Bored? Need a job? A better job? A more interesting job? Tired of your cubicle, your daily rut, your relaxed and easy life?
How about working overseas? The Washington Post had a great article on working abroad a couple of weeks ago and I wanted to highlight it here.
First, according to the article, the number of Americans (and plenty of folks from other countries) working overseas has hit an all-time high, now standing at 6.3 million. A whole bunch more people are soon to be included in those figures – the percentage of Americans ages 25 to 34 who are planning to move overseas has quintupled in two years, from less than 1 percent to 5.1 percent. Among 18- to 24-year-olds, 40 percent are interested in moving abroad, up from 12 percent in 2007.
Part of the reason for the recent jump is, of course, the lousy U.S. job market, especially when compared to Asia’s more dynamic economies. Another reason is a fresh wave of people returning to ancestral homelands, especially those with growing economies (e.g. India and China). Finally, people are moving abroad for the same old reasons as before – adventure and the desire to try something new.
Second, having lived abroad for 15 years, doing everything from teaching English in Seoul to dodging mortars in Baghdad, I fully support the idea of taking a shot at life overseas. Will you hate it? Maybe – I’ve met plenty of people who fled back home after only days or weeks. The flood of new languages, foods, cultural lessons, work norms and all the rest can be overwhelming for many people.
For others though, that flood of challenges is refreshing, breaking through the doldrums and making life fresh again. That, plus it’s nice to have an actual job.
If all this sounds intriguing, read the Post article. Then head to your favorite jobs site, or scroll through the listings to the right, here on my site. Hands down the easiest way to find a job overseas is to try teaching English. You can find more info on that at: http://www.daveseslcafe.com (among dozens of other sites).
Good luck.