If you're undertaking a Languages degree, or perhaps have a year in industry for your BA, you might need to find a job abroad. It can seem like a daunting task at first - finding a job in your own country can be hard enough - but don't let language barriers or long searches discourage you. Working abroad is one of the most enriching and useful experiences you will have.
But what's the best way to go about the search? There's no definitive answer, but here are five tips from my experience.
The Ghost of Employment Past
The first step in my job search was sitting down, and thinking about what I wanted to do. What jobs have you had before? Did you enjoy them, did you hate them?
When I was applying for jobs in Germany, the experience I had was the following: 4 years in the food service industry, 2 months as a Customer Service Agent, and 2 months as a Language Teacher at a kid's summer camp in Vienna. I knew from this that the food service industry and teaching were not experiences I wanted to repeat, but that Customer Service was something I could see myself doing again. So that was the first thing I added to my list: Customer Service jobs.
Know Yourself
I thought about this for a while, and what this would do for my CV. While Customer Service would look great on my CV, and afford me some good opportunities in the future, I knew deep down that I'd prefer a cultural position, maybe in a museum or film company. It never hurts to expand your search, so I added these types of job to my search.
Cast a Wide Net
So you've got a few areas you know you'd like to work in. That's fantastic, and it gives you a focus for your job search. But remember that finding short-term employment is often a tough competition, especially in countries like Germany, where all high school students have to take part in an internship. This means that these places fill up fast. Aside from writing a killer CV and cover letter for your applications, it will help if you cast a wide net. Try using search engines to look for part time jobs in a specific country - don't refine this by city or industry sector unless you have to. This will show you a wide range of job opportunities, and you might end up somewhere you didn't expect, and love it. I had my heart set on Berlin, but I cast my net a little wider, landed a job in Munich, and enjoyed every minute.
Think like a Native
The best websites for finding a job abroad are, of course, going to be those which the natives use. Run a quick Google search or ask a native friend which are the most popular job advertisement sites, and get searching. You'll find the biggest variety of jobs in the widest range of places this way.
Prepare for a Skype or Phone Interview
This one is self-explanatory. It's unlikely that a company will ask you for an in-person interview for a short-term position abroad. More often than not, they'll arrange an interview over Skype or phone (don't worry about charges, they'll call you). This sounds terrifying, but the advantage is that the interviewer can't see you, so you can have notes on the company, your own CV and cover letter, and dictionaries if necessary in front of you.
Sunset drinks on the Isar with my colleagues
These are just a few of the ways I landed my job in Munich. If you have any specific questions or would like tips on finding a job in Germany particularly, don't hesitate to leave a comment!
