Career advice: Consider Various Challenges Before Searching for a Job Overseas

In today's global economy, more and more Americans are choosing to work overseas for the personal and career benefits that come with international work experience. An article we recently read on CareerBuilder.com by Micky Baca suggests you do the following before making the move overseas:

• Talk to people who've lived in the proposed job locale.
• Determine your personal ability to adjust to the cultural and lifestyle differences. Since you're interested in England, the linguistic and cultural barriers will be far less significant than if you'd chosen a non-English speaking country.
• Consider the impact that an overseas move will have on your family.
• Investigate the effect the move will have on your career. An international work experience is highly valued by most companies and is even a prerequisite for some executive-level positions.
• Understand that returning to America will be another adjustment you may have to face.

Also, you mention that you'll need to apply for a work visa. Understand that this isn't an easy task because only an employer, not an individual, can fill out a work-permit application. Its primary objective is to demonstrate that a suitable candidate for the post isn't already available in that country's work force. If the company you work for has a London branch, find out if you can be transferred to a position there. If this isn't the case, you'll need to be persistent and creative to find a way to realize your dream.

As a first step, you might want to visit http://londonofficejobs.co.uk to find job openings in London. Search for the field and job title you're interested in, and see if a job comes up that interests you. Finally, for information on how Americans can plan a move to a foreign country, check out http://overseasdigest.com.