Global Mobility: introducing an international job search strategy

Working as a global mobility specialist means relocating employees domestically or around the world.Natasha Clark explains that her job means to ensure all the necessary  arrangements which will enable an individual and/or a family to make a smooth transition from one country to another ” It is not easy touproot one´s life, move across the world, leave behind loved ones and friends and start all over in a foreign country.

http://icould.com/article/what-is-a-global-mobility-specialist

The purpose of this article is not explaining in detail the expatriation process of employees, this is a way of leaving the country which I commented on ” Talent Mobility”, the idea is to review the job search strategies that we can follow.

From young graduates without experience, unemployed and a diverse range of professionals that have decided to start job searching abroad.

“With an unemployment rate of 25% and without looking very good in the near future; many Spaniards will feel that Seneca´s sentence is applicable to them now ” My country is the whole world”. Being unable to find work. the first semester of 2012,; 40.625 Spanish citizens have emigrated to other countries; a 44% more than int he same period last year, this is a Spanish diaspora that has just started. Europe is t heir first destination because its proximity, freedom of movement and because some countries are demanding professionals in specific fields”

http://economia.elpais.com/economia/2012/07/20/actualidad/1342785121_986509.html

Nowadays I listen many people here talking about working abroad, like it was easy and accessible for everybody. From my own personal experience as a long term resident  in the UK, I would like to share my experience with people who are  thinking of moving abroad. I feel that to be forced to leave a country due to the economic situation is very different from when I moved to the UK in 2003. That was more and adventure and exploration experience, as a recent graduated, I wanted to improve my English, to access to other working experiences and to get to know other nationalities and cultures. I was particularly interested in the human resources area; after working in administration roles I was able to work as an HR professional.

Spanish are now in a very difficult situation; younger generations up to 30 years old have not had a qualified job yet and professionals with  high level expertise and experience are unemployed or unable to develop further in their field. Technical profiles -IT and Engineers-seem to have better chance to  relocate internationally but I will highlight the need of being open minded and adaptable.

When I talk with recent graduates and professionals I tell them that in my case was a long term run, like many other Spanish professionals that are resident in the UK. We all had a diversity of jobs, learned a foreign language and little by little managed to work as professionals in a chosen field. We were sociologists, accountants, pharmacists, retail managers, engineers, vets, doctors… Scientific and technical roles accessed more rapidly to qualified jobs and  better salaries but I felt that hard work enabled someone to develop professionally without the obstacles we have in Spain.

Excess of theoretical qualifications, being able to pull the strings or having a friend in the right place at all working levels, restricted and narrow minded recruitment and selection processes lead us to waste skills and talent. A talent which can grown and develop easily in a different working environment.

Economic crisis makes accessing to the UK market more difficult than in 2003, however I feel that a different culture  makes possible to people to access to  learning opportunities that are not available in their own country.

Great number of  Spanish have decided leaving, some have already done it and others are thinking of doing it. My recommendation is to be well informed, save and practice the language but above all not be paralyzed if you don´t have all the ticks in the boxes for that role that you are looking for. Having a work experience abroad can help you to know you better, to improve and to value small things that we might not appreciated before we left.

If you are thinking of moving abroad I would recommend to read the following article:

 http://economia.elpais.com/economia/2012/07/20/actualidad/1342785121_986509.html