Positioning Yourself as an Expert Opens up Opportunities Abroad

More people than ever are looking to work abroad. Official statistics show that people leaving the UK to work abroad has increased 30% in the last decade and 1 in 10 British citizens are living overseas. Researchers at the World Bank have shared that people from Burundi to Indonesia are being more vocal about their strong desire to work in another country. You will find this trend in countries across the globe.

Reports indicate that the key motivator for moving abroad is the desire for an improved lifestyle. Some people are looking to “work to live” versus “living to work”. (My husband and I now live in Italy for that very reason.) Others are looking for a better quality of life because of lack of job opportunities in their home countries. Although every country comes with its own challenges, people are ready to leave the long commute and the daily grind of life in big city behind for something different. They are ready to leave home for the multitude of opportunities abroad.

Due to changes in the economy and globalization, jobs are moving abroad too. Forrester Research predicts that by 2015, 3.3 million US high-tech and service-industry jobs will be overseas. That's 2 percent of the entire workforce. Both companies and professionals must now think globally when it comes to recruitment and employment.

Given this trend, and the increased demand for professionals with great skills and experience, companies are no longer as concerned about nationality when recruiting for new positions.

What does this mean for the professional looking to work abroad? It means that a commitment to developing key skill sets will better position you for jobs. With more universities developing professionally focused courses and an increasing number of distance learning programs, there are many opportunities to further develop a skill set or learn a new one.  Do the research to find out which skill sets are in demand in your country of choice.

Positioning yourself as an expert in a skill set in high demand will be a key part of your international career development plan. Personal branding is excellent tool to help you clarify and communicate your unique set of skills and experience. It can also help ensure your career marketing materials reflect your unique promise of value. Without a clear and compelling message as to why you meet the needs of an employer, it will be more difficult for you to stand out amongst your peers.

Understanding your unique value and communicating that value in a compelling fashion to the right audience are some of the first steps you can take to create a fulfilling life and career in another country.

Interested in working abroad? What key skill sets are in demand in the country where you would like to live? How can you communicate your unique value to position yourself as the candidate of choice to the right employer or clients?