I am currently a Cycle Count Coordinator - Intern at St. Jude Medical this summer, and have one more year of college at the University of St. Thomas. When I was in the service as a Munitions Systems Craftsmen, I absolutely loved traveling overseas! While I am still young kinda young, and my wife and I don't have any kids, would it be possible that I could get a job out of college overseas? Or will my lack of experience and non-ability to speak another language bring that dream to a halt?
Answers
Having worked overseas myself, I would say that there are a couple of big issues. One is language, as you have highlighted. There are lots of English-speaking countries where work opportunities exist. If, on the other hand, you want to work in a country where the work environment is non-English-speaking and you don't speak that language, that would be very, very hard.
The other big issue is getting a work visa. This can be a show-stopper. If the hiring company needs to sponsor you to get a visa, you'll need specialized and hard-to-find skills for a company to want to go through the effort. As you explore opportunities, be sure to check on the work-visa rules for your target countries and see if they are something you can live with.
Best of luck. Living overseas changed my life.
Hi Tyler - first off, thank you for your service. There are many english speaking countries that you can target... Do you have a specific country or area of the world you want to live in? Is it an english-speaking country? If not, look for american or english companies located in this country. You can google a complete list of countries but here are some suggestions...hopefully one of these places is in an area of the world where you would like to live:
Europe - United Kingdom, England, Scotland, Wales, Ireland
Africa - Botswana, Cameroon, The Gambia, Ghana, Kenya, Namibia, Nigeria, Rwanda, Seychelles, South Africa, Swaziland, Uganda, Zimbabwe
Caribbean - Anguilla, Antigua and Barbuda, Bahamas, Barbados, Belize , Cayman Islands, Dominica, Grenada, Guyana, Jamaica, US Virgin Islands, British Virgin Islands
Canada
Asia - India, Pakistan, Philippines, Singapore, Sri Lanka
Australia and the Pacifics - Australia, American Samoa, Cook Islands, Fiji, Guam, Marshall Islands, Micronesia, New Zealand, Northern Mariana Islands, Palau
Putting this list together has made me want to look for some opportunities outside of the US! Best of luck!
That would depend on what job you will be doing. If you are working with the general public then yes. If you are working in a warehouse the no. However you should learn the basics in the area that you will be working. I was in special operations and I learned Arabic. I could speak the language pretty well but most importantly I could understand what they were saying to me. Also knowing the customs is very important especially in the middle eastern countries so I would learn those as well. I hope this helps.
Tyler - the answers above are accurate however, to be frank, an inventory professional without a lot of industrial experience at a very senior level will make it very difficult to find a company willing to cover the cost of sponsoring your work permit.
One avenue to consider is to find a NGO / non-profit looking to staff positions in less than ideal locations. Another option is to contact a country's foreign consulate office, likely located in DC, to offer your services & see if they will issue a work permit. Your travel will probably be at your cost.
If you want the overseas posting badly enough you might find the only route is to a 3rd world location.
Best of luck - Operations management expat with 3 overseas postings by Fortune 100 companies.
Yes, definitely. The key is to select a foreign country of your preference/comfort level from one of the following categories of countries.
The first category of countries is of course English-speaking countries, e.g., UK, Australia, Canada, New Zealand. The second group of countries is where English is the official, working language, e.g., India, Sweden, Austria, Germany. The third group is where English (teaching) is highly sought after and valued, e.g., Japan, South Korea. In the last two categories, you are generally restricted to major cities. Once you are there and pick up the common phrases of conversation, regardless of where you are, you will have lots of fun! Further, with the availability of so many mobile apps to translate instantly, you could soon be en route to learning and potentially mastering a new language and having a great time living and working abroad! Good luck!
Hey Tyler,
Having lived abroad for the last three years in the UK I can definitely provide some insights into living abroad in the UK and Europe in general as a civie.
Feel free to PM me for visa queries/culture/pathways in the UK and Europe.
Thanks to everyone who took the time to answer my question! I appreciate the knowledge from people with so much experience!
Answer is Yes. These days English is spoken in many countries. As long as there is a need for your professional skills you should venture into travelling abroad. However, I have found travelling abroad from your home country is lot more fun.
The answer is yes. It will depend on the country as well. Is English spoken? In Asia, Singapore is very English speaking friendly and in Thailand its much harder. So do your research on the country and then look at companies (including non-US).
With your military experience, don't forget to look at the Department of Defense database for overseas positions.
The short answer is definitely yes. The key is to have a skill the company cannot resource locally. Do not just look at American Companies. English speaking is the more important consideration. You can always learn the language when assigned as most expats do. This is a general response, but your persistence and skill level are keys..... not your language proficiency. Hope this helps. Let me know if I can be of further asistance.
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