3 paths to working abroad

How exactly does one go from vacationing to living and working abroad?

For some, the seeds of wanderlust were planted early - we had parents who love to travel or come from somewhere foreign, and we experienced different cultures as a child. Others, following college, took part in the obligatory backpacking trip  alla Rick Steves. Then, later, maybe as a single working professional, you saved every penny and vacation day for travel or took part in an extended language immersion or volunteer program. But it wasn’t enough. Each time you returned home, you were already planning the next trip…and for a longer period of time. There comes a point when a shift happens – being a tourist isn’t enough and you want the experience of living and working in another country.  It’s a dream many have and some realize. In this post I’ll highlight three different paths to finding work abroad – from London and Luxembourg, to Germany and Italy.

Jennifer taught at the American School of London. She found the position through a friend of hers already working there. “Living in London was a wonderful experience. I loved the culture, the museums, art, food, city life, being part of Europe. At the age of 26 it gave me a broader perspective on the world. I also loved working with international students and families. Everyone traveled on their breaks and shared their experiences in the classroom. I worked in London for five years and then my husband and I moved to Luxembourg to teach at the International School of Luxembourg. We really enjoyed living there among so many nationalities and languages such as German, French, English and Luxembourgish. There is also a large Scandinavian community and an Italian community there.”

For those interested in teaching abroad, she recommends researching web sites National Association of Independent Schools and International School Services (ISS offers international conferences for job seekers in February in Boston and San Francisco.)

Leslie and Maureen worked for the Gap Corporation as store managers in San Francisco. As Gap was entering the German market in the late ’90s, they both learned of an opportunity to work there, applied and were accepted for partner store manager positions in Stuttgart and Berlin. Leslie described the experience as “wonderful” and found the German people to be “warm and welcoming and made me feel comfortable in my new home.” Maureen said Berlin was “cosmopolitan, full of culture” and she will never forget experiencing the 10-year anniversary of the Berlin wall coming down and the influence of the changing east/west landscape. She also said the German work experience – which included a role in training and development -  advanced her career and helped prepare her for a new job in corporate communications for the international market when she returned home. They both agree that transferring with a company offers many advantages, including handling moving logistics which can save you money and allow you the time to focus on learning the language, the country and its culture. Their advice for someone looking to work abroad is to first look within the company you work for and inquire into any work abroad programs the it may sponsor.

me and my students

I moved abroad to Italy without promise of a job and found work once I arrived there, as an independent English teacher/tutor following efforts to continue my PR career full-time in Milan (see previous post Detour.) This is a riskier path without the safety net of a company transfer, and logistics, bureaucratic red tape and uncertainty were all mine.   Prior to leaving, I read several books including ”Living and Working in Italy”  that were somewhat helpful other than Chapter 3′s  “Permits and Visas” . Contrary to Chapter 3′s well-meaning but naive advice (I have my doubts the author ever set foot in an Italian questura immigration office), the process for getting a work visa was not cut and dry or consistent. I didn’t arrive with a visa, nor did I have to return to the States to obtain it, as Chapter 3 suggests. By some back room deal , Italian-style flexibility, minor miracle I received my work permit and permission to stay, when I was hired by an English school catering to small businesses in the area and could supply a contract. Teaching English abroad may sound competitive, but in a city with few native English or Americans (ie; not Florence or Rome), I found there is an abundance of work – either with an English school or on your own. It also may help you with the Very Real Challenge of obtaining a work visa abroad, as employers must prove why you should fill the position instead of an EU citizen. And, surrounded by a demand for English –  the international language for business – you realize that by some random chance you were born in an English-speaking country and hold a highly sought-after skill that can allow you to work abroad.

If you want to teach abroad independently, keep in mind a few things.

• You won’t get rich teaching english independently, and that is why many supplement their income by tutoring on their own (although some schools unfairly discourage it).
• Some people pay to take courses to receive “teaching english as a foreign language” certifications. (I didn’t.) If you have a solid and related background (related education, previous teaching experience) and take initiative, you can research and self teach best practices and curriculum on how be creative and effective teacher. Not all schools required it when I worked abroad (although it may be changing).
• Decide where you think you want to live and research English schools in the area. If you are in the country, meet with each school to learn of their needs, requirements and pay (or connect via email prior to leaving as an introduction). You can also check out the Transitions Abroad site.
• Look for reputable schools with good reviews and a commitment for a teacher long-term – ask if they offer assistance in obtaining a work permit or visa.
• Before you leave, visit a teaching supply store and load up! On each visit home, I re-stocked to bring fresh ideas and curriculum back to Italy.

Moving to another country to work requires you to balance adventure with responsibility and a realistic outlook. So, before you go, plan, save money (you’ll need it), research and read up on opportunities, and make connections. Read the”how to” guides to working abroad, but casually and with flexibility (And a sense of humor. ) And prepare to make that transition from dreaming to realizing the dream of working abroad. I have a feeling – much later on – you’ll look back and be glad you did.

detour

Career paths have ups and downs, twists and turns, dead ends and detours.  With life changes such as moving cities, changing jobs, or re-entering the workforce after raising children, come opportunity for pause and reflection on what’s up ahead.  And sometimes when you set out on a path, your destination turns out different than the one intended.

Take, for instance, when I moved to Italy. I did my homework, networked and set up interviews with half a dozen or so of the Milan branches of leading international PR agencies – some of which I had already worked for in San Francisco. And through a professional connection, I somehow managed to line up an interview with a VP for Italian fashion designer Giorgio Armani.

Off I went, with my new Armani suit and shoes and endless ambition, with images of me and “George” working the press at the next Fashion Week. My goal was simple: pitch Milan’s PR stars on my experience with national brands and as an ideal U.S./ EU liaison for a company. The interviews went well enough, and gaining entrance to the impressive Armani headquarters was a highlight. After weeks of making the rounds with various companies, I ended up with many well wishes, several promises of work (later broken), one especially creepy encounter (in our country, litigable) and some frank advice that even with my experience and connections, I needed to improve my Italian - particularly to communicate with local journalists.  I also learned that PR as I knew it was different there, and a Nivea hostess offering lotion samples on a street corner could easily fit the description. It didn’t matter what my experience was, it wasn’t enough to get my foot in the door in Milan PR that April, let alone Fashion Week.

So I began to take on the type of work that comes your way when you’re a native English speaker in a non-English speaking country. And I had a blast. I served as tour guide translator for a Verona concert hall where I got an upclose view of Mozart’s signature. I emceed a press event for an Italian jeweler, and was later hired as voiceover talent to help promote a local discotheque. And then I met someone who owned an English school.  I had never really taught before, but with a background in Journalism and English, I found ESL fairly simple to self-teach. Where I lived, there were only a handful of Americans, and I quickly figured out that 1) scarcity of competition was a good thing, and 2) that my California accent was (unbelievably) preferred to British. Or as my students put it, they wanted to learn American, not English. So I began teaching English to employees of small to mid-sized businesses. I eventually went out on my own, providing conversation lessons to working professionals, young adults, children and their families. I developed relationships with many lovely people who still remain special to me and I am grateful that they allowed me glimpses into their homes and lives, and for the education and company those conversations gave me.

My shiny, little-used Armani shoes in my closet seem to peer up at me each time I open the door, wondering what happened. They serve as a reminder that when you hit a roadblock, with some flexibility and an open mind, you never know what might be waiting around the corner.  And in one Bergamo nightclub, in between rap beats and hip hop mixes, my American voice booms.