Employment in the eurozone may have hit a 12-year high of 10.1% in October, but there are still countries in the world recruiting skilled workers. If you’re affected by the relatively high unemployment rate in the UK, you’re worried about job security or you just want to get out and away from the state of the nation, today we’re going to reveal the main countries abroad where there are skills shortages.
If you want to work abroad it makes sense to head for a destination where there is strong employment in your chosen sector, after all, there is no longer such a thing as a job for life, so ideally when seeking jobs abroad you need to know that there is choice and that you have more than one option available.
Whilst there is no part of the world left untouched by the knock on effects of this global economic flu, some places are still managing to expand and develop. It’s in countries like these that you will find the potential for employment. We examine where there is work overseas, and how best to apply for jobs abroad.
How to Find Work Abroad
There are many options open to the would-be working expatriate who wants to find a position overseas. Firstly, you should do your country research to determine where in the world there are jobs, and where you would like to live.
Secondly you need to look into whether you need a visa to go and work in the country in question. Thirdly you then need to actively canvass for a job. You can do this in a number of ways…
For example, you can target a given company in a given country and apply for any jobs they are advertising directly, alternatively you can speculatively send in your CV and a covering letter asking for employment. Note: competition is likely to be very stiff if you take the latter approach, therefore your CV and letter really need to stand out.
Your alternatives include looking at international recruitment companies’ job listings, or looking at the recruitment companies that specialise in your particular employment sector, and seeing if they have any jobs abroad.
You can do online research if the country you’re moving to has its media online – such as national newspapers for example. You can look in the classifieds sections for any jobs advertised. Another way is to join expat forums and begin networking with those already in your nation of choice, or already working abroad in the field you would like to be employed in.
Finally, the other options that some expats take is to travel to the country they eventually want to find work in, and try and find work from local recruiters or employers – the thinking being that it is far easier to get a job when you’re in the ‘right place.’ It can certainly make attending interviews easier!
How to Ensure You Stand Out from the Job Seeking Crowd
You need to ensure you present a very well written CV and covering letter whenever you apply for a job. If your natural talent is not in writing about yourself, employ the services of a professional CV writer. Unless otherwise stated, the international business language is English, and this is the language you should therefore have your professional CV written in. If needs be, have your CV professionally translated depending on the requirements of the recruiter/employer in the country you’re actively pursuing work in.
Ensure that the first couple of lines of your letter and your CV are eye catching – as this could be as far as your application is read otherwise! And if you think it will work in your favour, an increasing number of people are including a photograph with applications.
When you attend an interview be very smartly and formally dressed – even if you believe the work environment allows casual dress. First impressions count – and if you don’t dress and groom well, you will be effectively communicating the fact that you don’t take this job seriously, you don’t care about how others perceive you, and that you are probably not the right candidate for the job.
Maintain eye contact with your interviewer – unless local business cultural ‘rules’ dictate otherwise! A relatively firm handshake is far better than a weak and soggy one! Be polite, on time, well read about the company and the position you’re applying for, friendly, flexible and enthusiastic.
If you don’t know the answer to a question at interview, it is always best not to lie! You can use it as an opportunity to state that if in your working life you are faced with an issue you don’t know how to handle, or a question you don’t know how to answer, the one core skill you have is that you are not afraid to ask, and you always make sure you have a good team around you to support you and from whom you can source key knowledge if needs be!
Finally – Where Are All the Jobs Abroad?
Apparently countries like Canada, Germany and even Panama are facing skills shortages, and each is actively targeting skilled workers from overseas to come and fill the gaps.
In Germany, which is currently in a strong exporting position thanks to the Chinese love of German engineered products, there are jobs in IT and engineering. In Canada, whose banks didn’t over lend to the sub prime market and whose citizens did not borrow beyond their means, there are jobs for the likes of technicians, skilled tradespersons, managers and professionals right across the country.
According to expatforum.com, in Panama: “Some 34 major infrastructure projects are getting underway and are creating 34,000 direct jobs, according to government officials. Initially they are looking for skilled workers in the construction industry.”
There are also skills gaps in Australia’s public service IT department, and even Japan is being encouraged to ease immigration restrictions to allow more skilled workers in to the country. And finally, the Centre for Development and Enterprise, which informs South African policy, states that there is a very evident skills shortage locally which is affecting South Africa’s economic growth.
In Conclusion
Clearly there are still jobs out there, and if you’re keen to travel, live abroad and see more of the world, there is no reason why you can’t find employment overseas. Just ensure you’re heading to a country where there are broad opportunities, and where you can definitely get a visa to live and work.