Improve your international job search with these top tips

COVID-19's impact on the global labour market means it’s time to get search savvy!

There’s no denying that COVID-19 will have a huge impact on the global labour market, and there’s no telling how long this will continue. However, the impact hasn’t been wholly negative— whilst some sectors have taken a hit, others have thrived and excelled, opening up a huge range of new and exciting opportunities for students and graduates across the globe.

So although it may feel like you’re fighting a losing battle, don’t give up just yet! Those dreams of the perfect international career can be yours, it’s just about getting savvy with your job search.

So we caught up with our team of career experts for international students and graduates, who were kind enough to leak their top tips for finding that perfect opportunity;

Step 1: Put ‘feelers’ out

If you’re still unsure where you want to work, or what sectors/organisations you’re most interested in, then keep reading. If you’ve already got a pretty good idea, then you can skip on through to step 2!

Searching for a job without much idea what your options are or what you’re interested in is hard enough when you’re concentrating on one country — put the whole world into the mix, and it’s going to get messy.

Instead, start looking into the working and social cultures of different countries and decide which ones suit you best- there are some great resources over on GoinGlobal for this.

Once you’ve narrowed it down to a few options, it’s time to start looking at what employers are doing and offering. A great way to do this is by attending employer events with international recruiters. This can include international career fairs, or virtual employer events (we host a range of these throughout the year, go check them out).

You can also browse our international jobs board to see what opportunities are being advertised.

LinkedIn is also a great resource to scope out international organisations and their opportunities — you’ll likely get recommendations for the smaller organisations on your search, so it’s definitely worth taking a look.

Step 2: Narrow your search

Once you’ve got an idea about which country you’d like to work, the sectors you’d like to be in etc. It’s time to start narrowing it down to roles/organisations/regions. By narrowing it down and reducing your list, it makes the search so much easier. Once you’ve done that, find out more details about the culture etc.

There are lots of websites which lists the country’s organisations — the International Chamber of Commerce is a great resource for this.

If you find that once you’ve narrowed it down and you change your mind about a sector or region, go back and start again — so make sure you keep notes during each of these steps.

Step 3: Learn the etiquette

Every country or even regions within countries have different dos and don’ts, so it's important to familiarise yourself with these before you start networking or applying for roles. In order to be successful on your job hunt, you’re going to need to know the key business culture. GoinGlobal offers a great resource for this as it offers portfolios and top tips for different countries.

Step 4: Network

Networking is important if you’re job-hunting in your home country, but it’s paramount if you’re on a global job-search. Take advantage of all the different networking resources out there, especially those within the university alumni network, and professional organisations.

By building your network, you are not only alerted about job leads, but also build additional contacts and gain a better understanding of the culture and economic landscape.

Step 4: Research visa or permit restrictions/permissions

It’s important to know the details about work permit processes and what documents you will need to pursue a career in your country(s) of interest as each will vary. You’ll need to know how long the process takes, whether your nationality will cause delays etc. There are lots of details about this over on GoinGlobal.

Step 5: Get application savvy

You’re going to want to ensure your application or CV is appropriate for the destination country and gather appropriate papers that may be requested alongside your application (e.g. degree transcripts, training certificates etc).

There are lots of tips on the application processes for various countries on GoinGlobal that are worth a read! Our employer events also give you a great insight into their recruitment methods and what they’re looking for, so we highly recommend attending these.

The majority of job screening will probably be done via phone or video call, so you need to prepare for dealing with different types of interviewing methods. The key to a successful interview is preparation and practice and you can access lots of resources to help with this.

Step 6: Utilise your contacts and resources

As a University of Birmingham student or recent graduate, you have access to so many helpful resources that will help to better prepare you for a career abroad and landing the job of your dreams. Make sure you utilise all of the tools out there, it will not only make the job search easier, but it will also build your network and increase your chances of success.

We have a range of resources, events and support available for international students and graduates, as well as home students looking to pursue a career abroad. If you’d like to speak with a careers adviser, then you can book a one-to-one virtual appointment to get tailored advice and support.