Seven Simple Steps To Finding A Job Abroad Alexandra Talty, Contributor: 3. Build Language Skills Interested in moving to Rio De Janeiro? Start taking Portuguese. Not only will you be building a marketable skill that will give you an advantage when applying for jobs, but you will be meeting other people with a similar interest. They might have family in Brazil or once lived there themselves and can give you insight into what to expect. If you are interested working for an NGO in the developing world, language proficiency also has the added benefit of helping dictate where you might land. It can also give you a competitive edge. “If you speak French for example, usually you will spend a lot of time in West Africa,” says Martha Reggiori Wilkes, a British millennial who currently works for an international aid organization in Lebanon. Prior to working in Lebanon, she worked in South Sudan which led her to decide to study Arabic and move to Lebanon. “Now that I am speaking Arabic, I will find it easier to get jobs in the Middle East because I’ve got that skill,” says Reggiori Wilkes. Language skills are even more important if you are interested in a business-related field as you will have to conduct meetings in a foreign language. Jonathan Fein, a Canadian who has worked in investment banking and private equity in Singapore and China, recalls a meeting in Shanghai when he had to meet with a CEO of a company that made a specialized tool for the oil and gas industry. The 25 year old studied Chinese for years but noted “even in advanced Chinese classes, they don’t teach you how to say things like ‘polystyrene’.” If you are interested in working in emerging markets, Fein emphasizes the importance of studying language while at university. Then when you are living in the region, you can take the opportunity to learn specialized or local vocabulary and move your language skills to the next level. “Most of what you learn in the other courses – Intro to Logic, Managerial Accounting, Marketing – will soon be forgotten, but language is an asset that you will use again and again,” says Fein.
Posted on: Tue, 17 Sep 2013 07:52:21 +0000
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