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1. Don’t Stress
If you are interested in living abroad, commit fully to the idea. Don’t worry about opportunities you might be missing at home. Everyone I spoke to who moved abroad after college said that they would do it again in a heartbeat. Even if they did not find their ideal career, they valued the experiences they acquired and insight they gained.
2. Spread the Word
Do your research, both online and ‘in real life.’ When you decide on a place, tell friends, family, co-workers, neighbors – everyone in your network. Chances are they will know someone who knows someone. Take that person out to coffee and find out the nitty-gritty, go beyond the guidebooks. Ask for names of people who are still living in the region who might be accessible when you arrive, using email to connect with them.
3. Build Language Skills
Interested in moving to Rio De Janeiro? Start taking Portuguese. Not only will you be building a marketable skill that will give you an advantage when applying for jobs, but you will be meeting other people with a similar interest. They might have family in Brazil or once lived there themselves and can give you insight into what to expect.
4. The Immersion Experience
Provided that you have the financial resources, taking a few months to study a language intensively can help you land a better job down the line.
5. Chutzpah
Depending on your financial resources, where you are in your career path and where you want to go, it might make sense to just pick up and try to find a job when you arrive. It is more daring, but some people have found it easier to find jobs once they are physically in the country.
6. Pick a Company
Interested in a business hub like London, Shanghai or Singapore? It might be easier to try to get transferred there through your work. If you are a recent college graduate and want to work in a field like marketing, advertising or finance, look for employment opportunities with international companies that have programs that send employees to other countries. Companies like Deloitte, Edelman and UBS all have exchange programs that send employees to their international offices.
7. Reap the Rewards
The actual experience of living abroad is invaluable in terms of self-reliance, exposure to different cultures and general ‘lifehacking’. Jonathan Fein credits his time in Asia, particularly in Indonesia and China, as the reason why he was able to found his former-startup, Rickshaw.
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