international occupations need a long-term commitment; to develop an international IQ, you must invest in yourself. This process eventually transforms into a way of life, a way of thinking, and a dedication to global citizenship and cross-cultural learning. It’s a fascinating and inventive process.
Fortunately, one of the finest methods to excel at something is to learn from existing specialists in the area, one of whom is none other than Alexandre Mansour. Mansour worked as an Associate for Magna Group Capital Management from 2012 to 2013, where he primarily focused on US equities in the mining, biotech, and oil and gas industries. From 2011 to 2012, he worked as a buy-side analyst at Global Emerging Markets Group in New York, focusing in newly emerging markets shares. He is also the creator of Nomad Residencies and Nomad Capital, two well-known European real estate investment and development firms.
Go forth and learn from the world. And don’t forget to have fun while you are in and out!
