The guide to moving abroad: Finding a job

Unless you’re a trust fund kid or retiree, you’re going to need to work to pay the bills when you move overseas. There are different types of employment, depending on what you’re looking for: full-time jobs, temporary jobs, or teaching roles. Here are five options for finding employment in a foreign country.

Option 1: Get transferred with your current employer

Working for a multinational organisation might be the easiest way to get yourself to a new country with minimum hassle. After all, you’ll land in the new country with a job and a salary and the company will often take care of the logistics of moving, such as visas and moving costs.

Every multinational is different: in some, a stint abroad is a requirement to get promoted; in others, it might be up to the employee to show interest, and in others, it just may not be a thing. The odds are good, however: roughly 80 percent of midsize and large companies currently send professionals abroad.

Option 2: Find a full-time job yourself

There are lots of websites out there that make it easy to find and apply for a position overseas. Some of these job sites focus on startup roles, whilst others may focus on non-governmental organisations (NGOs). If you are planning to move to the Netherlands, you can, of course, browse the job board of IamExpat to find your dream job.

Option 3: Contact a recruiter

If you’ve got a lot of experience or have an in-demand skill, you can contact a recruiter that specialises in overseas jobs. In the Netherlands, there are a few firms specialising in international roles, you can find them easily via a quick web search.

Option 4: Find a temporary job yourself

If you’re just looking for a short-time casual gig, like bartending or working at a café, many countries offer visas for these roles. It’s important to note that some of these temporary jobs have caps on how many hours you can work because countries don’t want good jobs taken away from locals.

You’ll generally need to secure the right visa first and then get a job – these service jobs are hard to apply for from abroad, so most people just move and then start the job search. Because of this, you need to make sure you have enough money available to support you during your job hunt.

Option 5: Teach

English language teachers are in high demand around the world (particularly in Asia). Besides schools, you’ll often find local language training businesses on the hunt for teachers. To do this, you’ll likely need to get one of two certifications: TESOL (Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages) or a TEFL (Teaching English as a Foreign Language). These can cost several hundred dollars.

If you are a teacher specialising in another subject, there’s still an opportunity to use your skills to move overseas. International schools around the world are looking for good teachers, and they’ll often pay for relocation.

Do you have any job finding tips for us? Let us know in the comment section below!