International Work Experience and How It Boosts Your Career

International work experience can often be the difference between two strong candidates, as well as being both personally and professionally rewarding.

You get the opportunity to explore a new country, immerse yourself in a new culture and meet people from all over the world. The business world is becoming more international than ever and employers are increasingly turning to those candidates that have overseas experience. So get yourself some work experience abroad by registering with Europe Language Jobs, once registered you can filter job vacancies in Europe to include only the industry, language & country/city you want to work in! Pretty useful right? 

If you can complete an international internship or any kind of job abroad then you show yourself as an organised, independent, adventurous candidate to future employers. Maybe this isn't your number one reason for getting some overseas experience under your belt - let's face it, we do it because we love to travel and experience new things - but you cannot underestimate how this period of your life can boost your career. If you want to find a job with your language skills, discover the best jobs for multilingual candidates in Europe right now. 

Ways that international work experience enhances your prospects

Working in a foreign country looks very impressive on your CV and will help your application stand outin the competitive job market. In interviews, you will be able to draw on your experiences that you have had as German-speaking expat and impress the employer with the unique skill set that you have gained. International work experience will also broaden the type of jobs you will be able to apply for and open up new and exciting German-speaking opportunities for you.

Language skills

English speaking countries are abundant in Europe, but if you are looking for a country that speaks German, this is becoming more common too! The demand for German-speaking candidates is growing fast and with this, German communities are becoming more and more present in various parts of Europe. It's an exciting time for German speakers! Who said moving abroad with your German language skills had to be difficult? It's now becoming easier than ever... 

We are always encouraging our candidates to keep on learning, especially languages! Fluency in a foreign language is a skill that organisations greatly value, especially those that operate at an international level as you will be able to communicate with offices abroad. As well as your German language skills, we recommend learning an additional language too, perhaps the native language of the country you choose to relocate to! 

Learning a language is a key example of how international work experience can boost your career, and also shows employers that you can take initiative and are willing to take on new challenges. 

Demonstrates employable skills

When employers and recruiters scan a CV they always look for clues about the person’s character as well as their concrete qualifications. Someone who has stayed in the same country and even city for all of their professional life has less appeal than someone who has, for example, completed an internship or job abroad in a different country, and who have therefore spent time in other cultures and expanding their understanding of the world. 

There are certain skills that you demonstrate by having international work experience on your CV, including:

• Independence 
• Sense of adventure
• Confidence 
• Ambition 
• Open-mindedness 
• Adaptability 

Learn a new way of doing things

You will have a better understanding of how organisations operate internationally and will have greater knowledge about global markets. You will then be able to use this new-found knowledge and in your job role. By working outside of your native country you are also demonstrating to employers that you are culturally experienced and are willing to offer a commitment above and beyond what other candidates might be able to offer.

Grow your global network

When working abroad you will meet people that come from a completely different culture to yourself, and you will learn a lot about the norms and customs of this new culture. This will benefit you in your career as you will have a greater understanding of other countries and will be able to communicate better with them. You’ll also be able to develop a worldwide contact base, which could be extremely beneficial in the future as you may be the first to hear about it when your dream German-speaking job becomes available in an exciting new culture and destination. 

"Make sure to use the work abroad opportunity to the fullest. Join ex-pat groups, network with the locals, collect references and nourish valuable contacts. Your international experience will benefit your career development vastly." - Says Jacques Buffett, Career Expert at International Career Toolbox - Zety.fr  

Self-Development

One of the main things you will notice is that international work experience brings you self-development. You will be thrust into new situations that you might not have experienced before and you will learn how to adapt quickly in these instances. Employers will value this as they will be able to see that you are used to working in unfamiliar surroundings and that when you are pushed out of your comfort zone you can adapt. The experience will also boost your confidence and will give you a greater drive to take on more tasks that you might have previously considered daunting.

If you ever get the opportunity to work abroad and gain some key international work experience it is worth taking it, you will learn a lot and meet a lot of international people. It may seem like a big step to take but it will advance you in your career and you will be a step ahead of candidates that you might see yourself up against in the future. 

It's time to make the most of the opportunity to easily boost your CV & career by gaining international experience! If you are excited by the idea of moving abroad with your German language skills, use the Europe Language Jobs job board to discover where German-speakers are in demand right now. You can filter by language and also by location, start searching now! 

Check out the exciting opportunities at Sutherland in Sofia, Bulgaria. There are various job positions available in Customer Service, Technical Support and Engineering, HR and Recruitment, Quality Assurance, Management and many more!