Has anyone ever moved to a foreign country because of a job? How did you find the job? What was your experience like?

I created this topic because I'm looking for alternatives due to the recession. For those of you that have or want to work abroad, please put your two cents in.

yes, i have. it wasn't that difficult. i mean, Americans technically speak the same language i do.

i won't go into the work i do but it was no problem getting a job.

i lived in a desert at first, which really makes a change from the English rain but there you go.

always wanted to live in Japan, but i reckon that won't ever happen...

Yeah, I've lived and worked in Canada and Japan (I'm from Sweden). I wanted to go there for more reasons than work though. The expatriates I met in Japan who went there for work only didn't seem happy. They just isolated themselves and lived in small apartments and didn't do much, all because they wanted to save money. So I think the first thing you have to do is pick a country that you would want to live in anyway, otherwise I think your experience will be negative no matter what your job is. If you're thinking about Japan, I can tell you that the culture is very, very homogenous and difficult to access for a foreigner. It was an amazing and mindblowing experience for me to live there and I don't regret it for a second, but I can promise you that you will constantly feel like a fish out of the water.

Secondly, you should look up all the visa rules, work permits etc. That's an obstacle that you can't really negotiate with. Either you're eligible or you're not. Many countries require you to find work that will be waiting for you before you even get there, which can be a difficult thing to achieve. When I got my job in Japan I had to first go to an interview in Oxford, England (first time I've ever had to pay for a plane ticket and hotel for a job interview). There they vetted us thoroughly and shot a video of us that was sent to the HQ in Tokyo which made the final decision and submitted the visa application for those of us who were accepted.

I don't mean to make all this sound impossible. In fact, it's very doable. But like I said, it's important that you're doing it for the right reasons and that you're getting started with the process early since it often takes longer than you might think.

Good luck!

retina said:

Yeah, I've lived and worked in Canada and Japan (I'm from Sweden). I wanted to go there for more reasons than work though. The expatriates I met in Japan who went there for work only didn't seem happy. They just isolated themselves and lived in small apartments and didn't do much, all because they wanted to save money. So I think the first thing you have to do is pick a country that you would want to live in anyway, otherwise I think your experience will be negative no matter what your job is. If you're thinking about Japan, I can tell you that the culture is very, very homogenous and difficult to access for a foreigner. It was an amazing and mindblowing experience for me to live there and I don't regret it for a second, but I can promise you that you will constantly feel like a fish out of the water.

Secondly, you should look up all the visa rules, work permits etc. That's an obstacle that you can't really negotiate with. Either you're eligible or you're not. Many countries require you to find work that will be waiting for you before you even get there, which can be a difficult thing to achieve. When I got my job in Japan I had to first go to an interview in Oxford, England (first time I've ever had to pay for a plane ticket and hotel for a job interview). There they vetted us thoroughly and shot a video of us that was sent to the HQ in Tokyo which made the final decision and submitted the visa application for those of us who were accepted.

I don't mean to make all this sound impossible. In fact, it's very doable. But like I said, it's important that you're doing it for the right reasons and that you're getting started with the process early since it often takes longer than you might think.

It sounds like you've had good experiences. I know what you mean about Japan. I lived/worked in Korea for about a year and dealing with the culture can be difficult. I'm definitely interested in traveling, but I have to pay bills, so that's why I want to know more about working overseas. Do you know of any international companies that are hiring? If people don't want to tell all of their personal business, they can send me orgnotes.

[Edited 8/14/10 13:13pm]

jeami said:

retina said:

Yeah, I've lived and worked in Canada and Japan (I'm from Sweden). I wanted to go there for more reasons than work though. The expatriates I met in Japan who went there for work only didn't seem happy. They just isolated themselves and lived in small apartments and didn't do much, all because they wanted to save money. So I think the first thing you have to do is pick a country that you would want to live in anyway, otherwise I think your experience will be negative no matter what your job is. If you're thinking about Japan, I can tell you that the culture is very, very homogenous and difficult to access for a foreigner. It was an amazing and mindblowing experience for me to live there and I don't regret it for a second, but I can promise you that you will constantly feel like a fish out of the water.

Secondly, you should look up all the visa rules, work permits etc. That's an obstacle that you can't really negotiate with. Either you're eligible or you're not. Many countries require you to find work that will be waiting for you before you even get there, which can be a difficult thing to achieve. When I got my job in Japan I had to first go to an interview in Oxford, England (first time I've ever had to pay for a plane ticket and hotel for a job interview). There they vetted us thoroughly and shot a video of us that was sent to the HQ in Tokyo which made the final decision and submitted the visa application for those of us who were accepted.

I don't mean to make all this sound impossible. In fact, it's very doable. But like I said, it's important that you're doing it for the right reasons and that you're getting started with the process early since it often takes longer than you might think.

It sounds like you've had good experiences. I know what you mean about Japan. I lived/worked in Korea for about a year and dealing with the culture can be difficult. I'm definitely interested in traveling, but I have to pay bills, so that's why I want to know more about working overseas. Do you know of any international companies that are hiring? If people don't want to tell all of their personal business, they can send me orgnotes.

[Edited 8/14/10 13:13pm]

Oh, so you've already worked abroad/overseas! What's the point of this thread then? lol

Even though you didn't say so specifically, you certainly made it sound like you needed some advice on a totally new experience that you were considering out of necessity. But you obviously know how to find a job in another country and have your own personal experience of the kinds of challenges it can bring to live and work there, so you don't need me.

If it's just a specific job opportunity you're looking for, just go and check all the appropriate sites.

Lived and worked in Germany for 5 years...

went over with $500 bucks and a backpack o' clothes and a contract job for 2 months. That became 5 years of really great employment and "free" healthcare...

(which saved my life at one point! )

fortunately I speak fluent German and hold dual-citizenship so I didn't have to worry about the bureaucratic mumbo-jumbo...

It.was.the.bomb!!

I even wound up getting married!!

I say "free" because my taxes were marginally higher but I never noticed...

retina said:

Oh, so you've already worked abroad/overseas! What's the point of this thread then? lol

Even though you didn't say so specifically, you certainly made it sound like you needed some advice on a totally new experience that you were considering out of necessity. But you obviously know how to find a job in another country and have your own personal experience of the kinds of challenges it can bring to live and work there, so you don't need me.

If it's just a specific job opportunity you're looking for, just go and check all the appropriate sites.

I'm asking questions because I know that every foreign country is different. The differences are based on laws, language, culture, religion, and job opportunities. Unfortunately, I've only been to one foreign country. I'd love to travel to other places overseas, but I can't afford to. If I can work abroad, then I can kill two birds with one stone. That's the reason why I started this thread. I also know that the recession makes things more difficult, so I just wanted to know how the expats are surviving. I also wanted to know what type of jobs are in demand, if that's even possible.

I haven't been to Europe, Africa, or Latin America yet. Since I'm not an EU citizen, I know it's extremely difficult for foreigners to get a work visa. If anyone has worked in these places, what was it like? What appropiate websites are you referring to? Please give me the links.

[Edited 8/14/10 19:30pm]