How to Work Abroad Without Experience. Work Abroad:- According to novelist Sarah Turnbull, the knowledge of two cultures is a bitter-sweet thing in that once one’s birthplace is left, nothing ever remains the same. This is indeed a sum up of the experience of an expatriate.
Moving abroad is both bitter and sweet. On one hand, it presents struggles (in readjusting, adapting etc) to the person involved.
Sweet on the other hand in that it presents freedom. Asides from the struggles of adapting, one might be faced with the challenge of being alone, starting life afresh and the fearful task of finding a job.
Aside fetching more for a better living, it also makes provision for everyday learning and one beautiful thing about the learning is that it doesn’t stop at a certain age but its continuation is seen at work also. Working enables one to develop new skills and learn new things.
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Job enables the continuous discovery of oneself, one’s potentials and the limit of taking up responsibilities.
The importance of having a job cannot be emphasized too much and includes the following:
- Self-dependence
Self-dependence is very necessary in life and it sets in as one starts earning a living.
- Gifts
With jobs, one is entitled to getting gifts from friends and family members on occasions and one doesn’t have to look forward to others for help.
- Self-respect
This is seen through the amazing feeling one gets off whatever he/she does. With a job, one has a place in the society and constitutes in the up gradation of the nation.
- Learning
A job exposes one to learning in the profession. The management and colleagues teach one the lessons of life like no one else ever will.
Getting a Job - Work abroad
It might interest you to know that oftentimes, getting a job abroad can be a lot simpler than getting a job at home.
This is even the case if you want to work abroad without experience. At home, one essentially needs experience to get experience and, overseas, there isn’t such hitch.
One of the benefits of working abroad, actually for those who have what it takes to say goodbye to the familiarity, securities and comfort of home to earn a living overseas; working abroad makes travel financially feasible.
‘So how do I get work abroad without experience?’ you might be asking now. Guess what? You’ve got nothing to worry about.
We are here to make you understand that finding a job overseas with no experience is very much possible though daunting.
We are delighted to bring to you, the relevant steps you need to follow to have this done. These steps will help turn you into an open-minded, motivated and, ultimately, hire-able employee.
They include:
- Get Certified to Work Abroad Without Experience
- Keep an Open Mind
- Consider Volunteering First
- Make Yourself Easy to Hire
- Go Through a Working Holiday Program
- Harness the Skills You Already Have
- Be Willing to Accept the Risk, and Reap the Rewards of Working Abroad
- Take Advantage of Your Social Networks
- Re-skill and Opt for Internships
- Display Competence Across Your Academic Career
- Participate in Competitions and Hackathons
- Bag Industry and Academic Referrals
- Work Across Multiple Roles
- Settle for Lower Initial Compensation
- Keep Immigration Policies in Mind
- Be realistic
- Understand the business culture
Get Certified to Work Abroad Without Experience
Certification is a professional qualification that certifies a person’s ability. No certification for working abroad without experience does exist actually. However, the chances of being hired increases with getting certified to do something.
One could get an RSA (Responsible Service of Alcohol) certification to travel and work in Australia in one of sectors, say, the hospitality sector (it’s literally a one-day class). Or you could get a certificate on plumbing. Or, really, a certification in any field that is an evidence that you have a skill and take it seriously.
These certifications give one who has it, a one up over everyone else and oftentimes they don’t take much effort to get, so, you’ve got to go get one! Isn’t your qualification given acceptance in the country you’re traveling to, it was a waste of time getting it because it proves—without a reasonable doubt—that the one in possession of it has some idea about what he/she is doing.
So, we present to you the very first step to working abroad without experience which is none other than getting the necessary qualifications.
Because the use of English language is ever more widespread across the world, many of the jobs that are readily available abroad are openings for English teachers. About 375 million people speak English around the globe, and there are over 50 English-speaking countries with English as either its official or primary language.
The meaning of this is that, for native English-speakers, getting by in most corners of the globe is not a hard nut to crack. For speakers who are from non-English countries, knowledge of the language is considered a skill that is highly sought after.
Though there is the certainty of being helped to get a job, one does not need to be a teacher or have a degree to teach English classes abroad. What might be needed (if needed at all), are some qualifications for teaching English as a second language (ESL).
Though no qualification is necessarily required of you by some schools, if one has an impressive résumé and is fluent in the language, such a fellow tends to be given preference to those who don’t have such sort of certification.
The Two Most Popular ESL Qualifications:
- TEFL (Teaching English as a Foreign Language) certificate
- CELTA (Certificate in English Language Teaching to Adults)
The commonest and easiest qualification for those interested in teaching English overseas is the former, which is a 120-hour course to be taken online.
We recommend that you get your TEFL certificate through a called i-to-i. The reason behind this recommendation is that the i-to-I program, it’s reasonably priced and upon the completion of the program, it gives you access to an extensive job board. There are other companies which are slightly cheaper, but they don’t offer the same kind of access to around-the-world job placements.
Ultimately, the TEFL course will leave you with a good idea of what expectations you should have as a teacher and will prepare you for lesson plan ideas, behavior management skills and cultural sensitivity training.
As an English teacher abroad, you have potential to make some great money as an English teacher, especially in the UAE.
It is popular to teach English abroad, but it isn’t the only job opportunity presented to you. Anything that places that requirement of getting a simple certification or any other easy qualification on you, the earlier you get it, the better.
This can be the long-awaited opportunity of yours to work abroad without experience. And it doesn’t have any involvement with selling your soul at a shitty job to gain experience beforehand!
Keep an Open Mind
Beggars have got no option, right?
A life abroad, though enticing it may be, one may not actually be begging for a job overseas. But if in any way you have an iota of interest, there’s still the need to keep an open mind about the jobs available to you because you’re actually trying to get work abroad without experience.
Inevitably, a lack of experience narrows down one’s options in that one might not have the ability to get a job in some specialized field because even with experience, one can barely find anyone who really understands.
Lack of experience in a specialized field doesn’t tag landing a job an impossible feat. What’s just required of you is being open to different types of work.
Open-mindedness in being willing to consider new and different ideas or opinions with regards to this context is very necessary.
Many of the readily available jobs abroad are part-time gigs which include hostel work, manual labor like farming, serving or bartending, care-taking or running tours or adventure excursions.
According to Go Overseas, the most popular overseas jobs known so far, include teaching English, supporting a family as an au pair, WWOOF-ing (World Wide Opportunities on Organic Farms, a network through which independent farms welcome international workers in exchange for food and accommodation), fostering tourism as a hostel employee and working as a freelancer in some way.
Consider Volunteering First
Do you have any paid experience just yet? Have you considered volunteering for any kind of experience? it is indeed of huge advantage.
Volunteering for one unpaid experience proves that you are a hard worker who has keen interest in working in whatever field in which you choose to volunteer because it is equivalent to spending your free time doing it without compensation, which you have done anyway.
Volunteer work is available in abundance, both at home and overseas. And since you’re not getting paid, the fact that you want to work abroad without experience is often totally fine.
Volunteer work can be the long-awaited stepping stone for you to obtain a work abroad without experience.
One can volunteer before travelling or go to his/her destination of interest and volunteer while there, either way goes. If you go for the latter, you might even have the option to move up – going from a volunteer to a paid employee eventually.
As has been confirmed, most volunteer programs can pick one up, put one up and feed one; one usually just has to cater for the cost of getting there.
An additional bonus of travel and medical insurance are often given, plus support from on-site staff. We recommend that you watch programs like Go Overseas, Go Abroad, Projects Abroad and Cross-Cultural Solutions, to enable you sort your many options by country, price or cause.
Make Yourself Easy to Hire
The application process to be offered a lot of jobs can be exhausting and, oftentimes, quite lengthy. A multiple round of interviews may await one since the job is located abroad and, therefore, your employers won’t necessarily get to meet you in person before you are offered the job.
They’ll be on the outlook to feel confident that they’re hiring someone they can trust to attend to the job and have it done well, but they’ll need to have built that trust virtually, which, means take some more time and effort.
Preparation and eagerness will be shown of applicants by having all of your documents ready before even applying—this shows them that you are both prepared and eager to work.
If you are interested in volunteering job, getting your passport should be the first thing to acquire. Without it, getting work abroad without experience is to be forgotten since you won’t even make it on a plane! Also, you should make sure you have any necessary qualifications the job requires, as well as any certificates to prove those qualifications, at the ready.
Applicants are to go to the official government website of the country they wish to work in, they will be told what their work visa options are based on, if already there is a job offer, their citizenship and age.
Gathering of information like your bank account and routing numbers or have an already set up PayPal account, depending on how the company for which you’ll work pays employees, is advisable of applicants at the start of the application this is in order to avert any occurrence of time wastage during the application or on-boarding process.
In trying to obtain work abroad without experience, you are to make the process as seamless as possible for the employer so you are a more enticing hire in the list of applicants the employer will possibly have since a lot of people are after getting a job to work abroad without experience hence being hired in this case is likened to the survival of the fittest in terms of making oneself easy to hire.
Go Through a Working Holiday Program
Working holiday programs are programs that help expats find work overseas while they’re abroad.
First, you’ll need to get yourself a working holiday visa. After you’ve obtained a proper visa, you are eligible to join programs that would help you to more easily find odd work abroad without experience.
As an instance, programs like Placement International, will link you up to job portals and a staff that can help place you.
Green Heart is another organization that will actually hire and host you, so you’ll get a job and a place to post up.
Harness the Skills You Already Have
In this one, you are to boast the experience you do already have. Everyone has an experience in something hence a harness of these skills whether those are skills that apply to teaching position, is required to be hired.
There is definitely something you can do well, you are required to put such together in a portfolio to showcase those skills. Harnessing of skills is needful because every employer would love to have one who has personal or practical knowledge, one who is an expert in something or dexterous.
For a startup, you may not be receiving payment from someone, but it is needful to start somewhere! You should be in possession of something tangible to prove to prospective employers that you are, indeed, a practiced professional and one meet for the job.
Do you possess a niche skill? If you have a yes as an answer to that question, then we recommend that you go in for obtaining a work visa for it. Provision of visas is made by some countries for certain skill sets.
In New Zealand, if your thought is about finding work abroad without experience, first look into the aforementioned Working Holiday program. And if that doesn’t suit, you might be able to resort to applying to one of the following visas depending on your skill set:
- The Skilled Migrant Category Resident Visa: This is specifically for applicants who possess the skills, experience and qualifications needed for the growth of New Zealand’s economy
- The Essential Skills Work Visa: This visa is open for those offered full-time jobs in New Zealand by employers who’ve already checked if any New Zealanders were available to have the work done
- The Specific Purpose Work Visa: The Specific Purpose Work Visa is for those who have skills or expertise that’ll be of benefit to New Zealand
- The Post Study Work Visa: The Post Study Work Visa is for recent graduates who studied in New Zealand and were offered an opportunity to work in the same area as their qualification
Aside these visas enumerated above, there are still lots more.
You may be in possession of a needed skill and not even know it yet so, take out time and make findings and do well to utilize any opportunity found that is related to your skill.
Two of the best countries to work abroad for skilled international students include New Zealand and Australia. But, aside these two countries, depending on your circumstances, there may be other countries you’re eligible to work in, too. So, it’s up to you to search them out.
Be Willing to Accept the Risk, and Reap the Rewards of Working Abroad
One of the things you are to have in mind about working abroad without experience is that you won’t always get the exact job your choice the first time around. And the possibility of always getting jobs before travelling is very tiny. Sometimes, you just have to show up and play by ear.
Travelers who travel based on seasons seldom have fixed plans. And, your mindset shouldn’t be that of someone who’s on vacation but of someone who is going to be working and living in a new place for an extended period of time.
That implies no stress. No strict agenda. And no fixed timeline by which to abide. With this, willingness is required to go out there and give it the best shot possible. You have to be open to what happens.
In going in search of the job overseas, when you get there, there is need to be confident and persistent. You should be just as you when applying for jobs at home. That means sending in hundreds of applications to the internet.
Copies of your résumé is to accompany you as you roam the city. Stop in to speak with managers at bars and restaurants, in schools at tour companies, and lots more. Just make it obvious that you are looking for job by putting it out there. Putting it out as such into the universe, brings about the conspiracy to help you get what you want.
Don’t stop speaking to people because the more people you speak with, the more connections you’ll make. Eventually, someone will know or have connection with someone who will know someone who needs a worker. And that worker will just be you!
Take Advantage of Your Social Networks
Have you ever wondered why social networks are called social networks? The reason behind the name is that they exist to connect people.
Networking sites like LinkedIn and Facebook are there to connect people for several purposes and utilizing them will possibly leave smiles on your face in that you will be hired for your desired job.
Via social media, you can connect with hiring managers or people who’ve worked abroad where you want to work abroad.
Then this connection could possibly bring about their recommending you for the work.
We also recommend that you join Facebook groups for specific niches within particular regions.
What is required of you is to Leverage those groups to help yourself find work by making people aware that you are coming and looking for employment.
A lot of these groups are solely aimed at helping people find work and helping managers find employees.
If you conduct yourself like a professional and beyond that, apply persistence, you will find work abroad without experience.
And in case it is not the job you wanted, you’ll have your way worked up. With being open-minded and keeping confident, you could travel the world and make money while doing it.
Are you thinking about working abroad but don’t have any experience? Let us know what your sticking
Re-skill and Opt for Internships Work Abroad
An ample amount of skills to justify a great job in the field of your choice because the dynamism of jobs in today’s age demands that your skill set needs a big modernization as the years go by.
So, it makes real good sense to sign in to the acquisition of new skills using online Massive Open Online Courses (MOOC) from leading universities when you are looking for a job abroad without any experience.
This keeps you at the top of your game when it comes to getting those highly sought-after internships at various firms, paving the way for a full-time job in the future.
Display Competence Across Your Academic Career
Prior to having a work experience, Academic grade points (GPA) are of particular importance during the initial phase of your career. Did you just ask why? The reason simply put, the GPA and associated internship and academic achievements are the only way a potential employer can judge you, at first sight.
As wonderful as landing an interview and showcasing how you can add value to the industry and the organization is, it is just but a secondary requirement to being hired as scrutiny is given toyour academics, leadership and co-curricular experiences which primarily determines whether you will get to the interview shortlist in the first place or not.
Participate in Competitions and Hackathons
Various companies are usually desirous of identifying top talent and this they achieve by organizing regular events and competitions like science fairs, business plan competitions and hackathons.
If you are seeking for a job, and you don’t have any work experience yet, this can be one of the best ways to utilize your skills appropriately in order to achieve top grade amongst other competitors. The winners that emerge in these competitions are automatically chosen by firms as its employees.
Aside these events, one can receive automatic hiring from industries or be offered cash by coming up with practical solutions to problems faced by the industry. The thumb rule is obeyed here, that is, the bigger the problem, the higher your reward for solving it successfully.
Bonus Post:Telcom Kenya Graduate Trainee Program 2020 for Young Kenyans.
Bag Industry and Academic Referrals
Both short and long industry internships aside presenting fantastic learning experience can be a stepping stone to future employment prospects.
If you are not successful in getting an offer from the internship employer, don’t fail to bag a referral from them as it is the second-best thing to further your prospects.
On similar note, a referral from your university professor can also do astonishing things when it comes to shortlisting your candidature for an interview.
Strong linkages typically exist between professors and industry professionals with regard to the overall ecosystem of companies, which gives their referrals a strong weightage for a successful job offer.
Work Across Multiple Roles
Being in the age of AI and machine learning, people with multiple skill sets are highly sought after by companies.
So, if you are an interning at a company, don’t be streamlined in your acquiring knowledge rather, widen your horizon by working across multiple areas in the firm.
This will give you bragging rights, but beyond that, you are also exposed to provide higher value among recruiters looking for talent that can juggle across the firm.
Students who take up summer internships across multiple fields during their academic career have validity for working across multiple roles.
A higher chance of getting shortlisted for job interviews is open to students with this exposure compared to the ones who have a lesser breadth of the internship experience. Howbeit, this cannot hinder the significance of excelling in academics with an exceptional GPA.
Settle for Lower Initial Compensation
Searching for a job abroad without any experience but having an above-average GPA with relevant skills, there is a fighting chance of you getting an offer.
If any hint that the role offers tremendous growth over a period of time is available from your evaluation, accept the initial lower compensation just to have the entry barrier broken. Sometimes, companies are unable to offer inexperienced candidates with top compensation due to uncertainty that is likely to erupt in the future. But as one performs and delivers results, there will be an increment in the compensation as well as in one’s profile.
As is said, a lower compensation at a small firm with promising growth prospects triumphs over a higher pay at a conglomerate with a low growth environment.
Keep Immigration Policies in Mind
Keeping immigration in mind is another important aspect to be put into consideration, especially when searching for a job abroad. Here, the immigration policy of the country one has in mind has to be considered. In the current protectionist political environment across the world, room is not given to the mobility of talent anymore.
Stricter conditions regarding visa and shorter periods of stay has meant that companies abstain from going through the trouble of give employment to students outside their home country. This is a cause of talent shortage or even sub-standard talent across fields in some countries.
If your company is situated in an immigration-friendly country, nothing like it exists. But if you are about to apply for a position in the United States, for instance, be very careful about the requirements and conditions of your employment before signing into it.
Be realistic
Job seekers who are after work abroad in their chosen career without experience are to be realistic about the kind of position they could take up without experience. In being realistic, applicants are to adhere to the following:- Don’t have too high an aim. This is with regards to the pay one is to be making. If asked how much to be paid, ensure that you don’t aim too high in making the pay you wish to be receiving known.
- Set aside entry-level positions for the best chance of success.
- In not aiming too high, job seekers are not to aim too low either.
Understand the business culture
An understanding of the business culture prevalent in the area one wishes to apply for a job is very important.This will enable one to right suitable resume for a job hunt because resumes are written in different formats throughout the globe, so one is to have his/hers tailored to his/her Curriculum Vitae to suit local needs.
On a similar note, in some cultures, the worth attached to contacts are more compared to credentials. The meaning of this is that networking could be a fundamental part of the process.
For optimal success, we recommend that you carry out a research on the business etiquette and cultural minor distinctions of your new home.
Wishing you all the best.
