Looking Abroad For Work

From quarter life crises to general malaise, the current doom and gloom economy makes for a depressing job search.

While many students are looking in numerous cities for leads, few students are looking abroad for jobs.

My older brother, Roheet, was facing similar prospects after he graduated and decided to look for a job in the Middle East.

He is now an Urban Finance and Local Economic Development Expert in Syria, for Gesellschaft für Technische Zusammenarbeit, a development branch of the German Government.

In his words he:

Works to increase the economic utilization of the private sector in regards to restoration efforts in Old Damascus.

With a decrease in available jobs, and an increase in competition, it is especially important for graduating students to consider working abroad.

There are benefits to working abroad: Not every country has economic problems to the extent that the US does, working in a different country is exciting, in many cases you don’t have to pay US taxes, and you often get to travel to neighboring countries. For example, in addition to traveling throughout Syria, my brother has traveled extensively in Kurdistan, Egypt, Jordan, Lebanon, and the United Arab Emirates.

My brother was able to get his job by networking while studying Arabic in Syria. In many countries you get a job solely by meeting the right people, so it pays to have connections. If you are studying in a particular country, you can job hunt while you’re there. Some people also take the more risky approach and simply move to another country and hoped to find a job.

In the mean time there are a few things you can do to jump-start your global career:
* Talk to a counselor at the career center
* Check idealist.org for non-profit jobs throughout the world
* Apply for positions at US embassies
* Check foreign government websites for career help
* Talk to Professors with foreign connections
* Work on your foreign language skills

Would you consider working abroad? Have you worked abroad already? Do you have any tips for people looking for work abroad? Discuss in the comment section!

Update- There seems to be some confusion over the question of whether you pay taxes or not. If you work for an American based company, and paid in US dollars, you have to pay US taxes. If you're working for a non-US based company and paid in either local currency or another currency you don't have to. Tax laws get tricky if you're an diplomat/government employee or if you're not paid in a typical manner (ex: you get paid less but have your living expenses covered as part of the job). It's always best to check with either a tax specialist or HR professional before deciding not to pay taxes.

Bring on the soul-crushing desk jobs!

I called my parents last night, because, like many GW students, I'm apparently incapable of functioning without doing so. Between decrying the Democratic debate on Wednesday night and snarking over the garlic battle on Iron Chef, we brought up what's going to happen after I graduate. The current plan is for me to go home and volunteer for a political campaign. That's right, unpaid and living at home. I am the embodiment of the worst generation ever!

Wait a minute. In all seriousness, our generation talks to our parents more than any other. (We also, according to a story I read a few months back, consider our parents our heroes.) But in general, we're the epitome of "good kids." The CDC just released a report showing that pregnancies for women under 25 (including teenagers) are at a historic low. And an article I read at the dentist's office a few months ago (yes, I even go to the dentist! Look what a good kid I am!) said a member of our generation does fewer drugs, is less likely to drink underage, and in general doesn't screw up. Go us, right?

Maybe not so much. We might not get in regular trouble, but it looks like we're about to get into trouble of a more insidious kind. All that clean living seems to have given us unrealistic expectations about our future, which our parents are left dealing with. Yesterday's New York Times had a story on Preparing Your Child For The Cold Cruel World.

"What I want most for my children is for them to find themselves in their work," said Elizabeth Lluch, the editor in chief of the WS Publishing Group in San Diego. "I want them to find work that makes them feel good about themselves, helps them define who they are, and helps them find peace within themselves." Work, she added, "is not about making a bunch of money, but finding a little niche for oneself in a world that is very fast-paced, busy and impersonal."

Molly Bingham, who lectures and writes about choosing a career, advises parents to "ask their kids ‘What do you do that you love so much that you lose track of time?’ " That passion (the word comes up constantly in conversations about children and work nowadays) should form the core of any future career search, Ms. Bingham said.

...

"Do you have any advice for me?" one reader asked in an e-mail message. She described her daughter, who will be graduating from college next month, as paralyzed by the fear that whatever job she takes would not be her passion and would therefore be wrong. "How can I help her find her life’s calling?" the mother wondered.

I'm graduating from college in a month, and I can categorically state that I am not worried that whatever job I take will not "be my passion." I'm more worried about a job for me existing in the first place. Yes, the plan is for me to go back home, but that's not what I want to do. And you know what? That's not what my parents want me to do either. "Have you thought about the Peace Corps?" my dad asked, unintentionally echoing Basil's post. "Everyone I know who's done it has found it really life-changing."

That's great. And I know there are people who find things like that really rewarding -- hell, I find helping others really rewarding. But I also find other things rewarding. Like having enough money to buy groceries. And not living with my parents. Yes, ideally I'd like a job that's fun and rewarding and helps me save the universe. But right now, I'll take the most boring, soul-crushing job imaginable, provided that it pays and I can do it. No, it won't be fun. It probably won't be fair, either. But it's not about paying your dues to The Man or selling out. It's about being a mature adult.

This problem of young people looking for jobs that are emotionally fulfilling rather than fiscally responsible is nothing new, of course. What's new is our parents' willingness to put up with it. In that spirit, here's a song from a soon-to-be-closing musical, about how you shouldn't care about any of that stuff, man, just do what makes you happy! Who cares if you're starving and can't pay for hot water? You're making a statement! (Katie Couric shuts up and the singing starts at about 2:05 in.)



And hey, there's always taking down the system from the inside.