The prospect of working abroad is something many people aspire to. Graduates and the millennial generation, in particular, are very keen on the idea. 92% said they’d like to work internationally at some point in their career, but why?
While many individuals seek out international employment to satisfy a building sense of wanderlust, it is often the potential benefits to career prospects that really lures people overseas. Gaining employment on the global stage has advantages for career development that surpass many of the benefits of domestic work; advantages we intend to explore in this article.
Whether you are tempted by the idea of moving abroad to work, or have never considered the notion before, discover why international work assignments are a valuable career booster that everyone should think about pursuing:
Demonstrate Adaptability
Employers like to see adaptability; they like to see candidates that can demonstrate a capacity to develop with their surroundings and change the way they work, based on their environment.
There is no more extreme level of adaptability in the world of employment than having to work within a foreign country with different cultures, customs and even language. If you are able to move abroad, work in such an environment and do so successfully, you can return home offering a demonstrable skill that very few other applicants will have.
Gain Experience in Competitive Industries
Competitive job markets is a relative term.
It all depends on domestic demand. For example, in the UK, there is a shortage of qualified engineers, yet in India, the market is packed with them. Likewise, architecture in Britain is considered a job market suffering from a skills shortage, but in Italy, it is one of the most popular professions.
The industry you are trying to gain employment in may be near impossible to land work for in your home nation, but elsewhere in the world, it is likely your skills are in high demand. Looking overseas means you have access to a greater pool of jobs, making it easier to land the role you believe will help grow your career.
Climb the Career Ladder Faster
Further to the point above, while your skills may not be seen as unique or valuable at home, overseas, they can carry a lot more weight.
Consider the example of an IT technician in the UK. Even if you’re highly-qualified with a university degree, finding a job in this very competitive market may prove tough, as you face off against thousands of other applicants with the exact same set of skills and qualifications.
Yet, if you move your reach to international work, that all changes.
Once, where you were one of many fish in a big pond, you suddenly start to stand out. Against a backdrop of other applicants, an English-speaking British national with a degree from the well-regarded UK educational system, your CV has a uniquely definable edge that will prove intriguing to employers.
This edge means you’ll be able to access jobs you wouldn’t have been able to previously, as your skills are seen as much more valuable. The result is that you’ll not only be able to gain employment in competitive industries, but move up quicker while within them.
Once you get into a highly competitive career, you then have an army of people all vying for the same upper-level jobs. However, if you take your skills to a place where it is not only less competitive, but you stand out and offer more, you’ll be able to ascend the ladder much faster than at home.
Upon returning, you then have greater experience than those who spent the same amount of time working in the industry domestically, allowing you to apply for better jobs earlier in your career.
Develop a Global Contact Network
We all know the tired old saying: it’s not what you know, but who you know.
While it may be a cliche, it is still an invaluable piece of advice that those building their career would do well to take notice of. Connections and networks are one of the most powerful weapons in the arsenal of a person fighting for a top job. Knowing more people helps you acquire work, trade links, clients and more.
Domestically, networks are essential, but imagine creating a network of contacts on a global scale? Building relationships in multiple nations opens you up to a new level of benefits and opportunities for employment. It also injects value into your CV. Employers will see said value in your networks and may offer positions in order to gain access to your personal resources.
Acquire Foreign Market Insights
Corporate relocation is on the rise.
Two out of every three brands are investing in some kind of international moving project. They are drawn by one thing: the economic benefits of developing trade in foreign markets. In our interconnected, digital age, businesses are finding it easier than ever to sell their goods and services abroad. International trade is big business.
Working overseas means that you’ll become aware of working practices, customs and domestic markets. In a world where foreign trade is growing ever more important, having these skills is seen as highly desirable.
If you worked for three years in China, for example, and a corporation is looking to expand trade channels to China, your market insight and expertise is going to be invaluable to them, placing your candidacy for a job in very high regard.
