Job hunting abroad

I believe this categories falls under FAQ, the reason why is ever since I landed a job here abroad everyone curious how I manage it.  I like to say well I am such an awesome person that I got it!  But no, that is not so.

Let's just say, I begin with prayers.  Religion plays huge roles to keep us grounded,  many times I fall back and feeling discourage.  During these difficult time,  I would turn to the biblical quote.

"Cast your cares upon the Lord, for He cares about you, " 1 Peter 5:7.

I invested  endless internet air time to browse and search for job online,  perfecting cover letters and resume.  There are million applicants out there in the same predicament as I was.  Yet how do I set myself apart from the rest?  I don't know how,  the only way is when you stumble and fail the first, second and third time, pick yourself up and try again until you succeed.

Resume and Cover letter
Revising your resume is always good,  since there's always new ways on how to compose a resume, it's either a objective resume or general resume.  If you intended to specify the job you applying for, then go for the objective resume.  By structuring your resume and emphasizing your past job experience may help you land the job you really wanted.  You can find resume template online at office.microsoft.com or resumetemplate.org.  There were also some jobsite that offer to make a winning resume for you with cost, of course.  But if you really serious to ace the job, a quality resume is the key.  Revising your resume from time to time is great thing!  Proof read your cover letters and resume to avoid these mistake:

  • Typo
  • Wrong company names and address (Copy and paste may lead to this)
  • Out of date information

Jobsite
I open numerous job website online,  just so I have better chance to get a job.  These are just a few I could remember, Monster.com.,  ManufacturingWorkers.com., Careerbuilder.com and many more.   Gone are those days when you would sought the classified section for Job vacancy in the newspaper. Nowadays in order to stay ahead, we have to utilize the internet as the main tool in job hunting process.

Company Website
Aside from that, you can also open an account on the company's website.  These website sometimes allow you build your resume online and send you an alert when a job opening fitting your qualification is available for you.

Job/Employment Agent
Another way to land yourself a job is by getting a job agent, you do not have to pay the agent.  The company who hire you will pay them commission if you were hired.  However,  your work doesn't end there, you still have to prepare a good resume and cover letter to market yourself.

Networking
Last but not least, do not underestimate the power of networking, friends and families can be a good starting point.  Ask around if there's any job opening they may be aware of,  most time, they may not have anything on top of their head, but if they do come across any job opening they may remember you and send the opportunity your way.

Go back to School
Many who were unable to find a job decided to increase their skill by taking up short courses, this was actually one of my contingency plans.  It would probably be a good idea because being new to the country, we need to know what is the highest demand on job market. Leaning a new skill will never be a bad thing, rather it will only increase your marketability.

Volunteering
Sometimes it is great to start with volunteer at an non-profit organization, it is truly remarkable how this work to secure you a job.  As I said before, networking is a great tool.  Therefore, by volunteering will increase your network and help develop your skill while waiting for the real one job to come by.



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