Expat Careers: Are you an Aspiring Expat Looking for a Job in Australia, New Zealand, Canada or the UK?

If you are an aspiring expat looking for job in Australia, New Zealand, Canada or the UK, there there is a website that you simply must visit - www.workingin.com.  This site is jam-packed with fantastic information to help you in all areas of your job search and move to one of these countries.

I was fortunate enough to connect with WorkingIn's Editorial Manager, Jessica Meyer, and its co-founder and CEO, Scott Mathieson, and had a chance to ask them some questions...

Can you tell us a little bit about www.workingin.com?

We are global experts on connecting employers with skilled people moving country through international recruitment expos, magazines and the web. WorkingIn.com aims to be a one-stop-shop to help skilled, aspiring and returning expats find jobs in New Zealand, Australia, Canada and elsewhere. Over 4 million people will visit the Working In sites this year.

Many of us at Working In are expatriates who have successfully set up a new life in a new country, so we have the insight and a keen interest in helping others to have easy and positive expatriate experiences. We know that finding a job, packing, moving, getting visas and settling in to a new home in a new country can be time consuming and hard to manage while juggling an existing lifestyle. So we say, “Why waste time when we've done a lot of the hard work for you?”

In addition to the workingin.com websites, Working In owns and operates the highly successful Opportunities Expos held in the UK specifically for people who want to live and work in Australia, New Zealand and Canada. Additionally, our popular expos in South Africa attract skilled migrants to New Zealand, Australia, Canada and the UK. Further expos in New Zealand help direct migrants to Australia. And we’ve just launched the Health Jobs around the World Expos to help UK & Ireland skilled health professionals find work in countries round the globe. 
 
The expos collectively draw about 100,000 qualified candidates each year, all of whom are dedicated to moving country. The expos provide the ideal opportunity for employers and service provides to meet face to face with prospective employees and customers. 
 

Our high-quality glossy Working In magazine targets people committed to moving Down Under. The magazines feature employment opportunities and employer profiles in Australia. Every single expo visitor gets a copy of the most current Working In magazine.

Who are the people behind workingin.com and what inspired them to create this site?

Working In was started by co-directors and partners Scott Mathieson and Hayley Roberts in 1998. At the time, Kiwi-born Scott was living in the UK with British Hayley. Today, the couple reside in Auckland, New Zealand, where Working In is headquartered. Working In has offices in Auckland, Sydney, London, Canada and South Africa.

Scott and Hayley were inspired to create Working In when they started looking for jobs in New Zealand and Australia from the UK. They found nothing for expats or migrants, especially on how to go about getting a job before actually making the move. They ended up moving back to New Zealand, where they started a magazine, which they took to exhibitions in the UK. The magazine was full of employers hoping to source skills from offshore. Scott and Hayley wanted to answer a need in the market, both for expats and migrants and for employers who needed more skilled people than they could find within their own countries.

The entire company has grown from that personal experience. The magazine was launched in 1998, with workingin.com launching a year later.

What type of person would benefit most from what workingin.com has to offer?

Working In if focused primarily on skilled people, whether they are aspiring  expats or people returning home after time abroad. The people who benefit most from workingin.com have skills and experience as a worker, or are qualified to migrate as an investor or business owner. The employers who advertise on our sites and attend our expos are looking for skilled people they cannot find within their own countries. Whether a person is in the dreaming stage, or already has a job offer, workingin.com can help.

How is workingin.com different from other job and employment sites out there on the web?

We are international, which is a major differentiation, as most job sites are local or national at the most, and we are supported and endorsed by the federal immigration departments in the countries in which we work. We support companies that are looking for skilled people internationally. We recognise that moving country is about much more than finding a job, and we strive to provide information and assistance on all areas of migration. We are a leader in the market, with ten years of experience that is invaluable to both our web visitors and our clients.

What are the features that every visitor should be sure to explore when visiting workingin.com?

Be sure to register with MyWorkingin and register for our monthly e-newsletters. Our e-newsletters will keep you up to date on what’s happening in your target country, with a focus on immigration and employment opportunities. Registering with Myworkingin means it’s easy to apply for any job your find on workingin.com.

WorkingIn.com is a market leading job site dedicated to helping businesses source offshore talent, primarily from the UK. On the workingin.com websites, you’ll find employer profiles so you can get to know more about the company and what positions they are looking to fill before you apply. 

If you see an employer or employment consultant that fits the bill you can log in to MyWorkingin, where you can customise you job search, store your CV, sign up for newsletters and keep track of your applications to employers.

Once you have a job and a visa you might need a hand with your move. Our website can assist you with resources for a hassle-free move including shipping, real estate, setting up bank accounts and transferring your pension.

When the decision to start your new life is made we can prepare you for the New Zealand/Australian/Canadian lifestyle with information on schools, education, transport, health and where to live. 

Working In can help you plan every stage of your new life overseas.

We’re currently in the process of re-designing and building the Working In websites to make them even more useful and enjoyable. Stay tuned for some very exciting developments this year.

Skill shortages in certain countries have made securing a work visa a little easier for foreigners with particular skill sets.  Which skill sets would you advise an aspiring expatriate to develop if they were looking to work in Australia, New Zealand, Canada or the UK?

The current economy means it is not as easy for aspiring expats to secure work as it once was. However, we are seeing that the health industry, in particular, is still experiencing major shortages in countries all around the world. In Australia, for example, where the government recently lowered the cap on foreign workers, they have left a number of professions on the Critical Skills List, including several in the health and engineering industries. Teachers can still be very successful, particularly if they’re willing to live in rural and regional areas. For engineers and IT professionals, there are still many opportunities, though job seekers may have to look a bit harder to find them.

With massive skills shortages, it became easier for people to coast by on minimal skills. In the current economy, one of the best things a potential expat can do is to develop his or her skills further.

It is not just skills shortages, however, that attract aspiring expats. Investors and business owners are well received in Australia, New Zealand and Canada. New Zealand has, in fact, announced plans to make it easier and more attractive for foreign businesses and investors to apply and move to the country, starting immediately.

And foreign students are also very welcome, many of whom stay on in their host country to live following their studies as they often qualify for higher points when their education is rated.

What sort of advice would you give for aspiring expatriates who do not have the skill sets in high demand in these countries?

Look at other avenues, wherever possible. Having skills in an in-demand area certainly makes moving to a new country easier, but it is not the only way. Look at business and investment opportunities, study opportunities, etc. And if you have family already in your target country, they may be able to sponsor you. You can also look at temporary work options, which can be easier than permanent options.

Job application materials and processes vary from country to country.  Can you share some of the differences in requirements amongst the countries that are featured on workingin.com?

On our workingin-newzealand.com and workingin-australia.com sites, we have articles on how to write a CV for these markets that have been written and provided by recruitment experts in the respective countries. It is important to tailor your CV to the style of the country to which you’re applying. For example, you would want to use British English to apply for a job in NZ or Australia, but American English to apply for a job in Canada. The key is show you are adaptable and will fit it with minimal difficulty. And regardless about where you’re hoping to move, it is important not to generalise. Make sure that you tailor your experience, skills and goals to the job on offer.

What other advice do you have for aspiring or current expats looking to find a job in these countries?

Working In expanded to include the Opportunities Expos in 2002 & the Health Jobs around the World Expos launch this year. The expos provide vital information to aspiring and returning expats on jobs, visas, shipping, transferring funds, etc, all in a live, face-to-face environment. They are an invaluable resource and the perfect compliment to the Working In websites. The more informed an aspiring or current expat is, the better they’ll be able to manage the situations that come their way.

We’re proud to say that New Zealand, Australia and Canada rank as top destinations for expats year on year – there is a lot to love about these countries & they’re very welcoming of expats.

We encourage those interested in working in Australia, New Zealand, and Canda to visit our websites:

http://www.workingin.com/
http://www.workingin-australia.com/
http://www.workingin-newzealand.com/
http://www.workingin-canada.com/
http://www.expo-newzealand.com/
http://www.expo-australia.com/
http://www.expo-canada.com/
http://www.expo-health.com/ (website live by April 1)

Many thanks to Jessica and Scott for taking the time to share all of this information with us. Please keep us posted on new developments!

YOUR EXPAT SUCCESS TIP: If you are an aspiring expat looking for job in Australia, New Zealand, Canada or the UK, visit www.workingin.com or one of the other sites mentioned above to find information and resources to help you on your search.