Getting that First Job Overseas
Posted by Marc Shiman on June 6, 2008
I like to help out people who are trying to figure out what their career is going to look like; especially those people who, like me, are entranced by the size and depth of our world and all of the different cultures and places to see.
Often, the question I get is about getting started. As someone who hires people for overseas projects, one of the key factors I look for is a proven ability to live and work in a foreign country. Having spent your summers in Greece doesn’t count; I need someone that has struggled on a daily basis to work across cultures and deal with all the bad things that come your way living overseas.
This, of course, begs the question – how does one get that experience if nobody will hire them? One way was, is, and probably will be into the future the Peace Corps. I was a volunteer in 1991 in Botswana and it was a fantastic experience.
There are a lot of reasons not to become a volunteer. What other ways are there? My advice, and its scary advice, is to pick a country, get on a plane, find an apartment and look for a job. Easier nowadays in the age of the internet, but still an expensive proposition with considerable risk.
My idea: A website matching recent graduates willing to pay their own way overseas with needy organization capable of paying local wages but not much more.
