Butterfly catching in January

As the New Year has now officially begun, you may be wondering whether a change in career might be the missing something you are looking for to start 2010, or perhaps you are simply bored of the environment you live and work in and in fact wish to change the country you live in.

Living abroad temporarily is one thing, actually securing a job so that this becomes permanent is quite another. Applying for jobs in a global marketplace is far more competitive, you are highly likely to be competing against the best candidates from around the globe, however with almost all the English-speaking countries hiring from outside the country to fill vital industries it is an attainable goal. This checklist will hopefully improve your chances and highlight areas of your job search you may have overlooked.

1. State the relevant job skills – The concept of a CV is underappreciated when it comes to appealing to employers. Attempt to find out all you can about the prospective position ahead of application, this way you can tailor you CV to the specifics of the job, henceforth appealing most to the employer. This isn’t an exercise in creative writing so keep it factual, however you should be able to make selective decisions on what is most beneficial to leave in and out.

2. Learn about the modus operandi – It can be easy to believe that all job-markets do not vary; this can however be a non-truth. Find out what you can on the country in question as sometimes the culture can play a huge part in the process.

3. Volunteer first - An excellent way to demonstrate to an employer you are passionate about an industry is to show that even though you are lacking in experience for a job, you have attempted to learn as much as possible by volunteering prior to application.

4. Take classes – The more you learn, the greater your chances of being the person who gets that particular job. If you are lacking at all in your current role and know there are things you can do to change that then what are you waiting for?

5. Anticipate trends – Job markets are constantly changing as are the width and breadth of what employees will be expected to know, be ahead of the game.

6. Be selective - It’s better for you in the long-run to market yourself to those companies that you can envisage working for a long period of time. Even if it feels as though you are not getting any joy, do not be tempted to start applying for anything, you might just get it, then you’d be stuck there.

7. Have clear goals - Employers want to know what your motivations and ambitions are, this is all part of the process of hiring someone who is going to stick around, work hard at their job and be a member of staff they can invest in.

8. Be ready with a time line – A future employer will appreciate knowing as much as possible, this includes a timeframe of what your plans are for details such as when you are thinking of moving abroad and moving dates.

9. Have a local address – This might not be crucial, however it could show an employer that you are serious about the area and country.

10. Network – People you already know can be goldmine of opportunities and business contacts. Quite often this is a untapped resource for all manner of things and not just job opportunities. Recommendations of countries and area’s that might be of interest to you when moving abroad can be particularly helpful.