In the present day and age, it’s easier to start an international career than ever before. This is due to the fact that you can use the internet to do research on the target market, apply for a job and get all the papers necessary for relocation. Still, the fact that something is easier than before doesn’t make it easy and there are more than several things that you need to know on this topic. With this in mind and without further ado, here are the top eight tips that should help you develop your international career properly.
1. Know what attracts you to this industry
In order to make it in this field, you first need to know why you’re doing it and there are more than several great reasons for starting an international career. The ability to learn a new language, meet people from different background and grow professionally are just some of the most common motivating factors for those who are more enlightened. As for those who are competitive above everything else, it’s a chance to dominate more markets and have their name spread over the larger portion of the globe. Whatever works in your particular case is a reason good enough.
The reason why this is so important is due to the fact that having an international career isn’t a simple thing and may require a lot of effort and sacrifice on your part. Traveling abroad, even in this digital era, means that you will leave a huge part of your old life behind. This is why you need to be 100 percent sure that it’s worth it, as well as that it’s what you want. Knowing why may be a pivotal step in this effort.
2. Start by building practical experience
While online resources can help you understand the place a lot better, this is not the same as going there yourself. Before trying to expand to a foreign market, it might be a good idea to visit the place in person, just so that you can see its vibe. Sure, this is an expensive measure and the concept of just ‘feeling the vibe’ might not seem like worth it (budget-wise). On the other hand, while building an international career, you’ll probably have to do your fair share of traveling and just getting used to a lifestyle is quite important in this respect.
Another thing that you’ll get this way is a chance to experience a local business etiquette first-hand. In some parts of the world things might be a lot different in your home region and this might take some getting used to. Still this is more than pivotal for those who hope to make it in this field.
3. Consider time-zones when calculating peak time
The majority of businesses have their peak time, especially in the service industry, which is why, if you decide to telecommute to a target destination, you might want to get accustomed to different peak time. For instance, you could provide online services to a region whose peak time (in your current time zone) is between 12 AM and 8 PM. In other words, you would be working a graveyard shift, which is a concept that might take some getting used to. While this may not sound like that big of a deal, for a morning person, this can make things so much more complicated.
4. Have the necessary core skills
Another thing you need to keep in mind is the danger of underestimating the target market. Look at it this way, just because you see a foreign market as an ideal opportunity for growth and expansion, this doesn’t mean that you can just effortlessly expand there, without any trouble. You still need to have all the necessary skills to make it in the industry, as well as find a unique angle that will make you interesting and relevant. The truth is that just having an international career is not enough, what you should aim for is having a successful international career and this is something else entirely.
5. Get acquainted with local immigration laws
Just because you’re acting internationally, this doesn’t mean that your current headquarters are irrelevant. You see, even in the modern era where you can do a lot via conference call IM software and collaboration tools, the truth is that you might still have better odds by just migrating to your target location. For instance, if you want to establish a strong business presence in Australia and New Zealand, migrating to Sydney might be your first step. Here, you can start by reaching out to reliable immigration solicitors in Sydney, in order to get acquainted with all that you would need in order to make this move work.
6. Transferable certificates
Sometimes the degree that you have matters more than you realize, yet, the educational organization that you’re committing so hard it may not have the necessary credentials. Worst yet, the degree that you earn there may not be internationally recognized, which would mean that an employer abroad may not see it as valid. This would restrict your possibilities and, worst yet, make the bulk of your effort completely useless and pointless. This is why ensuring that your credentials are transferable should probably be one of the first things you do once you decide that you want an international career.
7. Find reliable local partners
Perhaps the best way for you to grow into a foreign market is to find reliable local partners to help you out. When establishing a business, it’s much simpler to acquire a local company and turn it into a subsidiary than to start doing this from scratch. Also, if you intend to move to a foreign country in order to start working at a company of interest, what you should probably do is get acquainted with someone already working there. Even better, you should get to know someone from the management. Which leads us to our last piece of advice…
8. Learn how to make friendships in the digital environment
The last thing you need to learn is how to make friends online, which can help you in more ways than one. We’re not just talking about finding business partners but also potential friends, even roommates. Keep in mind that in the target destination, you’ll have to restart your social life. You need someone reliable, someone who will tell you some hidden truths about the target destination that you would, otherwise, be completely oblivious of. Also, chances are that upon your arrival you’ll be quite lonely, which is why having someone there might help you out quite a bit.
In conclusion
In the end, a career development path should be, more or less, the same, regardless if it’s local or international. If the latter is the case, you just may need to take a couple of additional adjustments and do a lot more research. Keep in mind that for this to work, you need to give it your best as well as be 100 percent sure that this is what you really want and need. Either way, it’s something completely tangible and those who are a bit more ambitious might see it as yet another challenge to overcome.
