How Blogging Can Support Your International Job Search

Many global professionals and executives or those aspiring to work abroad would describe themselves as busy. Especially those that are very career oriented. Some would say too busy to do something like work on their online reputation or start and maintain a blog.

They share that they believe speaking with recruiters and asking their network if they can keep an eye out for, or know of, roles that might work for them is essentially what they need to land their next job abroad.

But as I tell my clients, not having time or not believing that you can do something does not change the reality of today's digital and globalized marketplace. The rules have changed. A strong online reputation is critical to optimizing your chances of landing work - and remain working - overseas. Especially given the competition they face for top jobs globally.

I've been blogging and writing about its merits since 2006, and I can say that over the course of the last 6 years I've witnessed an ever increasing impact that blogging has had on people's careers and businesses.

Blogs are a powerful tool in your international job search

Blogs are one of the most powerful tools for building your online reputation to support your international job search. I believe many people are wary of building a blog because they are not clear on how exactly blogging can help them.

For this reason I'm sharing some of the primary reasons why building a branded blog can support your international job search:

• Getting found online to be considered for more job opportunities

With the global war for talent on, people are competing with others across the globe for top jobs – competition is fierce and it is easy to get lost in the global talent pool. Since up to 90% of recruiters and employers reported online search as their primary strategy for finding talent in 2012, how often you show up in search results determines in part how often you’ll be considered for potential job opportunities.

Since by definition you are not co-located with your target employers in an international job search, getting found online by the organisations for which you'd like to work is critical. A regularly updated blog will help improve search results and chances of getting found by providing relevant, keyworded content for the search engines to index.

• Building a brand online to position yourself as the perfect solution to a target's challenges

It’s not just enough to get found online. You need to attract and keep the target audience’s attention to insure that they understand how you are the perfect solution to their greatest challenges. A relevant and compelling brand message communicated to the right people at the right time in the right way will maximize the chances of, and speed of having, a hiring conversation - and closing the deal.

A blog is the most effective way of clearly, consistently and constantly sending a powerful and differentiating message of value with global reach.

• Building an online reputation that serves as a powerful credential and reference check

It’s reported that up to 85% of recruiters and hiring managers use the information they find online in candidate selection, evaluation and hiring decisions. Hence your online reputation is part of your application for many jobs, a credential and a reference check.

A well-kept, branded blog will help build a strong online reputation, reinforce a strong , global and unique value proposition, feature a branded bio, credentials, results and/or endorsements to support your candidacy for your target jobs and organizations.

• Building a network that serves as advocates and provides access to more opportunities

All professionals and executives in all phases of their career need a network to advance and succeed. People in your network are potential advocates and doors to unadvertised job opportunities. Since many jobs are landed through referrals, and on average 75% of jobs are not advertised, lack of a strong network can have a massive impact on your international job search. Particularly when you don't have the luxury of networking in-person in the employer's community to make local contacts.

Blogs provide a meeting place for your community and/or your network. Blog comments allow for people to share opinions and create places for thought exchange. Blogs also provide a means for capturing the contact details of your community and/or network via an email marketing program so you can hold ongoing conversations with them via a newsletter or just blog updates. And a RSS feed feature can send your new content directly to their feedreader.

• Achieve Thought Leader or Expert Status

I define a thought leader or expert as a person who has an informed, differentiated and respected voice providing clear value to a discussion on a specific topic. A blog provides a platform where such a differentiated voice can evolve from being part of the conversation to being an authority in their space.

Thought leader or expert status serves many purposes in your international job search. It increases credibility, chances of reaching your target audience wherever they are in the world, and your appeal to them as a potential employee or team member. It accelerates the trust building necessary to being invited to have hiring conversations and landing a job abroad. The status also helps a person negotiate a salary and relocation package from a place of power and hence earn more and secure more support to build a successful life and career overseas.

Ongoing International Career Management

As the average tenure of an executive is 2 to 4 years, ongoing career management is no longer optional. We are all job seekers - the difference is just whether or not we are an active or passive seeker. Hence all of the ways a blog supports an international job search outlined above also applies to ongoing career management.

EXPAT AND INTERNATIONAL CAREER SUCCESS TIP: If you are considering starting an international job search - or you are working abroad and would like to remain overeas once your assignment is completed - consider starting a blog. Reflect on the reasons why starting a branded blog may help you reach or accelerate your international career goals. Ask yourself if there is something else that would give you more ROI on your investment of time and energy and set you up for long term international career success. If you can't think of anything, you know what to do next!

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~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Megan Fitzgerald and Career by Choice can help you...explore international career options and find work abroad ~ understand your Personal Brand DNA® and how you perform at your best ~ clarify your personal brand so you can stand out and be sought after for top jobs overseas ~ develop marketing tools and strategies to communicate your unique expertise in a compelling way ~ strengthen your online reputation to attract employers and secure international jobs ~ become highly visible, recognized and well compensated for the value you create ~ overcome challenges and grow as a leader on international assignments ~ leverage social media to build your global online network ~ develop a global mindset ~ find an international career coach and experienced guide ~ conduct an international job search ~ optimize your choices and discover success abroad on your terms by being your best self. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~