Fancy going
international?
The world
is truly getting smaller. The
all-consuming trend of globalisation is dramatically changing peoples'
attitudes to where they will work and live.
More people are keen to see the world and experience living overseas, at
least for a few years.
This
article looks at those features which have accelerated this growth in
“international recruitment”, such as
·
Budget
airlines
·
The
growth of multi-nationals
·
Mutual
recognition
·
Working
from home
·
Globalisation
of salaries
and then
gives you advice on how to go about getting the right job abroad for you.
je ne parle
pas anglais
The
phenomenal success stories of airlines such as Easy Jet and Ryanair
have thrown up some unexpected benefits for the business community. Whereas traditionally
these airlines had targeted the holiday traveller, keen on a bargain flight to
the Costa del Pollutedo for the price of a few
glasses of Sangria, they have in fact opened up the possibility of commuting to
work in a foreign country for little more than the price of a train fare into
central London. UK employees can consider potential employers in major
financial services centres such as Zurich, Cologne, Paris, Dublin and Amsterdam
without having to move home. They can nip down to the local regional airport
for an early flight to the destination of their choice, put in a day’s work
overseas and take the last flight home in time for the late evening news. Some
employees have been allowed the option of working from home Monday and Friday
(see below) and, to compensate, put in late hours on Tuesday to Thursday while
they work abroad.
no hablo inglés
With
increasing globalisation, the majority of us probably now work for
multi-nationals with offices in various overseas countries. One of the benefits
often touted by these companies is the option of a seamless internal transfer
to an international posting. By opening these doors, it has opened our eyes to
foreign possibilities – employees can change country without changing employer
and employers can gain access to relevant personnel without the time, effort
and expense of an external recruitment process.
One
qualification, one world – your passport to travel. The mutual recognition
agreements signed by the various Actuarial Institutes in the UK, the US, Canada
and Australia have facilitated global trade in actuarial services, allowing
actuaries and employers alike access to a professional marketplace on a scale
not seen before.
non parlo inglesi
Broadband,
video-conferencing, cheap flights and the scarcity of suitably-experienced
personnel have encouraged employers to consider allowing employees the option
of working from home as means of attracting, and retaining, valued staff. There
are increasing instances of employees working from home a few days a week, and
travelling abroad to their employer for the remainder of the week. A lot of the
old barriers have come down (cost, lack of technology, culture & attitudes
and work practices) - now all that is left is the barrier of time travel and I
look forward to the day when the phrase “beam me up Scottie” is common
commuting terminology.
As the barriers to
travelling come down, salaries go up.
Employers increasingly find themselves competing for employees
interested in working in a variety of different countries and therefore the
company has to be aware of salary levels in these overseas markets. And while local conditions still influence,
there has been a noticeable "internationalisation" (upwards!) of salaries
and benefit packages. This is particularly the case for the more senior
employees, who are often offered ex-pat packages while working abroad. Thus
they get the benefit of living in a different environment and culture while
being paid a home-country package – the best of both worlds !
If you
make the decision to move abroad, how do you find out about job opportunities
in your chosen destination, particularly where there are language problems?
A good
starting point is an international actuarial recruitment agency, ideally one
with affiliate offices based overseas so they really do have local
expertise. Even at a basic level the
benefits are obvious. They -
·
Will
know the key companies who may be interested in your skills & what jobs are
currently available
·
Can
advise on what skills are in demand in your chosen market
·
Can
overcome any language difficulties
·
Can
help you with information on salary / benefit levels, work permit information
·
Can
provide guidance on CV writing and the particular style that is preferred in
each country (e.g. in Australia & South Africa CV’s are typically several
pages long compared to the preferred 2 or 3 in the UK).
All of
this will save you days of research and can ensure that you are in the best possible
position for being offered, firstly an interview due to a well-targeted CV, and
then the job.
The
following points apply equally whether you are looking for a role at home or
abroad but become more important when it’s the international market that you
are targeting as you are likely to have less knowledge yourself and are
naturally more reliant on the agency.
Find one agency dealing with all of the
actuarial employers in the region that you are interested in and can therefore
manage the whole process in a more efficient way for you.
Ask around for personal recommendations -
actuarial friends or trusted colleagues who could give some feedback on
agencies they have used.
Some agencies employ actuaries as
recruitment consultants. This adds extra
value to the process in that the actuary has the technical background to fully
understand your skills. They are likely
to have a number of personal contacts in the industry and therefore will have a
good insight into the different employers.
Another option is to contact a few
agencies. By talking to them about a
particular market, you will quickly get a good feel for how much knowledge the
consultant has and their level of experience.
1.
Initial
discussions
The first step in the process would be for
the recruitment consultant to find out what you enjoy doing and whether a move
is right for you. It is easy to be
affected by a particularly bad period of work and by exploring your reasons for
looking elsewhere and asking searching questions the consultant can assist you
in deciding whether you really want to move.
Also they should explore your reasons for wanting to move abroad and
whether they are realistic, discuss financial and cultural considerations with
you and how it may affect your future career path.
2.
Research
& knowledge of the vacancies
By knowing the market and what companies
are actively recruiting and advertising vacancies at the current time, the
amount of research that you personally have to do is drastically reduced. Also, many companies take on staff for
vacancies which are not advertised very widely and in this instance, the
recruitment consultant will know who is the best person to call to find out
about such positions and will carry out this search for you.
3.
CV
writing guidance
The CV is the first tool in marketing
yourself to a company and so it is crucial that is accurately brings out your
skills, particularly transferable skills and strengths and targets the
vacancies available. Having established
which vacancies are available and matched up those with your preferences, the
consultant can then provide detailed advice on putting together a CV.
This should be in the preferred format for
the country concerned and won’t necessarily be the same as you would use for a
role domestically.
4.
Personal
recommendations
Where a consultant has built up a good
reputation with employers or via their own contacts then their personal
recommendation will also help in gaining you an interview. This aspect can be enhanced where the
consultant themselves is an actuary and hence has a certain level of
credibility, as well as personally knowing a number of key decision makers.
5.
Interview
practice
Tips on interview technique and even the
opportunity to do practice interviews with the consultant can then follow. These can be invaluable, particularly if you
have not had an interview for several years or have previously been turned down
after interview and are not sure of the reasons why. As a trained interviewer the consultant can
give you constructive feedback on how you are coming across, how to demonstrate
your strengths effectively and even tips on what are good questions to ask. The consultant’s technical knowledge is also
useful as inevitably you will be asked technical questions in the real
interview so it is a good idea to practice answering this type of question.
6.
Salary
negotiations
Many candidates find it hard to negotiate
successfully and again this is a process where the consultant can add value and
do the negotiating on your behalf as well as checking any concerns or queries
that you may have.
They will have a good feel for what is an
appropriate level of salary for the position and so can ensure that you receive
an appropriate offer.
To
paraphrase from the Blues Brothers “we’ve got a full tank of gas, half a pack
of cigarettes, an actuarial qualification, it’s dark and we’re wearing
sunglasses”. With a well-recognised qualification, the world is our oyster. The
only limitation may well be our imagination – a recruitment agency can’t really
help with that, but we can help you with everything else.
Paul Walsh