Working abroad can help you build valuable skills for your career and can set you apart from a crowd of other applicants when it comes to applying for jobs. Luckily, employers value people with international experience. It proves how adaptable you are by embracing change and learning to adjust to a completely different culture.
Thinking about working abroad but hesitant to make the move? These benefits may help you make the leap of faith.
Boosts Your CV
Perhaps the biggest benefit of working abroad is that it will boost your CV. As most people plan to move back home eventually, it’s crucial to know that your time away will not go to waste and instead enhance your CV.
If you work in a foreign environment, your adaptability, flexibility and communication skills are inevitably going to improve. Also, the chance to work with a diverse set of people to achieve common goals will help improve your team-working skills. You will be forced to accept different viewpoints that will inevitably help boost your objectiveness, reasoning and fairness, all of which are qualities that are essential for a successful leader.
You should also do your best to learn the local language – if you are in a location where English is not the native language – as being able to speak more than one language is always an asset.
All of these skills will look great on your CV which will make getting a job back home much easier.
Increases Cultural Awareness
What’s great about opportunities to work abroad is that they also allow you to experience the local culture; this is not only interesting from a personal perspective, but it can also help boost your professional skills.
As business is not conducted in the same manner across the world, experiencing a different way to work can help you get a better understanding of certain practices.
As different audiences have different expectations, it’s important to understand how to cater to those needs. But you should always try to take what you can from these learning experiences to develop new and creative ways to conduct business.
Expands Your Professional Network
One of the biggest tools individuals have is their professional connections. Not only can they put in a good word for you when you are applying for a position, but they can also inform you about vacancies and opportunities when they are available. A global network is even stronger as it gives you the opportunity to make the most of what is available not just back home, but in other countries as well.
Just imagine what it would mean for your career if, for example, you worked at one of the international locations of the company you’d like to work for back home. Not only will you have the necessary experience, but you could also use your connections to get a leg over the other candidates.
Valued by Employers
Employers are always looking for candidates that stand apart from the crowd, and this is exactly what working abroad could do for you. Any prospective employer would be intrigued by the fact that you were employed overseas and would like to learn more about you.
What’s more, employers want to ensure that the person they hire will not have a hard time adjusting. This could be good news for you as a professional who’s worked overseas has a proven record of being able to adapt easily.
It’s also important to point out that employers are looking for experienced individuals and if finding a job in your industry abroad is easier you should definitely jump at the chance as most of your competition will not have that same experience.
Gain Work Experience
One of the most common problems young graduates have to deal with is that they lack opportunities to gain work experience. This is especially true if you are looking for employment in your industry as getting a job can be extremely difficult.
The problem could be easily solved by finding job opportunities abroad. In fact, not only will getting a job – and gaining work experience by extent – be easier, but the work experience you end up gaining could be much more valuable. The work experience you attain working for a credible company overseas could be ten times more valuable than if you had remained in the UK working your way up in a local business.
Higher Salary
As some countries around the world lack local talent in certain industries, they are more than willing to pay above the UK industry standard for British natives. It’s worth looking into these opportunities as you will not only be able to get a job easier, but you’ll also be rewarded for it better than you’d be back at home. In fact, many companies offer high salaries, as well as quite a few perks and it’s definitely worth looking into the opportunities offered abroad.
Of course, it’s also important to be mindful of any additional expenses, as living expenses vary and a higher salary in Switzerland for example, might have a smaller buying power than your salary in the UK.
Escape the Effects of Brexit
Although we are yet unsure of what the effects of Brexit will be on the labour market, it’s fair to say that the adjustment period will be rough on almost everyone. This is why many Europeans living in the UK are considering leaving the country. According to a recent survey by TotalJobs, 24 per cent of Europeans who lived in the UK were thinking of leaving the country even before the referendum fearing of the effects the decision might have on their lives.
Leaving at this point might be wise as the longer you wait, the more competition there will be.
More Job Opportunities
Apart from the fact that getting a job is easier overseas than in the UK – or, at least it is in most cases -, you should also note that getting your dream job might be easier. Although the unemployment rate in the UK is currently dropping, this doesn’t mean that graduates can always get the job they are after. So, if you are finding it extremely hard to get a job you are interested in back home, you might want to check out opportunities to work abroad.
Higher Living Standards
Many countries abroad have healthier economies and a higher the standard of living. Not only would you enjoy a higher salary, but your family would also be able to experience a better lifestyle.
Although this might not sound as important when you are young, it could be a great incentive if you are thinking of having a family.
Personal Growth
Last but not least, working overseas gives you a chance to grow personally. Experiencing a new culture will make you take an inward journey which will help you understand yourself more and your wants and needs. The various difficulties you’ll encounter abroad will also help equip you with skill sets that will make you a better individual as well as a better professional.
Learn a new language
If you’ve ever fancied learning a new language but never got the chance, now is your time. Being bilingual is actually proven to make you smarter and another good skill to add to your CV. Your communication skills in general will improve. Plus, things like giving a presentation or speaking with new clients will be a breeze after spending time in another country and successfully expressing yourself to people who speak a different language.