If you’re thinking of moving abroad to live and work, one of the most important considerations will be finding a job – so how do other professionals do it? We review a survey of global professionals abroad to find out.
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Mon, May 24, 2010 - 12:50 pm EET
The 2010 Hydrogen Global Professionals on the Move Report compiled by ESCP Europe Business School is an invaluable resource when looking at the trends relating to professionals who live and work overseas. The report has surveyed over 3,000 professionals who are living abroad in 70 different countries, and if you spend time analysing the results you can begin to learn what motivates people to work overseas.
Over the next couple of days we’re going to be bringing you the pithy highlights of this report from ESCP Europe business school, and putting them into context for you if you’re a professional currently considering a relocation overseas. However, perhaps one of the most pressing questions you would like to have answered is ‘how do professionals find work abroad?’
Is it a case that those who relocate overseas already have a job to go to, or do they choose a country and then move there before looking for employment in-country? The 3,000+ professionals surveyed for The 2010 Hydrogen Global Professionals on the Move Report have given their answers and if you want to know the most popular routes for finding work abroad, read on.
Over a quarter (28%) of the professionals surveyed who are already living and working overseas found their job through a recruitment company – which just goes to show how invaluable recruitment consultants are in placing employees in all professions and in all countries. The use of the Internet has made it very easy to find recruitment companies, both in your profession and those which specialise in international placements, and it even makes it possible for people to find recruitment companies locally in the country where they want to move to.
16% responded to an advertisement posted online – and if you add the 28% and the 16% you can quickly see how almost half of all those already living and working overseas really made the most of the Internet to find their placement abroad.
The next most popular route for finding work abroad is actually responding to a press advertisement – which suggests that this percentage of people were in-country before finding work – or else they subscribe to professional journals applicable to their line of work. 11% heard about their position through a colleague or a friend, another 11% were headhunted by a recruitment company and another 11% were headhunted directly by their now current employer.
Only a tiny 7% were moved abroad by their current employer – (which leaves 2% unaccounted for under the ‘other’ category!) It’s very interesting to note that such a small percentage of professionals were relocated by their employer – this used to be one of the most popular reasons behind expatriates having moved overseas. Now it seems that people are doing it for themselves if they want to move abroad, and finding their jobs for themselves.
If you’re actively thinking about relocation, it is highly likely therefore that you will need to get proactive when it comes to finding a job, but the good news is, recruitment companies can make a real difference. If your experience of finding work overseas is very different from what we’ve analysed above and you would like to share your story with other readers to inspire them, do get in touch and we may well feature your story on Shelter Offshore.
