There has always been something romantic and exciting about working overseas and it can also be a fantastic opportunity to travel and see the world with the added bonus of getting paid for it. Opportunities for working overseas include business trips, training and also to be relocated overseas for a special assignment that may last on average two to three years.

Many people I talk with have a strong desire to work overseas and for some - a lack of overseas opportunities can be a motivating factor for leaving their current company. Therefore, for those who do aspire to work overseas, what are the important things to consider?

Although gaishi companies tend to have many office locations around the world it is very rare for them to hire someone in Japan for an immediate overseas position. Therefore if you want to live and work abroad your best bet may be to get a job in a gaishi company and then after proving your competency for a year or two, apply for or request an overseas assignment. Many Japanese companies also have overseas offices and may be more likely to hire someone especially for an particular overseas assignment.

As with any job you are applying for, ensuring you have proper skills and experience to do the job are very important. Of course language competency is vitally important to working overseas and so you may want to consider some additional language study to ensure you can operate on a business level in the overseas environment of your choosing

The great cities of the world like London, New York and Paris have always been priority destinations for those wishing to work overseas, but there are also many (perhaps more) overseas opportunites in emerging economies such as China.
Although working in developing countries such as China may not appeal to some people, depending on the country there can also be a variety of other benefits to living there including having a swimming pool, tennis court and gym in your apartment complex as well as a maid, driver and nanny to take care of you and your family.

As with anything in life there are stepping stones and although your dream is to be assigned to work in San Francisco, it may be a good building block to try for an overseas job in a less glamorous place where no-one else wants to go. After having proved yourself and gained a few years of experience in working overseas it will be much easier to get that dream position of yours.