Where are There Job Opportunities Abroad for People in Your Profession?

Countries like New Zealand, Australia and Canada have lists of professional sectors where there are skills shortages.  In these sectors they seek to recruit expatriate professionals every single year.  Visas are more like to be granted to those who have the skills and experience to fill the vacancies – but where there is a skills overload and there are few jobs available, an expat is less likely to get a visa based on their qualifications alone.

This proves that there are certain skills in demand in countries around the world, but not all nations suffer from the same skills shortages.  So, where are there job opportunities abroad at the moment for people in your specific profession?

Thanks to the producers of the Global Professionals on the Move Report, we can now plot not only where there is the potential of jobs abroad per employment sector, we can tell you where the competition is currently looking for work.  This can help you when you’re planning on starting a new life – you can see where there are perhaps more opportunities for you, and fewer people applying.  In this way you will hopefully stand the best chance of getting a job abroad.

The 2010 Hydrogen Global Professionals on the Move Report, compiled by ESCP Europe Business School, surveyed over 3,000 professionals who are living abroad in 70 different countries.  It also spoke to those who are contemplating a relocation about where they would like to go and why, and it is from this data that we have been able to see where there is perhaps most competition amongst professionals per employment sector for work abroad.

The findings were commissioned and then analysed by the Hydrogen Group, which is one of the world’s leading specialist recruitment groups; and they have been able to bring context to the statistical findings and reveal where there are perhaps more opportunities overseas in a given sector.

Where Can You Find Legal Jobs Abroad?

Of those surveyed who were professionals in the legal sector, the vast majority stated that if they were looking to relocate they would prefer to head to America for work – but the interesting thing is, jobs for internationally trained lawyers in America are few and far between.  A Hydrogen Group spokesperson commented: “there are very few opportunities there [America] for overseas lawyers because the legal system is completely different… The big markets for overseas lawyers are in Singapore, other countries in Asia, and the Middle East.”

So, if you’re a lawyer looking to advance your career with international experience, you now know where you should perhaps be concentrating your search for a placement.  Of those surveyed, the number one reason for contemplating a move overseas was finding better job opportunities, with other important factors cited including having new experiences and finding better living conditions in terms of achieving a more favourable work/life balance.

Where Can Engineers Find Jobs Abroad?

Engineers are more likely to consider Australia for a relocation – and this ties in with where there is strong demand.  According to the Hydrogen Group: “In Australia, demand for highly-skilled engineers and technical professionals is being fuelled by huge investment - £295 billion to 2018 in roads, bridges, ports, water and sewerage infrastructure, railways and electricity networks.”

However, if you’re highly skilled in this sector you needn’t be restricted by there only being a market for jobs in Australia, apparently the United Arab Emirates is still continuing expansion projects, and this leads to strong employment opportunities there.  These can also come with massive tax incentives – so may be worth a look.

The survey revealed that quality of life, living conditions and the desire for new experiences would send expatriate engineers abroad.

Where do HR Professionals Want to Work?

2009 was not a particularly positive year for HR professional positions opening up, but according to Hydrogen Group, more positivity in some regional markets is leading to increased recruitment opportunity.  The most popular choice for would-be expat HR professionals is Australia, and this year this sector has again opened to some international recruitment of mid to senior level international candidates with specialist skill sets.

However, if you’re looking for emerging pockets of opportunity and you’re an HR professional, consider countries in the Middle East and Asia, such as Singapore.  According to Hydrogen Group: “HR teams are now recruiting for senior HR professionals with a background in strategy and change, who can help ensure businesses meet their growth plans…Strong senior candidates from the UK with experience in organisational change through the downturn and the shift to upturn are in demand.”

Finding Finance Jobs Abroad

If you’re in finance and you’re looking for opportunities overseas, most of your peers seem to be looking towards the United States.  However, the fact of the matter is, such openings are very rare in America, and their immigration restrictions are so harsh that it’s an exceptionally hard market to crack.

Perhaps more than in many of the other professional sectors, when it comes to finance there is a strong ‘disconnect’ between where people would like to live abroad, and where the real opportunities are.  Again, the Middle East and Singapore are good choices to examine if you want to find finance jobs abroad – and they are also areas where you can potentially achieve strong salaries and good living standards…both reasons cited by would-be expats as reasons to relocate.

Where Can you Find IT and Technical Jobs Overseas?

By far the most popular country considered by IT and tech workers for relocation purposes is America – again.  The interesting fact for this particular sector though is that it is one of the most globally dynamic, and there are pockets of opportunity all over the world as a result.  Hydrogen Group are keen to point out that: “For technology, there is no reason why it should not be a truly global environment, and that’s what we’re seeing in terms of recruitment…I think we’ll see greater mobility for this sector continue.”

If America does not appeal to you, where else are there strong levels of opportunity? Abigail Waudby, Director of Hydrogen’s Singapore office comments: “With the Asian markets returning to growth, we are seeing a high volume of project-led roles within technology and finance, and scarcity within the local candidate population is forcing employers to cast their net wider.”

Conclusion

If you have a strong desire to work abroad in your particular professional sector it is very important that you are realistic about marrying up opportunities with your motivations for going abroad in the first place.  If you’re seeking new challenges and experiences, the chance to advance your career and perhaps also achieve better living conditions and a better work/life balance it is worth researching where there are strong levels of jobs available that you can apply for.  You need to work within a market where your skills are in demand and prized, and where you will gain as much as you can from the placement.

Utilising the services of a specialist recruitment company can help you to guide your choices based on where there are jobs abroad in your sector.