How to Apply for Work Abroad

Finding the perfect overseas job and then moving to work abroad for a few years is a dream for many individuals. A few people make this type of dream come true. What then separates individuals who only dream about working overseas from others who land jobs overseas and embark on an exciting new life away from home?

The answer is “Application”. Application in the sense of putting in the effort to locate appropriate employment overseas and Application in the sense of sending a CV, résumé, and cover letter to appropriate companies and employment agencies.

Applying Yourself to Work Abroad

Experience should remind you that you need to take initiative and go after your goals in life. Chances don’t come our way very often, so if you’ve always wanted to work overseas, now is the time to start searching for acceptable positions in the country of your choosing.

Speaking a foreign language will undoubtedly give you an advantage over other international applicants, therefore you may find yourself drawn to countries where that language is spoken. If, however, your only language competency is English, you should select countries like Dubai in the United Arab Emirates, where there are many employment openings and English is the language of commerce, or seek opportunities in English-speaking countries.

Utilizing the internet, you can search for job offers, recruiting firms, and possibly fitting companies located in the country you have chosen. Once you’ve done this, you can then start reaching out to each of them individually.

Submitting Job Applications to Work Overseas

Sometimes you have to put yourself out there to succeed in life. If you’re looking for work abroad, you’ll need to do this by submitting an online application, CV, or resume, along with a cover letter. Most overseas employers will require an Employment Verification Letter accompanied by an Employment Verification Apostille or Embassy/Consulate Legalization depending on the country of employment. 

Your CV needs to present you in the best possible light because it will be your first point of contact with any recruiter. This means that you need to write a strong cover letter and resume.

Employers detest getting shoddy job applications, so if you’re applying in a language other than your native tongue, you might want to think about hiring a translator. They believe that a candidate who cannot be motivated to put in the most effort on their personal resume is unlikely to be motivated to work hard at a job, and as a result, they are barely deserving of consideration for employment. It is therefore your responsibility to create the most professionally written, appealing, and well-thought-out job application you can.

Be brief and direct rather than cramming your CV or cover letter with tons of flowery embellishments. Include examples of your relevant experience to support your justification for why you should be given consideration for the job. Don’t forget to include your complete resume, qualifications, references from both personal and professional networks, and all of your personal contact information.

Follow Up on All Your Overseas Employment Applications

After focusing on hiring companies and recruiting firms and submitting the strongest application for a job, you should follow up on your application and keep looking for the perfect work abroad assignment with initiative and tenacity. Only those who follow their aspirations can truly achieve true fulfillment, after all.

If your dream is to work abroad, you can make it a reality by simply putting a little effort into it. Approach working overseas in the same professional manner you would when applying for employment in your own country. There is a bit involved in the process but it will be well worth it in the end.