Starting A Business Abroad: Why You Need An Exit Strategy

Posted on 11. Jan, 2010 by Emmanuelle Archer in Blog, Expat Life, Working Abroad
0 comments

You’re busy getting your business set up, and planning your exit strategy is probably the last thing on your mind. You haven’t even fully started yet, why on earth would you be thinking of getting out of your business?

Figuring out what to do with your company when you no longer can or want to work in it is a key piece of your strategic planning. It’s also one of the most easily overlooked.

Put your mind at ease (more…)

Settling In Vancouver: 5 Essential Tips

Posted on 08. Jan, 2010 by Emmanuelle Archer in Blog, Relocation, Working Abroad
3 comments

The first thing Vancouver-bound expats ask me is, “Do you have any tips?”
Do I ever! (hey, it’s my job, after all!) You can find practical, everyday tips on many Vancouver blogs, so I’d like to give you a few cultural / personal pointers instead.

1. Learn to sell yourself (more…)

How Do I Find A Job In Vancouver, BC?

Posted on 06. Jan, 2010 by Emmanuelle Archer in Blog, Expat Life, Working Abroad
3 comments

Unless you’re being sent here by your employer (you lucky duck!), your main preoccupation will probably be to find a job.

You’re eager to get a head start on your job search before moving to Vancouver, but you’re not sure how to go about it. Is it even doable to look for a job when you’re not in the country? Argh – so overwhelming!

You may not be able to get a firm job offer before leaving, but if you follow this two-part strategy, you’ll be much closer to landing the position of your dreams soon after you get here.

Before you move (more…)

5 Ways To Earn Money Abroad Without A Job

Posted on 30. Nov, 2009 by Emmanuelle Archer in Blog, Expat Life, Working Abroad
7 comments

If you haven’t found work in your host country, or if your current job is not as fulfilling as you’d like it to, have you thought about starting your own business?

From earning your own spending money as an accompanying spouse to creating a full-fledged income stream, here are a few money-making ideas that you can implement pretty much anywhere in the world.

Disclaimer: These suggestions do not consititute legal, financial or fiscal advice. It is your responsibility to make sure that you abide by your host country’s laws and that you properly declare your income for tax purposes. So keep it above board, and beware of get-rich-quick schemes, OK?

5 ways to earn an income abroad (more…)

What If You Can’t Work In Your Host Country?

Posted on 27. Nov, 2009 by Emmanuelle Archer in Blog, Expat Life, Working Abroad
0 comments

Have you been reading this month’s posts wistfully, wishing that it was at all possible for you to work in your host country?

You may be “unemployable” for a score of reasons. Your spousal visa doesn’t allow you to work. Recruiters won’t consider you because of your age, gender or skin colour. You have disabilities or other special needs that local employers cannot or won’t accommodate.

Oh sure, there are definite perks to not working: you have plenty of free time to explore your new city and socialise with other expats. Job-related stress, burnout and office politics are but a distant memory. You spend a lot more time with your children, you go to the gym regularly and you’re – finally – getting around to finishing the must-read best seller of 2005 (better late than never!)

That’s great, and you should enjoy it for as long as you can. Once the novelty wears off, though, long-term unemployment becomes much less fun, especially if you used to have an interesting job and a rewarding career.

OK, so you miss working. Now what? (more…)

Expat Interview: Looking For Work In Vancouver – Mélanie

Posted on 25. Nov, 2009 by Emmanuelle Archer in Blog, Expat Life, Interview, Working Abroad
6 comments

Mélanie Bourquin is a French expat currently living in Vancouver, BC. She is 29.

The following interview is the transcript of a conversation I recorded with Mélanie on November 18, 2009. She has plenty of tips and advice to share with fellow expats, especially those who are looking for a job.

What attracted you to become an expat? (more…)

Informational Interviews: What You Need To Find Out

Posted on 23. Nov, 2009 by Emmanuelle Archer in Blog, Expat Life, Working Abroad
1 comment

After reading about informational interviews in last week’s post, a reader enquired about what questions to ask during these interviews. Aren’t they a tool that young graduates use to find out about possible careers? How do you use them when you’ve already been working in the field for years?

Great question. You need to keep in mind that you may have plenty of professional experience, but as a foreigner, you don’t have much experience with the culture. So here’s what I would recommend you find out, going from the general to the more specific:

Local work culture (more…)

Looking For A Job Abroad: Don’t Give Up!

Posted on 20. Nov, 2009 by Emmanuelle Archer in Blog, Expat Life, Working Abroad
0 comments

You’ve been looking for work for a while now, and things are not exactly easy. You’re trying your best, yet you can’t seem to find a decent job. Should you give up?

The answer is simple: Heck no! This is an endurance race you’re running, not a sprint. This is why you’ve been planning accordingly, remember? Now you need to maintain your morale over the long run, so that you don’t feel tempted to drop out.

Steel yourself against rejection

(more…)

Looking For A Job Abroad: Find Opportunities Through Your Contacts

Posted on 18. Nov, 2009 by Emmanuelle Archer in Blog, Expat Life, Working Abroad
1 comment

Now that you’ve defined your job search strategy, and you’ve put yourself into the right frame of mind, I bet you’re chomping at the bit – when do you get to do the real stuff, such as, you know, actually sending out applications?

All right, all right! Today, you’re going to take some very concrete steps toward gainful employment – only you won’t be applying for jobs. At least, not in the conventional way.

Call on your contacts

(more…)

Looking For A Job Abroad: Be Mentally Prepared

Posted on 16. Nov, 2009 by Emmanuelle Archer in Blog, Expat Life, Working Abroad
2 comments

So. You’ve been putting quite a bit of work into getting ready to apply for jobs overseas. You’ve been making connections with new people. You have done your due dilligence. You have brainstormed a number of different options in case you need to get creative with your next career move.

All of this, however, is just a warm-up – like any other endurance sport, job-hunting requires you to be mentally prepared as well if you want to last the distance.

By all means go ahead and start applying for positions that look interesting, but do keep the following in mind so that you don’t fizzle out after a couple of weeks:

Keep your expectations realistic (more…)