Your Dream Job Abroad Awaits: Essential Tips & How-To Guide

6 min read. Updated on August 13, 2024

Marsha Hebert (TR)

Use this how-to guide to lay the groundwork to land a job abroad!

If you have a desire to work abroad, you might think it's a faraway dream that's impossible to make happen. The reality is, it is possible to land a job abroad, though it does take some significant consideration, preparation, a strong drive to follow through, patience, and a little bit of luck. Fortunately, your luck begins today with this detailed how-to guide filled with tips and insights on how to get a job abroad.

How to get a job abroad: Essential steps

As much as we'd like to think the opposite is true, landing a job abroad isn't going to happen without doing the work to make it happen. Similar to landing a domestic job, you'll have to put in the time and effort to locate and apply for jobs abroad.

Some of the steps are identical when it comes to looking for a domestic job vs. an international job, like searching, applying, and tailoring your resume. However, finding an international job comes with some additional steps and preparation.

Here are some of the essential steps to getting a job abroad:

Evaluate and reevaluate your situation
Research where you'd like to work
Identify opportunities
Update your marketing materials
Apply for jobs
Prepare for the move

We dive deeper into each of these steps in the following sections. Note that some of these steps can and should occur simultaneously.

How to get a job abroad: Evaluate and reevaluate your situation

The first consideration for landing a job abroad is honestly evaluating your current situation. Ask yourself questions like:

How badly do you want to work overseas?
Do you need to keep your current job and wait until you land an international job before you jump ship?
Are you able to relocate to a new country prior to landing a job, and if so, how much financial freedom do you have until you must land a job in the new country?
What type of cultures do you think you'd fit well in? Not so well?
Are you willing to consider internships, part-time, and seasonal jobs abroad?
How flexible can you be in terms of timing and the type of job you're seeking?

It's vital to make this type of honest assessment so you can get very clear on where you're currently at and what you need to get to where you'd like to go, including how long you're able and willing to wait to land your dream job abroad. Another critical aspect of doing such an evaluation at the beginning of your job search is being able to continue to review it and adjust your strategy accordingly as you move through the various steps of how to land a job abroad.

How to get a job abroad: Research where you'd like to work

When considering how to get a job abroad, it's helpful to focus your job search. To do so, start by first identifying a few countries or cities around the world where you'd like to work.

You might already have one or two countries in mind, which is great. Still, you want to research these areas to be sure that you want to work there. The last thing you want to happen is to land a job abroad only to realize that you don't jive with the culture, your communication style is proving to be challenging with the new company, or you really don't like the climate of the area.

As you come up with your list of countries of where you'd like to work, consider the following factors:

The culture. A country's culture can indicate what work environments are like within those countries. That said, cultures within industries and specific companies can also vary greatly within the same country. That's why it's vital you take the time to understand the culture of the country, industry, and companies you're interested in. For example, if you're a direct communicator, you might struggle or need to adjust in a Middle Eastern country where direct communication isn't necessarily acceptable or might even be frowned upon.
The language. If you don't speak the language in your dream country, it'll be one of the biggest hurdles you face working in that country. It's often best to choose a country that already speaks languages you're currently or can quickly become fluent in.
Ease of access. Some countries are more open to hiring international workers than other countries. Additionally, some countries are more open to certain cultures than they are to others. The goal of your research is to be clear on what challenges you might face in a particular country. That way, assuming you still have a strong desire to work in a country that has more hurdles to overcome compared to another, you'll at least be clear on what those hurdles are so you can hopefully take steps to overcome them.
Visa requirements. Work visa requirements impact your ease of access into a country. In some countries, like the U.S., it can take months to get a work visa. Research and understand the work visa requirements for a company, so you can plan accordingly and get started on the process as soon as reasonably possible. Due to how their immigration systems work, Canada, New Zealand, Australia, Germany, and Singapore are considered to be some of the more accessible countries in which to land a work visa.
Work authorization sponsorship. When you're considering an organization, you want to check their job posting to see if they're willing to sponsor foreign workers. This can be a significant driver in whether you'll be able to work for that company or not.
Informational interviews. An excellent way to learn about a country or company within that country is to schedule informational interviews to gather the above types of information with individuals who live and work there.

How to get a job abroad: Identify opportunities

Now that you have an idea of the locations around the world where you'd like to work, it's time to start your international job search. Fortunately, you have several options to find international jobs, including job boards, networking, and even rethinking your career path.

International job boards. Find online jobs worldwide by checking out job boards dedicated to international employment. Search using the country, industry, or job type you're interested in. Some options include:
International Jobs
Go Overseas
GoAbroad
Expat
OverseasJobs.com
General job boards. You can also find plenty of international jobs on popular job board sites like Indeed and LinkedIn. One option on these job boards is to search for U.S. companies with global offices. You might be able to land a U.S.-based job with an organization that allows you to be transferred to another country later.
Remote job boards. There are several remote job boards available for working nomads. These boards can be great resources for landing a job abroad. Examples include:
Working Nomads
Dribble
International recruiters. Another option to help you land a job overseas is to work with an international recruiter. As the name implies, these recruiters focus on placing the candidates they work with in jobs abroad.

Pro tip: To get the most out of job boards, be sure to create a full profile and sign up for job alerts.

Reach out to your network. Consider reaching out to your current network, especially those you know with ties to the countries or companies you're interested in. Let people know what you're seeking and ask them to please keep you in mind if anything opens up or comes to mind that you might be a fit for. Be sure your LinkedIn profile is up-to-date throughout your international job search process.
Build a network in the destination country. In addition to reaching out to your current network, it can be helpful to begin building a network in your destination country by using means like social media.
Join groups and professional organizations online. Research groups on social and online networks, like LinkedIn or MeetUp.com, that align with your interest in working abroad, and consider joining them. This is a great way to network, with the potential of identifying opportunities to work abroad.
Consider going back to school abroad. Though it might not have been your first consideration, studying abroad can be another way to land a job internationally. Plus, if you do an online search with the keyword “study abroad scholarships,” you'll find several scholarship and program options to help significantly reduce or zero out the cost of attending college in another country. Being in a particular country as a student could help you identify opportunities to work there after graduating. Plus, you'd already have a network of people to connect with to help.
Rethink your career path. When wondering how to get a job abroad, many are focused on their current career path or field, which is understandable. However, as you continue your search for jobs abroad, you'll likely find that certain types of jobs are more readily available or easier to secure overseas.

For example, jobs in the hospitality industry tend to be great options for those seeking to work in another country. These types of jobs often even come with the opportunity to continue transitioning to new countries with the same employer.

English teaching positions are also common in many countries that are hiring for positions to teach English as a foreign language (TEFL). It's relatively common for individuals to fulfill their dreams of working abroad by obtaining a TEFL certification. All this to say, depending on how badly you want to work overseas, it might be worth rethinking your career path if you're finding it difficult to land a job in your current field.

How to get a job abroad: Prepare your marketing materials

Once you've identified job opportunities to apply to, be sure to research applications and resume or CV standards for that country before hitting the “submit” button.

Resume vs. CV

Resume practices can vary greatly between countries. In some countries, like the U.S., resumes are more common, whereas in European countries, a curriculum vitae (CV) is more common.

Resumes and CVs are often very similar in nature in some countries. Sometimes, however, where resumes only include a summary of your career history, a CV is expected to include your extensive work history. To make it even more confusing, some countries also require more information on a resume than what is standard in the U.S.

All that to say, you must do your homework and submit the correct type of marketing materials for the job you're applying to. You want to ensure you're referring to the document required appropriately (e.g., resume vs. CV) and including the right information based on standard practices for that country.

Also, be sure the materials are tailored to the position and closely adhere to any specific request within each job posting. If a cover letter is required, for example, be sure to submit a tailored cover letter with your application. If a CV is requested, convert your resume to a CV.

How Do I Convert a Resume to a CV Format?

Preparing for the interview

Once you land an interview, you'll undoubtedly jump up and down excitedly. Once the excitement wears off a bit, you'll want to redirect your attention to preparing for your anticipated interview.

When you're researching the culture of countries and organizations, it's crucial to consider this in the context of your interview preparation. For instance, you're encouraged to make eye contact during interviews in the U.S. However, this is considered impolite or inappropriate in some cultures, so you would need to practice interviewing without making eye contact if you're seeking a job in that type of culture. Engaging an interview coach familiar with the customs of the region can be a valuable resource to help you prepare for an international job interview.

It is possible to work abroad!

It will take commitment to land a job abroad. Still, it's totally doable if you're dedicated and willing to put in the time and effort. Use the tips above on how to get a job abroad to make your dream a reality.