Experience to work abroad

A popular question regarding work abroad is: what experience, if any, do you need to work abroad? Like any job, it depends on the role in which you wish to apply. However, work abroad does differ in that there are some options to accommodate those coming from other countries with little experience.

Advice about experience to work abroad

Volunteer abroad without any experience

There are many volunteering opportunities that do not require a specific skill set. Many young people decide to volunteer straight after school, during a gap year, and they do not have any notable work experience. To accommodate this demand, there are many companies in which you can find volunteer work without any prior work experience.

Intern with little experience

You can intern abroad with little experience. Companies are always looking for some cheap or free labour to help out their organisation in the current economic climate. It works two ways so that you gain some invaluable work experience abroad, and the company gets a helping hand with another worker in their organisation.

Experience you might take for granted

– Your Native Language is a Great Skill

It is easy to forget that when you go to work abroad, you have a skill that not many people will have – your native tongue.  You can get work with not much other experience apart from your native language.

– Microsoft Office, Social Networking, and Computer Skills

Do not forget that Microsoft Office and computer skills in general are valued highly by many companies abroad. Moreover, social networks such as Facebook and Twitter are used by companies around the world. So being proficient with these sites, even if you only use them for enjoyment, will be of interest to companies who are not wholly comfortable with using these relatively new networks.

– Extra-Curricular Activities

Extra-curricular activities can be made to sound like they have given you the necessary experience to apply for most job positions. If you played in a football team at school, for example, you can tell a potential employer that you have essential teamwork experience. Or if you played a musical instrument when you were younger you can say that you learnt that perseverance ultimately leads to success.

There is no such thing as no experience

As it has been discussed above, every individual has experience in some form or another. Therefore, do not approach your application to work abroad looking for work that does not demand experience. You can always take a positive spin on your life experiences and use them to paint yourself as a competent professional.

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