How Living Abroad Can Change Your Career Path

How Living Abroad Can Change Your Career Path How Living Abroad Can Change Your Career PathPosted April 26, 2018, by Daniel RossThe idea of working abroad for the first time can bring up ambivalent feelings. On one hand, its exciting. On the other, it can be intimidating. Cultures vary drastically around the world, but the mora foreign the culture, the more life-changing the experience can be. The contrast from your normal culture and working conditions could be very educational character building, some might say. People have many reasons for wanting to go and work abroad. Sometimes its adventure. Sometimes its curiosity. Sometimes the motivation is financial, and sometimes its a necessity. Whatever your reason for working abroad, there are benefits that you may not yet be aware ofLiving Abroad Boosts Your Confidence If youve only ever experienced your home country in a working capacity, at least youve probably followed your cultural rules without a second thought. When landing i n a new country, even if the position itself is familiar, the company, staff and culture will probably operate quite differently. Although this can be confusing or daunting at first, once you become accustomed to new ways of living, you start to see that you would function just fine in most countries. This opens up a whole new world of possibilities. When youve made new friends and discovered new ways of living and working, you understand how rapid expansion can happen. This helps you to aim higher and to take on bigger challenges in the future with genuine confidence.Your Networks Grow Rapidly Once you have established yourself in a new country, possibilities for future career growth start to open up. Not only will you have new skills and experiences under your belt, but you will also get to know many more people inside and outside of your organisation. These contacts will know other people who may be beneficial to your career path in the future. Even if you dont plan to stick around in that country for an extended period, doors will be much more likely to open for you at a later date. Similarly, the experience you gain abroad will be attractive to employers in your home country if you should decide to seek work there later.Your CV Will Be More Attractive Foreign work experience is a benefit to any CV. It tells prospective employers that youre someone who isnt afraid to take on new challenges. They will know that youre happy to take the bull by the horns and venture out into the unknown and when you amass some good references, theyll know you succeeded at this. Every company values employees who are confident and curious. These qualities are assets because they mean that youll probably be prepared to go the extra mile. If youve worked abroad, youre likely to have good problem solving and interpersonal skills. Those who travel - for work or otherwise - tend to develop patience and open-mindedness. All of these qualities are implied when youve got forei gn work experience on your CV.Improve Your Language Skills Dependent on the country youre going to work in, its possible that youll need to learn a new language. Although this doesnt come easy to everyone, the more time you spend abroad, the easier it gets. Youre listening to people speaking in their mother tongue day in, day out. Eventually, youll become familiar with it. Speaking another language is valuable. You may never do much with it, but then again, who knows? You might even become a translator or teacher one day. At the very least, it will make your time abroad easier, and it will be attractive to future employers. Youre more likely to achieve career progression in your chosen country too. If you decided to do a TESOL (Teacher of English to Speakers of Other Languages) qualification, you can teach the English language within that country, which is another great work opportunity.Tips For Working Abroad for the First TimeGet Prepared Well in Advance One thing to keep in min d is that foreign countries can bring up foreign issues. Theres no point in worrying unnecessarily, but it does make sense to be prepared. Do some research on that countrys potential dangers it could be a political crisis, dangerous weather conditions or tropical diseases. Its a good idea to invest in some decent travel insurance. You can never really predict what might happen to you, so covering yourself against adverse incidents is a good idea. Your personal conditions could be very specific, so check out a comparison of different insurance providers to find the best policy for you. You should also prepare well in advance for immigration, making sure that you have the correct visas and any required work permits. Theres nothing worse than being turned away at the border due to an oversight Lastly, find out how youre going to manage your finances abroad. Will you need a local bank account? Or will it be more sensible for you to get yourself a digital bank account like Revolut offe rs?Dont Waste Time Its easy to put working abroad off for a time when you feel more confident. Sure it can be a little scary, but the older you get, the more accustomed to your own culture you become. The younger you are, the more likely you are to embrace new experiences. Similarly, when young, you are just starting out on your career path. At this point in time, your foreign travel will strengthen it. If you leave it too late, you may be immersed in a career and find it difficult to leave that path, even temporarily. It can feel like there is much more at stake.If you dont yet have a family or too many commitments, now is the time to go forth and gain these wonderful new experiences. We wouldnt mind betting that youll never regret it.Here are a few transportable careers that could see globe-trotting while earning some cash.This article was produced for Career FAQs by guest blogger, Daniel Ross. Daniel is an experienced writer and is part of the marketing team at Roubler - an Aust ralian scheduling and payroll software platform. 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