This document provides guidance for finding a career-building job abroad. It outlines key questions to consider about one's motivation, skills, and situation. It then describes initial steps like reaching out to contacts for information, participating in programs, internships, or working holidays, and making informal arrangements like staying with friends. Finally, it discusses focusing on networking, dealing with unexpected challenges, and ultimately finding long-term opportunities through connections as one becomes more established in a new country. The entire process is likened to a nautical journey requiring skills like a strong professional background, localized personal branding, networking ability, and flexibility.

1. by Leslie Forman
@leslieforman
How to Find a
Career-Building
Job Abroad
An Illustrated Guide to
Navigating Through
Uncertain Waters

2. Here’s what people ask me:
How can I find a job in a foreign
country? A good job.
This is my answer.

3. Based on 8 years packed with so many
(mostly fascinating) jobs, opportunities,
projects, visas (and plenty of crazy stories) while
working in China and Chile. . .

4. * If you’d like to read more about these experiences, check out my site & LinkedIn.

5. . . . I’ve broken down these
experiences into specific steps
and stages . . .
My hope is that these will be useful for anyone
considering a similar career path —
especially anyone that’s embarking on this type of
journey without the backing of a government agency
or multinational corporation.

6. . . . all with a nautical theme
to emphasize and celebrate
the uncertainty inherent in
this journey.
All illustrations by Ignacio Barceló.
Check out his portfolio, packed with
quirky sketches of dogs.

7. It all starts with asking a
bunch of honest questions:
(you might want to grab a piece of
paper to write down your answers)

8. What motivates you to
embark on this journey?
Adventure?
Ambition?
Creativity?
Escape?
Language?
Lifestyle?
Macroeconomics?
Money?
Professional Standing?
Reinvention?

9. Your current situation:
Education
Experience
Family
Finances
Languages
Skills
etc.

10. Maybe the biggest question of all.
(it doesn’t fit neatly into any stage)
Who? What? Where? Why?
How important is this
relationship in your life?
How eager and willing are
you to structure your life
around it?
How?

11. Once you’re (at least relatively)
clear on your answers to these
questions . . .
. . . it’s time to start figuring out how to
make this big dream happen.

12. Reaching out to friends,
friends of friends, and
new contacts to find:
Better information
about what specific
career possibilities are
really like
Unfiltered stories
Updated information
etc.

13. Your first step into a
foreign country
Formal Programs :
- Accelerators and
Incubators
- Fellowships
- Internships
- Scholarships
- Teaching English
- Volunteering
- Working Holidays

14. Your first step into a
foreign country
Informal Arrangements :
- Save up money and
make the leap
- Stay with friends or
family
(some arrangements will be more
attractive than others, depending
on the boat you’re in. )

15. Figuring out the details
Housing
Visas
Insurance?
School?
(some of these might be settled
before you land and others you’ll
figure out as you go along)

16. When you’ve safely
disembarked in this new
country. . .
. . . you’ll want to focus on:

17. Meeting like-minded locals
House parties (if you’re
invited to a birthday BBQ
for someone you hardly
know — say yes!)
Industry
communities (events,
coworking spaces, classes,
clubs)
Sports
Music

18. Getting (more) comfortable
Language
Culture
Getting things done

19. Dealing with the
unexpected
Bureaucracy
Confusion
Illness
Homesickness
etc.

20. And at this point, you’ll be
well-positioned to find . . .
(drumroll please)

21. Longer-term
opportunities in
your field:
A “Real” Job
Local Business
Opportunities
Online Options
(you’re far more likely to
find these through friends
rather than websites,
especially as a foreigner
with an “unusual”
background)

22. Hooray!

23. And this stage might last years!
Until you’re ready to get . . .

24. At some point, you
may be ready for a
new adventure:
(You’ll know when
it’s time. Trust me.)
Acknowledge how
this experience has
changed you.
Figure out how to
build on this.

25. Maintain real ties
with faraway
friends
Skype helps.
And e-mail.
And pictures.
To bring ongoing joy.
And build a solid
global network to
support your present
and future dreams.

26. What are the fundamental
skills necessary to create this
kind of global career?
I believe there are at least 4.

27. (one)
A Strong Professional Skillset.
These skills might include :
- intellectual property law
- investor relations
- project management
- solid writing and editing skills
- teaching middle school science
- technical mining mechanics
- etc.
* As a locally-hired foreigner,
you might not get much formal
training. You may be expected
to already know how to do the
job. You’ll also need to be ready
to learn as you go along. The
learning curve can be steep!

28. (two) ?
Localized Personal Branding
How can you articulate what you have to offer in a way
that resonates with the local job market?
- Any big names on your resumé — companies,
universities, places, etc.? Emphasize them.
- Equivalent local degrees? How does yours compare?
- Needs of local industries (services, technology,
outreach, investment, etc.)
- How are you perceived in the local culture? How
might you turn this into a professional advantage?

29. (three)
Strong Networking Skills
- Opportunities come from people.
Therefore, to find opportunities, you need to connect
with people. (This idea comes from The Start-Up of You — here’s the
book’s visual summary.)
- When you meet people (at parties, at the gym, on the train, etc.) be
sure to follow up and keep in touch.
- Be active on LinkedIn, Twitter and Facebook. (JobJenny is an
excellent guide for how to use these toolls effectively as you build your
career. Her articles on The Muse are especially helpful.)

30. (four)
Flexibility and Resilience
Dealing with cross-cultural
misunderstandings, visa trouble,
loneliness, illness and other
obstacles — this can be incredibly
stressful in a foreign country.
To make it work, it takes a certain personality
type (resourceful, creative, etc.) and a consistent,
mindful focus on what you truly need.

31. Creating your
international
career:
a collaborative journey across
cultures, to immerse yourself in
another culture and figure out how
you can add real value to the
community and economy.

32. Illustrations by
Ignacio Barceló
- IgnacioBarcelo.com
- Ignacio.Barcelo@gmail.com
- @barceloi

33. I hope this short
guide has been
useful for you!
Feel free to contact me any time
with questions or comments:
- http://leslieforman.com
- leslie@leslieforman.com
- @leslieforman