Finding work as an expat overseas

Retirees and trust-fund babies exempt, everyday expats are going to need jobs in order to pay the bills.

These days, emigration is the buzzword for many millennials, with the trend certain to keep growing over the next decade and more.

The worldwide rise of the tech sector has resulted in the creation of literally thousands of jobs worldwide, and the need for foreigners to speak the English language has generated an equally high number of teaching jobs in many world countries. At the same time, the number of corporate reassignments has vastly increased as corporations realise the need for overseas offices.

The easiest and most trouble-free way to get a job overseas is to be transferred to an exotic location by your current employer. It takes care of the hassle of visas, logistics, accommodations and schooling costs if you’re moving overseas with your family, and also assures a decent salary with perks to help you get adjusted. Some 80 per cent of multinationals are now relocating professional employees overseas, often to countries where the good life is an experience not to be missed.

For many professionals at present in between jobs, becoming an expat is a temptation not to be resisted, although finding a new position in the chosen location can be frustrating at first and heart-breaking if your efforts prove futile. Dream jobs are out there, with the internet the best way to find a good selection from start-up levels through NGOs to positions requiring experience and qualifications. If teaching English or working in other teaching sectors is your goal, there’s a choice of international school job ads in just about every country in the civilised world as well as a few in countries you've probably never heard of.

If the do-it-yourself option for finding a job doesn’t appeal, contacting a recruitment firm specialising in your employment sector is for you. If you’ve a specialist qualification, loads of experience and are free to move anywhere on the planet, this is the hassle-free way forward. Tech and engineering are hot nowadays in countries as diverse as China, the Netherlands, India and even New Zealand, and it’s possible to get permanent residency should you decide you want to stay long-term.

Temporary jobs suit digital and other nomads, and can be done legally via a specific visa in many locations, although hours may be capped in order to provide enough jobs for locals as well as incomers. Securing a visa first is essential, as working without one can result in deportation or worse, especially in Southeast Asian countries. If all else fails and you’re a fluent English speaker, teaching is a good way to get experience of your chosen country, and may just lead to a permanent position.

If you don’t want to commit to one particular school, getting a TEFL (teaching English as a foreign language) qualification gives you access to local language training companies. TEFL courses cost a few hundred dollars and last for around six weeks, but you should make sure the company is properly registered and grants genuine certificates. For qualified, experiences teachers, positions within international schools catering for expat children offer security and good salaries.