I've forgotten how many times I've heard that statement. One answer I often think about giving, but hardly ever do is, 'If you really wanted to live and work abroad, you could too.'
Being posted overseas by your current employer is not the only way to work abroad; you can search for an international employer yourself, or sign up with a specialist recruitment agency.
Most professionally qualified people can work abroad and many such people do already. According to the US State Department estimates over four million Americans live abroad, not including the Foreign Service and military personnel.
The job openings vary, depending on age, experience and proposed length of stay, but it would be an unusual person who, if they really wanted to, could not find a vacancy for which they were qualified.
Previous articles in this topic area of Suite101.com have looked at the different styles of international living and how to decide where and when you should move abroad; I suggest you look at them again before starting your job search.
Single people or couples without children may be in a much easier situation to decide on their destination and lifestyle as families have the additional worries of education, health and safety and greater expenses. But some destinations actually suit families more than single people because of the social and leisure activities available.
Recruitment consultants always seem to be looking for people with engineering, scientific, management or financial backgrounds, though the boom economies of South East Asia have slumped recently, there are still many opportunities in the so-called developing countries. The oil rich Gulf states and their huge expatriate populations are always looking for qualified professionals with skills and services to offer.
Teaching has always been a great way to live and work abroad and for those with teaching qualifications and experience there is a large and successful circuit of International Schools around the world. Good schools pay American-sized salaries, plus benefits, and their language of instruction is usually English, though some schools teach in other languages such as French, German or Spanish and most schools also teach secondary languages for which they obviously need teachers. For families, employment at an International School can have the added advantage of removing the worries regarding education for your own children, since school places for two dependant children are usually provided as part of the package.
One of the world's growth industries is Teaching English as a Foreign Language (TEFL). The variety of destinations for TEFL teaching is bewildering. It is not limited to non-English speaking countries. Canada, New Zealand and Australia all have growing immigrant populations from South East Asia, with a corresponding requirement for language schools. With a degree, in any subject, plus a TEFL teaching certificate the international openings are boundless. The percentage of TEFL teachers who are women is high and there is also the opportunity to move up the scale to administrative positions for those with ambition.
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