Expat & International Careers: Things Every Expat Job Seeker Should Think About in 2011

I am a member of the Career Collective - a group of career professionals who blog monthly on a designated topic for careerists and job seekers. Today’s topic is "Things For Job Seekers To Think About in 2011". Our hashtag on Twitter: #careercollective.

With the ever-changing employment and economic climates worldwide, it is important that job seekers stay current about what is going on in their target country, target markets and target organizations. 

With the Internet the flow of information between people and across borders is so rapid that we must also be able to react and respond quickly when opportunities present themselves.

In order to stay informed and promptly react in the global marketplace in 2011, every job seeker must also understand and have a handle on these critical elements of a successful job search:

• Understanding and Communicating Your Unique Value - It is no longer enough to say what you can do and what results you have created. If you want to be taken seriously and not overlooked in a sea of qualified candidates you must convey the value you can bring to an employer in a form and language with which they can relate.
• Branded Career Marketing Materials - One of the critical ways of communicating your value is through cover letters, resumes, CVs, leadership addendums and other career collateral on and offline that effectively conveys your compelling, differentiating assets and competitive edge in an efficient, powerful AND culturally relevant way.
• Social media - It is critical in developing your network authentically and strategically, accessing job opportunities and "getting found" by those who need what you offer most.
• Your Online Reputation - Many employers will consider what is said about you online almost as important as what your resume or CV communicates. Care must taken to insure you are not unknowingly hurting your chances for the perfect job because of 'digital dirt'.

• Online and Offline Networking - As an expat online networking is essential to building your global network and extending your reach into non-local networks and markets. However whenever possible, taking relationships offline is also a critical to cementing and strengthening relationships in many cultures. Sometimes steps must be taken to create those opportunities, but the time and effort invested can be the critical piece of the puzzle for being selected for certain job opportunities.
• Cultural Differences - There is no one size fits all in any part of the job search when it comes to looking for a job in a new country. Do your homework and find out how culture will affect your job search if you want to secure a new position in your country of choice.
• Career Management - In today's marketplace with assignments becoming shorter and shorter, every expat professional is a job seeker - even if you have just taken on a new job. Keeping your eye on and working towards that next opportunity means that your career must be managed on a regular basis - not just tended to when you want to make a change or if you were unfortunate enough to lose your job. 

EXPAT CAREER SUCCESS TIP:  If you are a job seeker and any of the seven items above is unfamiliar to you, then it is important that you carve out time to educate yourself about these issues critical to the success of your job search. Without understanding these things you are putting yourself at a disadvantage in the very competitive and crowded global marketplace. 

Given it is the start of a new year, I also invite you to read this blog post:  Are Your New Year's Resolutions Supporting or Preventing You from a Successful Life Abroad? 

 

CAREER COLLECTIVE POSTS 

Here are some of the other Career Collective members' posts regarding things job seekers should be thinking about in 2011: 

• Social Media Recruiting to Grow Further in 2011, @debrawheatman
• Another Year, Another Job Search Begins, @GayleHoward
• In 2011, Increase Your Prospects With Better Differentiation, @WalterAkana
• 4 Lessons Learned From Job Search in 2010, @Careersherpa
• Your Career Action Plan for the New Year, @KatCareerGal
• Trends Job Seekers Should Look For in 2011, @erinkennedycprw
• Let your presence be known or send out a red flag, @MartinBuckland @EliteResumes
• How to find a job in 2011: Pay attention to emotional intelligence, @Keppie_Careers
• 2011 Employment Trends Supercharged with Twitter, @KCCareerCoach
• 3 Traits for Facing Weather, Employment and Chronic Illness, @WorkWithIllness
• Everything old is new again @DawnBugni
• Career Trend 2011: Accountability + Possibility = Sustainability, @ValueIntoWords
• Career Tools to Check Out in 2011, @barbarasafani
• What Was in 2010, What To Expect in 2011, @chandlee
• The Future of Job Search: 3 Predictions and 2 Wishes, @JobHuntOrg

 

Comments

[Gayle Howard]

Excellent post and very true. I've often had people say to me "Do you write international resumes?" as if there is a resume for the United States and then the rest are "international". You're so right -- documents change from country to country, from state to state. People even say "I want a resume for Europe" not understanding that there are 50 countries (27 in the European Union) in Europe. So being aware of the local customs is mandatory in a successful job hunt.

There are also different situations as you mentioned - economic for one. For instance in Australia, the unemployment is only 5.2%. Half of the US. Consequently the way one would search for a job in the United States is not going to be the same as a search in Australia.

A really helpful article again! Congrats!

[Jacqui Barrett-Poindexter, Executive Resume Strategist]

Megan,

What a crisp post that shines a light on 7 critical elements of a successful job search. Interestingly, all 7 could be applied to both expat and non-expat job seekers, particularly with so many global opportunities available.

Though #6 (Cultural Differences) applies most directly to expats, for any executive who strives to fit into a culturally diverse company that has reach into multi-continents, being sensitive and educated on cultural nuances is vital.

I particularly like this line: "If you are a job seeker and any of the seven items above is unfamiliar to you, then it is important that you carve out time to educate yourself about these issues critical to the success of your job search." So true! You have provided job seekers a check list of items to either learn about, improve upon and / or practice (if they are already familiar) to ensure healthy career management!

It's so nice to have an Expat Coach on the Career Collective 'team!' Thanks!

Jacqui

[Megan Fitzgerald]

@Gayle - Thanks for your thoughts. It is indeed true that there is not one size that fits all in the world of resumes and CVs. It's also true that there are countries right now that have skill shortages and very low employment rates like Australia. By broadening their views about where they want to live, people can open up a whole new world of job possibilities.

@Jacqui - Thanks for the feedback. It is true that in today's globalized world there are many similar challenges between what a job seeker looking for domestic and international opportunities face. The online reputation and network piece of the puzzle has always been critical for expats but it is now becoming just as critical to those who have easy access to their network locally. And with companies becoming more culturally diverse, every executive, regardless of location, must have some modicum of cultural intelligence. The crossroads of culture and work is an interesting place which never stops providing us new ways of looking at ourselves, how we work and the job search in particular.

I feel honored to be able to contribute to the body of knowledge being put forth by the Career Collective!

Best to both of you in the new year!
Megan