If you work for an international company, with offices around the world, you may have advised your candidate to consider not only changing jobs but moving to a completely new country – which could be on the other side of the world from where they are now.
There are a lot of considerations they have to make before deciding to take that jump and for many the reason they discard it as soon as they’ve thought of it is leaving behind friends and family.
Of course there are ex-pat opportunities which many companies offer, allowing candidates to take their immediate family with them with the option to come back after a set amount of time, but what if this is a new job, with a new company, in a new country for good? It might sound pretty scary or quite challenging, depending on what kind of person your candidate is. But there are certain advantages of biting the bullet and applying for that job in a new country and here are 5 reasons you should give them for taking that step.
1. Get a free vacation in return for attending the interview
Did someone just say vacation? Yes I did. New Zealand is the latest country enticing people to visit to attend a job interview in return for paid flights and accommodation. They’re looking for 100 of the world’s best tech experts to fill 100 jobs in the Wellington area of the country and applicants will get a chance to explore the city and get a first-hand taste of New Zealand life.
It’s not the first time this has been done. Last year Netflix was offering people $2000 a week to travel across the Middle East and Europe to take photos on the sets of its most popular shows and upload them on Instagram. They took care of all the travel expenses.
https://www.instagram.com/p/BCfo3hts_24/?tagged=netflixgrammasters
So if your client is offering to pay for your candidates to attend the interview abroad, then unless they don’t have a valid passport, what have they got to lose?
2. Better job prospects
There may not be many new job opportunities in your sector where you are but the same can’t be said for other countries. In fact some places like India, Japan and Brazil have some of the world’s biggest skills shortages so if your candidate wanted a change of scenery AND still be able to do the job they love then it’s worth considering these options. It may also mean that they can negotiate a better salary and benefits package to make the move worthwhile.
3. Learning from different people
While English is a global language, there are many parts of the world where it isn’t widely used. Getting a job abroad will expose them to different languages and cultures which they would never get to experience otherwise. Your candidate may also know how to do their job in one particular way or with limited knowledge but working in a new country will open their eyes to new experiences. Skills like a new language could come in useful even if they do return to their own country after several years.
4. Opportunity to travel
And I don’t just mean travelling to attend the interview like in point 1 but having the opportunity to travel in their new country of employment or even surrounding countries. The advantage of this is they could probably do it relatively cheaply and (work-permitting) as often as they like. It’s also a massive draw to get friends and family to visit them if they can tag on the opportunity for them to see the sights that your candidate has enjoyed.
5. Competition
Those who have had the chance to work overseas will not only return home (IF they ever return) with a better skill-set, more experience and a bigger bank balance. But saying they’ve worked in another country is going to look good on their resume. It will set them apart from others when employers are looking to promote or hire leaders in the future. In a world that is becoming increasingly competitive, having international experience might not end up being an exception, but the rule.
Liz Sebag-Montefiore, of co-founder of 10Eighty, says:
I’d encourage anyone I was working with to work abroad, particularly if they are ambitious. The advantages in terms of broadening horizons, developing skill-sets and language skills all are likely to enhance career prospects, and taking an overseas role shows that ambition is backed by determination and initiative. In an increasingly globalised world the willingness to take on such challenges put a candidate at a real and distinct advantage.
Now if all of those reasons haven’t re-ignited your candidate’s desire to work abroad then chances are they probably never will make that move. However, if the case for the prospect of starting a new job in a new country has now been made – then what are you waiting for? Get them to apply.