The lure of a job abroad after graduation is hard to resist. In these times of globalisation and liberal economy, most of the educated and skilled young men and women are faced with this question, compelling them to look at it as a strong option for near future. One can see this has not only personal, but professional benefits too.The money is generally better in jobs overseas, the living conditions are generally superior in the USA and most countries in Europe, you can develop your skills and learn new ones and increase your employability while experiencing a different work culture. But before you make this life-changing decision about your career, it will help if you answer some of the following questions:
- Why do you want to work abroad?
- Which country do you want to work in?
- What do you want to achieve from the work experience?
- What is the time period that you would like to spend abroad?
- How will you benefit in terms of your career?
- How will you benefit personally?
Honest answers to these questions will make it easy for you to convince yourself and understand how to plan your career.
Contractual job overseas
Before you start mentally counting your savings in big dollars, it is essential to thoroughly understand what is required for the job. These include gaining knowledge about the job market there; the sources of vacancies, visa and work permit requirements, immigration procedures and language skills. It is also essential that you be objective about your own disposition and your family demands as also about how easily you can or are willing to learn living in a new, possibly absolutely opposite, culture and lifestyle. It will help to clear your vision if you think ahead about what you want to do after your time abroad. The ability to communicate with and work as a part of a team with people from a wide range of cultural backgrounds is an invaluable skill and is greatly appreciated by employers the world over. When you step out of the safety of your own country and culture, you challenge yourself.You learn to deal with a variety of people and circumstances. However, it is important to understand that if you plan on using your experience abroad to strengthen your career prospects back home, you need to know how to market it to the prospective employers. Another factor worth mentioning here is that contract work gives you the opportunity to sample diverse roles and employers and to hone your skills that a permanent job may not offer. It becomes a proof that that you have the capability to handle tough situations in different environments. This may influence you enough to decide to take a permanent job and residence in the country where you have gone to work.
There is the other side of the coin also which dictates your chances of working in the country of your choice.Political volatility, local job market, compensation benefits are major factors to be considered before accepting a contract for a job. There is also the question of the living expenses including social interactions and expenditure on car, medical insurance and home visits etc and as a result, the savings you would be able to have.
Permanent job at home
The familiarity of the environment has always turned job-seekers in the direction of taking up a permanent job at home. When you are sure of the environment and what is expected from you, you can concentrate on your job better. The knowledge about the job scenario and stability of the political system, compensation, insurance and retirement benefits, holiday and sick leave and job advancement are some of the advantages of a permanent job at home, which far outweigh the benefits of a contract job abroad.With globalisation and increasing advancement in technology, the shrinking world provides ample opportunities of exposure to employees even in their own country.No doubt the volume of job-seekers is gigantic, but the security of your culture and country and the support of family and friends remain like pillars at the back of your mind and these deciding factors tilt the scale in favour of a permanent job in your home country.
The important point to consider, however, is how objectively you can calculate the pros and cons of each option and how easily you can fit into the role expected from you. This makes the transition easy for you on mental, psychological and emotional levels.
The ideal way out could be to take a leap into the world of short-term contracts abroad, before you finally settle down to enjoy the benefits of a permanent job at home. That way you can have a taste of both the worlds and not have regrets in life. The tough reality is that you should have the courage to own up to the decision and not blame some other factor later.
