How to Find Overseas Opportunities in Construction Work
Due to the difficulties of finding a job in the construction industry in the US and many European countries, many people look forjob opportunities abroadand away from their home country. Places like Dubai, Vietnam, Abu Dhabi have hardly seemed to slow down even when a global depression managed to cripple and freeze a lot of construction projects elsewhere. In fact, even in the countries that are building so much that there exists a fear of over-construction, the pace at which buildings rise has hardly been affected.
Many people looking for an international job in construction do not seem to know where to begin the search. It is, after all, one thing to look in the local newspaper or go online and check local postings on Craigslist for job openings, and it is another thing to try to find a job opening in a country one has, most likely, never visited. With the fear of the unknown often comes hesitation and procrastination; job seekers cower in fear at the prospect of moving overseas and, essentially, starting fresh.
The first step in the international job search is to cast all fears and doubts aside. If cultural or climatic differences are the main issues, a job search can easily be limited to a number of countries that are most similar to one's home country to avoid culture shock and home sickness. The second step is to understand that within the construction field, especially in the cities where demand for construction workers is high, chances will be quite favorable that the great number of opportunities will attract a great number of people with very diverse backgrounds. Thus, most people will have similar stories to share and will have more in common with each other, even if they come from completely different walks of life.
Looking for countries where construction is booming is a good way to get a sense of how good the job market is there. Doing a simple Google search for "construction jobs in Armenia" versus "construction jobs in Singapore" will bring very different results. Just a sheer number of job postings and the requirements commonly listed in those postings can signal whether the competition is stiff and if the jobs are scarce or not.
A lot of architectural, engineering and construction companies may hire talent within their own country and then send them to the location of their most demanding projects. So, for example, if a US construction company has a big project in Indonesia, it might be inclined to hire American workers to go work in Indonesia, instead of hiring Indonesian locals. That is, while outsourcing is not an unusual practice and some companies prefer to hire locals from the country where a project is getting built, many other companies put a big stress on the quality of labor and will hire workers from their own countries because they know that they will get a better quality of craft.
If an employer requires a resume, it is important to make that resume as relevant to the specific demands that that job might entitle in that particular country. Listing extra information that might make perfect sense in one's home country but might only confuse an employer in another country is not advisable. Using acronyms that an employer has to decipher the meaning of is another big no-no in international job searches. A person applying for an international construction job should only list or mention the information that can be universally understood and valued.
After finding several potential employers that are hiring and/or that seem interested enough in one's credentials to hire him or her, it is wise to research the company in depth and ask a lot of questions before making the decision to move. It is important to ask about the salary, work hours, employee benefits. Not taking the word of a human resources representative as a word from the Holy Bible, it is good to do some additional post-interview research and find out what other people - employees and clients - are saying about the company and the way it treats its projects and staff.
This is crucial to good living overseas, because a contract that is signed quickly, without reading the fine print or asking about more details, can make one person's stay in a foreign country much less enjoyable than anticipated. Making sure that, with the money made building, demolishing and repairing, one can live comfortably and not struggle from day to day is one of the most important things a person can do for him or herself.
If it is at all possible to take a trip out to the country where a potential job is located, one should take advantage of such an opportunity. Not only does that opens up a chance to meet a prospective employer face-to-face but it can also indicate whether or not that particular country's culture, politics and lifestyle are compatible to that of one's home country. If within first couple of days, something already seems a bit off, even though the job seems good and the company runs a good business, then a lot of extra thought should be put in before making the ultimate decision to move to a country that does not strike like it could ever be home.
