Finding a job abroad

Wie gut stehen die Chancen für eine Tätigkeit im Ausland, und wo erhält der Ratsuchende Auskunft? Carol Scheunemann hat die am häufigsten auftauchenden Fragen zusammengestellt und beantwortet.

I want to work abroad. What is the first step I should take?

Before you start searching for a new job abroad, consider an international assignment with the company you work for now if that is possible. If there are no opportunities within your company, your first step might be to find a new job with an international firm in your home country. Signal that you are interested in a posting abroad. However, you should stay within your own field of work. Do what you know!

How can I find out about international jobs in my field?

One way is to use a career search engine on the Internet. You can also view the jobs that are listed online by national employment offices or with the electronic versions of local newspapers. Usually, jobs are listed in the classifieds section. Or, you might want to look at a particular company’s Internet site for openings. To make the search for information easier, choose a target country, region or city. Use an international job-search site.

• www.monster.com
• www.careerbuilder.com

Or one from your target country:

• www.timesonline.co.uk (UK)
• www.employmentservice.gov.uk (UK)
  
• jobs.guardian.co.uk (UK)
  
• www.washingtonpost.com (US)
• jobmarket.nytimes.com/(US)
• www.canadajobsearch.com (Canada)

Another possibility is to post your résumé on a job site. If you have the qualifications an employer or recruiter is looking for, they will probably contact you.

Where else can I look?

Go to the international newsstand at any major airport or train station for newspapers and magazines published in other countries. The help-wanted sections of quality German-language newspapers sometimes include advertisements for postings abroad, as does the magazine Karriere . There are also many good books and brochures on finding work abroad. Interconnections Verlag, among others, publish useful books, with lists of contact addresses for going abroad, whether for an internship, an intercultural program, or for temporary or full-time positions.