Finding employment abroad
Recently members of the ITC SIG shared on advice on finding employment abroad on the SIG’s email list. Global Talk prepared this summary by agreement of the members. Their advice follows.
The best way to find out possible opportunities abroad is to search specific job sites catering to the country or region you are interested in. Many of these job sites also list various employment agencies you can contact directly.
Consider some or all of the following:
- Demand for technical writers in the country you’re interested in. For example, some countries have a high demand for technical writers and it is listed in the standard occupations list.
- Work permits — procedure and qualifications required.
- Duration of your stay, that is if you’re interested in settling there or just a short term commitment.
- Standard of living and how it matches up to your expectations.
- Local languages in use.
Companies with opportunities listed on the job site also list the amount they’re willing to pay for a position (if it isn’t negotiable). You could match the value they’re offering to the number of years they’re looking for (experience), and determine a standard amount to expect. Additionally, STC and specific job agencies conduct regular salary surveys across countries, so that is a fairly accurate measure of what you can expect with “x” number of years in the field.
For Americans working in other countries, the US State Department website gives a good approximation of how to determine the amount needed to maintain a particular standard of living.