Your Career Options Are More Global Than Ever

Aug. 20, 2013 - PRLog -- For the last century, as the world continued to get smaller, there have been significant emotional, financial and physical barriers standing between us and living overseas. The commercial flight did much to weaken that barrier, but it is only within the last five years that those barriers have been truly demolished.

Technology, in terms of infrastructure, hardware and software has come leaps and bounds, with broadband connections growing multiples in speed and reliability. This has eliminated a significant emotional barrier: keeping connected with family and friends while working overseas. The rise and rise of the smartphone and ever-stronger Internet connections have made this activity virtually effortless.

The usual suspects like Skype, Viber and Whatsapp have helped this revolution, but there are also significant interviewing technology advances coming from the corporate side. Sonru.com is a pioneer of one way online video interviewing that enables corporates to replicate a real interview without having to meet the candidates. This is making the transnational screening  process seamless. Multinationals are now effortlessly sourcing candidates from overseas, meaning that there is also a pull factor for Global Professionals at all levels. “Young professionals have the scope of careers to choose from that my generation could only dream of” affirms Luke Falvey, director of Sonru.com. “Technology has a dominant role to play in maximising the time and cost efficiencies of screening overseas candidates.

Until very recently, flying to the East was a novel experience – saved for only the most discerning of travelers. These days the saturation of the long-haul air travel market and emergence of price comparison sites like Skyscanner have lead to prices taking a nose-dive. This has however risen significant environmental concerns, as droves of professionals make to move East to look for work.

The global financial crisis did much to make professionals mobile, often against their will, it seems. That being said, 30 years ago the same professional would have had to sit frustrated at job he/she didn’t want, or worse – do nothing – be part of the unemployment statistics. Hence, I come back to the fact that Technology and Cheap Air Travel have exponentially grown our available choices.

Though many barriers have been lowered to ambitious professionals, some new ones have risen to greet this ambitious group. Employment hubs like Singapore, Canada and Australia have tightened their immigration policies in order to regulate this mass movement. This is an area that is likely to get stricter in many countries, but the relentless professional will find a way – just as they have embraced technology and air travel to take them to their new home.

What this is saying is that there is little to nothing stopping you from trying to find a job overseas. Gaining experience abroad is becoming increasingly important to progressing up the career ladder. Make sure you’re not left behind, and book that flight!

Philip Galloway is writer and digital strategist for Gateway Locations, a collection of city guides for professionals looking to move overseas to work and live. Cities within this collection include Singapore, Hong Kong, London and Dubai.

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