working abroad?

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D

destillat

Well-known member
Aug 29, 2001
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Not to be confused with 'working a broad'.

I am at a point in my life where I have the opportunity to switch careers into something that I really love to do, for the rest of my life (not just like to do, which is what I am trained and experienced in).
I have decided that travel / adventure tours is an area that I am very interested in, and also have quite a bit of experience in.
I have recently done some work in those areas here in Canada.
But I would love to actually pick up and go somewhere else in the world and do it.
But honestly, I don't know where to start. Google is my friend and my enemy: lots of information, but it's overwhelming and I don't know what information I can trust.

Does anyone have any experience in just picking up and moving somewhere else and finding work?
Obviously paperwork comes into play because I would want to do this legit.
I have spoken to many agencies and no one has been helpful.
Does anyone know of any agencies or recruiters that at least have some experience in out-of-country recruiting?

I'm pretty much starting form zero here, so any help would be appreciated.
Thanks.
 
R

red

you must be fk'n kid'g me
Nov 13, 2001
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Good for you

Can you say what field of work- then maybe someone can help?
 
F

fuji

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Jan 31, 2005
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There are a few things you need to start doing now in Toronto before you go. Like, find out what vaccinations you need. Seriously, some take six months and multiple shots to provide full protection you don't want to leave it to the last minute.

Finances is another thing that has a lead time. Establish relationships with HSBC and Amex. If you are well off consider establishing an HSBC Premier account in Canada. You will need to investv around $150k or so with HSBC to get the account open but once you do you will have a Premier account with HSBC in every country they do business in, which will get you a credit card, car loan, mortgage, at good rates even when you have no local credit history. American Express will also issue cards globally based on your Canadian relationship but that doesn't get you a car or mortgage.

Third, start now on learning the local language. Fluency takes years but getting to a basic functional conversational level only takes months, and is best done as a thirty to sixty minute a day study things. It isn't something you can cram at the last minute and you want a basic conversational level BEFORE you go. If you put an hour a day in for three months you will be amazed how much you can learn.

Forth, start networking TODAY, in Toronto. There are people from everywhere in Toronto and most of them are friendly. Reach out to ANYONE you meet who is from the places you want to go. Talk to them. Make friends. Ask them for help. They will be generally pleased to be useful and hook you up with contacts in their home country. Friends and family you can call on who can show you around, help you figure the local system out.

Fifth is finding out what you need in order to get a work permit. Browsing consular webpages week answer that and you will want to know it is possible before you invest months in learning a language and building a network.

If you get finances, language, and a social network in place before you even leave Toronto I think you will be set up as well for success as possible.

The one other thing, have an open mind and leave your pride behind at the gate in Pearson when you board the plane. Be willing to ask for help, talk even when your language skills are crap, embrace local practices that are unfamiliar, if the locals do it, try it, and laugh. Don't go expecting to complain about anything that isn't like Canada, adapt.

In my experience the people who are successful changing countries are the ones who enjoy learning different ways of doing things, don't assume their home country way is better, and reach out and ask for help. If you think you are supposed to be the well prepared suave traveler who has everything under control you will miss the insights locals can give when you ask for help and openly admit your limitations and troubles.

This adaptabilitypart is a lot harder to do than you think, it is easy to say you will, but it gets a lot harder, like when the unfamiliar food gives you the runs and you look for a toilet and find it is a hole in the floor with a hose where you expected toilet paper to be. Just deal with it. Laugh about it. If the locals do it so can you.
 
D

destillat

Well-known member
Aug 29, 2001
2,806
68
48
mississauga
fuji said:
There are a few things you need to start doing now in Toronto before you go. Like, find out what vaccinations you need. Seriously, some take six months and multiple shots to provide full protection you don't want to leave it to the last minute.

Finances is another thing that has a lead time. Establish relationships with HSBC and Amex. If you are well off consider establishing an HSBC Premier account in Canada. You will need to investv around $150k or so with HSBC to get the account open but once you do you will have a Premier account with HSBC in every country they do business in, which will get you a credit card, car loan, mortgage, at good rates even when you have no local credit history. American Express will also issue cards globally based on your Canadian relationship but that doesn't get you a car or mortgage.

Third, start now on learning the local language. Fluency takes years but getting to a basic functional conversational level only takes months, and is best done as a thirty to sixty minute a day study things. It isn't something you can cram at the last minute and you want a basic conversational level BEFORE you go. If you put an hour a day in for three months you will be amazed how much you can learn.

Forth, start networking TODAY, in Toronto. There are people from everywhere in Toronto and most of them are friendly. Reach out to ANYONE you meet who is from the places you want to go. Talk to them. Make friends. Ask them for help. They will be generally pleased to be useful and hook you up with contacts in their home country. Friends and family you can call on who can show you around, help you figure the local system out.

Fifth is finding out what you need in order to get a work permit. Browsing consular webpages week answer that and you will want to know it is possible before you invest months in learning a language and building a network.

If you get finances, language, and a social network in place before you even leave Toronto I think you will be set up as well for success as possible.

The one other thing, have an open mind and leave your pride behind at the gate in Pearson when you board the plane. Be willing to ask for help, talk even when your language skills are crap, embrace local practices that are unfamiliar, if the locals do it, try it, and laugh. Don't go expecting to complain about anything that isn't like Canada, adapt.

In my experience the people who are successful changing countries are the ones who enjoy learning different ways of doing things, don't assume their home country way is better, and reach out and ask for help. If you think you are supposed to be the well prepared suave traveler who has everything under control you will miss the insights locals can give when you ask for help and openly admit your limitations and troubles.

This adaptabilitypart is a lot harder to do than you think, it is easy to say you will, but it gets a lot harder, like when the unfamiliar food gives you the runs and you look for a toilet and find it is a hole in the floor with a hose where you expected toilet paper to be. Just deal with it. Laugh about it. If the locals do it so can you.
Click to expand...
Wow... I disagree with a lot of your posts fuji, but this is great!
I am absolutely open to embracing new culture... that's part of why I want to do this. Otherwise I'd just stay home. I've pooped in holes that I've had to dig myself and wiped with sticks. I'm not proud, I just want to see the world.
Great advice... the finance and language thing is something that I have not yet spent much thought on, mainly because I don't know yet where I might end up!

Thanks again!
 
F

fuji

Banned
Jan 31, 2005
79,947
9
0
¯\_(ツ)_/¯
is.gd
On finances, just go look at the countries HSBC operates in, and if most of the places you might go are on that list, and you have the cash, consider opening the Premier account. Once you are a Premier customer in ANY country you are an HSBC Premier customer in EVERY country.

Meaning you could walk into the HSBC branch in Brazil, Philippines, China, or France and they would hand you a local credit card, write a car loan, and start talking to you about mortgage rates, all based on your Canadian history with HSBC.

The catch is you need HISTORY. You can't just open an HSBC account on Friday and show up in the Mexico office on Monday and expect them to help. They have some number of months you have to have been an active customer.

If you are not going to be putting 150k into an HSBC account at least make sure you have an Amex card, they to look at your Amex history and will issue local credit cards in any country based on your global history with them. I think CITI is the only other bank with a similarly global business but their presence in Canada is limited so easier to deal with HSBC.
 
S

scouser1

Well-known member
Dec 7, 2001
5,662
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Pickering
3 years ago I decided to quit my public school teaching job in Toronto and work internationally due y the general negative atmosphere in Ontario. It was the best decision I made, taught one year in the Middle East gulf area (hated it) before switching over to Latin America and yes despite some hardship, I'm loving my life now.
 
D

destillat

Well-known member
Aug 29, 2001
2,806
68
48
mississauga
scouser1 said:
3 years ago I decided to quit my public school teaching job in Toronto and work internationally due y the general negative atmosphere in Ontario. It was the best decision I made, taught one year in the Middle East gulf area (hated it) before switching over to Latin America and yes despite some hardship, I'm loving my life now.
Click to expand...
That's great! Good for you! How did you find work?
 
S

scouser1

Well-known member
Dec 7, 2001
5,662
94
48
Pickering
I completely used the internet, made a list of countries I would love to live and work in and used Google to look up international or private bilingual schools in them. I would fire off an email introducing myself to the director along with a c/v.
 
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