How to Apply For Jobs Abroad

Narrow Down the Countries You'd Move to

First things first: you need to know where you want to work abroad.

If your answer is anywhere, while I completely understand the sentiment, that's going to make this process 10x harder. I highly suggest narrowing down the countries that interest you to 3-5.

Don't know where to begin? Use these 12 tips to decide where to live abroad.

The reasons you need to know are:

• To check the work visa requirements to make sure you legally can get a visa in said country.
• To apply based on their CV/resume standards (more on that later).
• To make sure it's a country that you actually want to live in to make the application process even worth it.
• To narrow down the sea of job openings.

Ideally, when it comes time to start applying, you've narrowed it down even farther to 1-3 countries. I suggest starting with 3-5 though because as you start looking at the work visa requirements and what it's actually like working and living in said country, a few might get scratched off your list.

If you have the legal right to work abroad in another country (say you're from the EU and want to work somewhere else in the EU) or you're able to apply for citizenship elsewhere, I highly recommend thinking long and hard before discarding those countries. The visa process makes everything harder so you're able to avoid that, I would.

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Make Sure You Have the Skills

Want to teach English abroad but don't have any qualifications? Dream of being a designer in Italy but don't have any experience? Want to work in a hotel in the South Pacific but never spent a day doing any hospitality work?

Some industries are easier to work abroad in than others. If you're looking for a quick way to get abroad, one of these jobs abroad might be a good starting point.

Otherwise, you need to first make sure you have the skills needed before you go any farther.

Let me put it this way:

If you’re moving because of a job, that job has to sponsor your work visa. Sponsoring visas is costly and annoying, for them and for you. If you don’t bring anything to the table that a local isn't likely to deliver, it’s going to be hard to convince them to go through the extra hurdles for you. Take that into consideration alongside the language and cultural barrier.

It’s a costly risk and one most companies won’t take lightly.

This is why jobs like teaching English are so popular - speaking English natively and fluently is something that locals in many countries simply can’t offer. This gives you, the native English speaker, the upper hand. Just be sure to get your TEFL certification first to seal the deal.

Before you jump to the next step, I highly recommend you think about the jobs you plan to apply for and what the typical requirements are and how you can make yourself stand out from those. If you're not quite sure, browse around job postings on LinkedIn from the country you're dreaming of to get a better idea.

Know that in some cases, one of the needed skills could be knowledge of the local language. This isn't usually the case in international companies though.

When you're confident in your skill set and ready to start applying, move on to the next step.

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Know Where to Find Job Openings

In general, LinkedIn is the best website to find job openings around the world. This is the international standard and one you can rely on in pretty much every country.

That said, each country will likely have their own job boards that you'll want to scout as well.

And oftentimes there are industry-specific job boards. For example, to teach English abroad, you likely won't go to LinkedIn but specific job listing websites for the industry, like Dave's ESL Cafe.

Make a list of websites you'll want to start checking daily or weekly for job openings so then when it comes time to apply, you'll be ready to go. You'll likely be able to narrow down the websites that work for you after a few weeks but in the beginning, I suggest casting your net wide.

Learn Their Resume/CV Standards

To avoid any confusion, a resume and a CV are the same thing. Different countries use different words but the thing is the same. Simply because I'm lazy and the word is shorter, going forward I'll refer to it as a CV.

Most countries and even some industries have CV standards. Because you send one out, make sure you understand their standards and the format your CV should be in.

For example, when I was applying to work on a yacht, I had to make a 1-page yachting CV. In this world, there are even standards to what you wear in your headshot (needs to be a collared shirt). I eventually got a job on a yacht but I do think I would have endlessly walked the docks if I was using a CV suited for say an au pair job in the Netherlands.

My husband learned the hard way that there is an EU standard of a CV. He probably sent out 20 job applications before realizing that, in hindsight, the CVs he sent in those applications were probably instantly discarded.

Once you understand the standard that's expected of you, take some time to craft your new CV and make sure you're happy with it before moving on.

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Be Clear in Your Cover Letter

I think we've all heard of a cover letter and have had it explained to us as a way to better introduce ourselves and our skills. It's something to compliment our CV and make us more "human."

Now, I'd take a big guess that AI writes most cover letters out there.

And look, I'm not going to tell you that AI can't help you but I am going to tell you that by letting AI do it, you likely won't stand out from the crowd. As I mentioned before, the whole key to getting a job abroad is standing out and making yourself look real, real good.

Here's how you can do that in your cover letter.

You know how pretty much all job postings have a list of requirements or objectives you'll be expected to handle on a daily basis? Take that list as your outline and in your CV, go through and answer each of those specific things with how you can personally take them on.

For example, if the job says you need to know how to use a number of project management tools, in your cover letter talk about the tools you know and the level of experience you have with each.

Hiring managers likely spend seconds on each application they receive so you need to catch their attention and catch it fast. Even better if you make their job easier by quickly outlining how you're the perfect candidate.

Does this take more time? Of course. But, likely a lot of the jobs you apply for will have overlapping qualifications so you can mix and match and make this process slightly more streamlined the more applications you submit.

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Add in a Video Introduction

This next step is also part of the application process but is one I would reserve for jobs you're really interested in as it takes more time and effort.

Film a video introduction and let them see that you're a real person applying for the job in just 1-3 minutes.

For this introduction, film in a well-lit space and look professional (or match the vibe of the job). Briefly introduce yourself and just like in your cover letter, let them know exactly why you're a good candidate for their job. Speak in specifics to avoid any guessing room.

The first few you film might be a little awkward and take a few tries but after you do a couple, it should be a bit smoother.

As I mentioned in the introduction, my husband got a new job in Italy. Through each of the interview rounds, the interviewer told him how much they appreciated the video intro. It was clear they were passing it along with his application and it had made him standout.

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Update Your Profile & Build Connections on LinkedIn

You're likely going to get really sick of LinkedIn by the time this is all over but in this case, it is a necessary evil.

I do not think you need to become some sort of LinkedIn influencer and stress about posting everyday. What I do think you need to do is use the tool to prove that you're a real person with real experience and expertise.

Make sure your profile is updated, your new CV is there, and any certifications are added in. Aim to write 1-2 posts a week either showcasing something you created, responding to something trending in your industry, or sharing an opinion or tip.

There's also a section on LinkedIn where you can get "recommendations" from previous coworkers. I suggest getting a few new ones, ideally from people who currently work with you or recent bosses.

Again, this is just so that if they check your profile they quickly get some social proof.

On top of that, start building connections. I find this incredibly awkward and you might too but, again, it's part of the process. Send connection requests to people who work in the country you're eyeing and in the same industry. Say hi and let them know you're applying to jobs if they know of any openings.

Most people will accept the connection but will ignore your message but a few might send you in the right direction. Again, if you're able to make their job easier, they'll likely appreciate the support. Many companies have internal referral programs, so if someone brings a good candidate that ends up getting the job, they get rewarded.

In my current job, I'm often looking for new writers. I've hired a few writers from LinkedIn messages. Some don't come at the right time or don't catch my interest but some do. It's worth a shot.

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Use Your Network

Honestly, this is something I would suggest to be doing from the very beginning because tapping into your network increases the chances of someone helping out. And funny enough, it's the contacts you don't interact much with (or never before) that tend to be the ones that help the most.

Do you know someone who works where you want to work? Once your skills and CV are ready to go, reach out to them and let them know you want to make the move. A personal recommendation goes a really, really long way.

If you don't have a network to use, the tips above on LinkedIn are even more important.

If you're able to go to the country you want to move to while you're applying, that could also help you build a network. Go to expat events, see if there are conferences in your industry, whatever you can do to shake a hand or two won't hurt.

We were able to first move to Italy thanks to a recommendation from a friend. Raf (my husband) and he had worked together on a project years before. Randomly, he called Raf one day to let him know that the company in Italy he was working for was hiring someone and he felt Raf was the ideal candidate. Raf still had to go through the whole hiring process and while I know he didn't get the job on the recommendation alone, it certainly helped.

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Practice Patience

I want to be clear in saying that not all jobs abroad, industries, or countries are as complicated or as easy to get hired in.

For example, for those with tons of experience teaching English, it shouldn't take you too long to get hired in Asia. Even if you don't have a lot of experience but you're native English speaker, the path won't be so rocky.

But, if you're looking for a niche industry or in positions that make it hard to stand out, you'll need to practice patience.

For a dose of reality, the first job Raf got in Italy only took a few weeks to secure. That's the one that really landed in his lap and came from a recommendation. It even scored us both visas to move to Italy. The second job that he recently landed took 9 months of applications to get. He's a senior level and already has a visa but with the economy and worker rights in Italy, it was harder to secure.

There's not a one-size-fits-all when it comes to finding a job abroad but do know that it can be a pretty painful process. Rejections are hard to receive no matter what. If you do receive them again and again, take a step back and see where you can improve your CV, cover letter, or video introduction.

Maybe there's a certification you can get to top off your skills or you should take a quick break from applying to gain some more experience.

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You're Ready to Apply for Jobs Abroad

Finding a job overseas can take time, energy, and a lot of effort on your end.

Most companies don't give out work visas like candy so in order to make your job search fruitful, be sure you're prepared to stand out and that you have unique experience, great qualifications, or something that most locals won't have.

It's (likely) not you, it's part of the immigration/expat life of working overseas.

As I mentioned before, some jobs are easier to secure than others and some countries hire more often. Regardless, these tips should set you up for success in your desired location, just so long as you take them seriously.

Want more options to live abroad but don't really want to work in-person? Maybe you're better suited to work online as a digital nomad.

Either way, there are a lot of different ways to get abroad, you just need to be willing to put in the work it takes to get there.