How to find jobs in other countries? 1

[digitalcaptive]

I'm an engineer in Canada, with 6 years of experience. I'm not unemployed but I'm getting bored of living here. I've travelled for work extensively, spent some time with my company in Asia and the States so I have some experience with working else where. I want to know how I can look for and be considered for jobs in other parts of the world (mainly places with a better climate, lower cost of living --- thinking the caribbean, south america or south east asia) ... I am not sure where to begin when looking for opportunities outside of Canada. Any advice or suggestions would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks

 

[pennpiper]

Engineer is kind of a Broad term. Can you be more specific?

 

[digitalcaptive]

Background:

By degree, an Electrical Engineer.

Work experience has been mainly in designing control systems for industrial automation.

Currently, a Probabilistic Risk Analyst in the nuke industry. Hate it.

 

[Gorpomon]

http://www.expatengineer.net

It's a start, but honestly I never see good positions on it unless you're up for moving to the Middle East.

 

[PeterStock]

FYI, the cost of living in Puerto Rico where I am now is greater than in the Boston area where I was before this. In part this is because we choose to live where we do, but the general costs are not that different otherwise. And for some things like the foods we are used to have to be shipped in. I has also not been possible for my wife to find work as we only have the one car and there is now public transportation.

Peter Stockhausen
Senior Design Analyst (Checker)
Infotech Aerospace Services

http://www.infotechpr.net

 

[IRstuff]

Basically, many of the places that expatriots are interested in going to have gotten their pricing structures skewed by all the expatriots with way more money than the locals. Even their servants wind up bumping up the local cost of living, simply by having jobs that pay 10x what they could get otherwise.

TTFN

FAQ731-376

 

[digitalcaptive]

I would be interested in going to places where others wouldn't be interested in going to either, provided that the weather is better.

I just need to know where to start. When I see a lot of jobs posted online, even for the States, they mention either being a citizen or a permanent resident and it's even more stringent with security requirements for nuke jobs. Can I still apply for these jobs even though I am not?

I mean, I am coming from Canada. It's not like I'm from Mexico or Pakistan or something. It shouldn't be this difficult to find work elsewhere should it?

 

[MintJulep]

I hear that Iran is looking for nuke engineers.

 

[IRstuff]

"places where others wouldn't be interested in going to either, provided that the weather is better."

Sorry, I hope you realize that these are already mutually exclusive, i.e., "weather is better" is not just a prerequisite for you alone. Admittedly, not all of those other people are necessarily nuclear engineers.

In some cases, those citizen/resident job openings might allow for bringing in foreign workers if they can't get a response in-country, in which case, the company might sponsor you for a residency. Not horrifically likely, but no stone unturned, eh?

TTFN

FAQ731-376

 

[BJC]

Here is a couple of sites that may help you. Both have jobs and forums that can be informative.

http://www.roadtechs.com/

http://www.expatengineer.net/

 

[digitalcaptive]

IRstuff,

They're not mutually exclusive.

They're plenty of countries in the world that are not attractive to foreigners for work and living but have warmer weather than Canada ...

Like say Pakistan, Iran, Iraq, Columbia, Suriname, Cambodia, many parts of Africa...

I'm not a nuclear engineer. I just work in the industry for now.

 

[digitalcaptive]

correct typo: ^"There are plenty of countries.." not "they're ..."

 

[IRstuff]

Well, I would include "fear for life or limb" as part of the weather, myself, which eliminates about 90% of your list. ;-)

TTFN

FAQ731-376

 

[MintJulep]

Do you speak, read and write Pakistani, Farsi, Spanish, Cambodian, Swahili, or whatever language may be spoken in Suriname?

Do you think you will be able to work effectively with the locals if you can't communicate effectively with them? Or do you just expect them to all learn Canadian?

By the way, the weather sucks in many of those places too. 45C and 100% RH is not exactly pleasant, nor are monsoons.

 

[PeterStock]

Puerto Rico is a pardise for the people who come to visit. Warm in the winter etc. But there are two seasons; Hot and Too D**N Hot.

Peter Stockhausen
Senior Design Analyst (Checker)
Infotech Aerospace Services

http://www.infotechpr.net

 

[digitalcaptive]

I was born and raised in Canada but my family is from one of those countries so yes I can speak the language in at least one of the places....but I wouldn't want to go there, only because my extended family is part of the underclass, and they'd expect too much. I know there are western english only speaking engineers working in projects in some of the countries, I just don't know how to get there.

I prefer hot weather and more opportunities. Canada is very stagnant and the cold winters do not suit me.

 

[KENAT]

On the security front, just cause you're a from a 'friendly nation' doesn't buy you much.

I'm from the UK originally and may as well have been from Cuba or something when it came to applying for jobs requiring clearances.

Also, while they usually don't make it clear, you often have to be just a US citizen, they don't like dual.

Posting guidelines faq731-376

http://eng-tips.com/market.cfm?

(probably not aimed specifically at you)
What is Engineering anyway: faq1088-1484​

 

[GregLocock]

The weather in Western Australia is probably better than Canadia. Lots of jobs there, quite well paid.

However...

Cheers

Greg Locock


New here? Try reading these, they might help FAQ731-376

http://eng-tips.com/market.cfm?

 

[bithkits]

Weather in South Africa is AWESOME! The living conditions are fantastic (large houses and properties)

But the pay is not all that great, crime may be an issue for some, and there is no public transport.

I would contact a large South African company like Eskom (electricity/coal and nuclear power stations) or Sasol (oil/coal processing/power stations etc...), or perhaps one of the mining companies to ask for a position if you are interested

Adriaan.
I am an Engineer/part time student (Mechatronics) from South Africa.
Advice from lecturer: "Be warned - when you go into industry your boss will give you a thousand things to do and he wants them done yesterday!" So far he is right...

 

[CastMetal]

Greg,

Now I'm curious, I had looked into western Australia for jobs in new aquaculture projects going on there. What is the However?


My vote is for pacific islands over Caribbean ones.