Getting a job abroad: strategies for “making it”

A cikk írója: katie fcloseAuthor: katie f Name: Katie Farrell
Email: kfar53@gmail.com
Site: http://kfar.blogspot.com
About: Katie is currently an expat living in Budapest. She comes originally amongst the vineyards of Niagara in Canada but has found herself feeling at home in several other places around the world too. With a degree in Cultural Studies from Trent University, Katie is constantly digesting/criticizing/de-constructing the world around her. If she could eat one food for the rest of her life it would be avocados.See Authors Posts (3)

You know very well what it’s like to get a job in your own country. Depending where you’re from and what industries you work in you know it can be quite difficult to land the perfect day job. Many people rely solely on connections and networking, which is easier at home than across the world when you’re searching for a fish in an entirely different ocean, and a fish that speaks a foreign language. “Making it” abroad take a lot of effort, time but most of all it takes:

Determination.

You can spend a lifetime though planning, pondering, wishing and hoping but there comes a point when you just have to do it. There are actually endless opportunities for finding foreign language jobs in Budapest and in other major cities in Hungary. If you’re a native English speaker, you’ve got the edge and a good chance at landing a job.

There is some definite risk in moving abroad, with no job and no contacts. But in a way it’s a win/win situation, right? Either you get a job, great and you’re able to work and dive into the thrills and frustrations of living abroad or you don’t get a job and you still have the chance to travel and gain insight into what it’s like looking for a job abroad (useful for the next time or the next country).

There are a few strategies however that can help anyone wanting to relocate to Hungary and land a job without having to start from scratch.

1) Ask for a foreign transfer

Many large international companies give their employees the possibility of internal transfers sometimes to exotic and foreign countries. If you’re not already in that kind of position, look for a job in your home country that has offices and postings abroad as well. Let them know your interest in working abroad right off the bat because many employees aren’t willing to relocate. Suggestion? Hotel chains.

2) Volunteer

If you’re looking for an experience abroad and not necessarily to make money, try volunteering. There are dozens of programs that can help your organize a trip abroad, find you a placement and give you the tools you need to get there. It’s a lot of work but always rewarding.

Try:

• globalvolunteers.org
• habitat.org
• onkentes.hu

3) Get educated, then teach

If you know a language, you can learn to teach a language. Get the necessary training at home to be able to teach your native language abroad. There is a high demand for English-language teachers in Hungary either at schools, in large businesses and privately. Once you arrive, start making connections. Drop off your contact information at schools to tutor students, universities, international businesses and language schools.

4) Go freelance

If you want flexibility, go freelance. What you can do at home you can probably do overseas as well. What are your skills and how can you use them to make money? Popular freelance jobs include journalists, writers, consultants, graphic designers and artists, models, hair stylists, and language teachers. The easiest way to land freelance jobs is to start talking and don’t stop. Word of mouth is the most effective way to landing gigs.

You don’t necessarily need to have a job before you go, Hungary offers a lot of different types of opportunities for foreigners who want to work abroad, you just have to know where and how to look. Have any strategies of your own? Which ones worked for you, or didn’t work?

Cimkével ellátva: jobs abroad, jobs in Hungary, work abroad

Akár nyelvtudással, vagy nyelvtudás nélkül keresel külföldi munkát, Érdemes feltölteni önéletrajzod a Lingojob.com portálra. Külföldi állásajánlatok várnak, Európa számos országában.

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