While working abroad seems to be the dream of many, it is also true that such an international opportunity may not be perfectly suitable for everyone. Apart from a job-specific skills set, smartjob.com recommends that potential candidates evaluate their personality to understand if an overseas career is right for them.
To be truly happy in a foreign environment, you should have a keen sense of adventure and the ability to embrace changes easily. While being abroad, it pays to keep an open mind and be curious about cultures unfamiliar to you.
It is normal to be stressed while dealing with culture shock when you first move to a new country. Therefore you should have the emotional strength to adapt effectively in your new life. A keen sense of humour will never go amiss either.
When in Rome, do as the Roman does. Your tolerance and sensitivity to the local culture will be crucial for you to integrate into the community. Of course, the easiest way to do this is to master the local language, if English is not widely spoken.
At your new job, everything from your colleagues to work culture will be foreign to you. Don’t despair; a strong sense of independence and self discipline will go a long way to help you be more productive at work. If you are naturally organized and a people person, then you will find this even easier.
To thrive in your new overseas job, it is always part luck, part aptitude. www.smartjob.com would recommend you to evaluate your personal attributes and set realistic pre-depature expectations to set yourself up for success.
Finding an overseas opportunity used to be a daunting maze, fraught with issues, challenges and even scams. However with smartjob.com, you have all the resources and knowledge you need to discover your career overseas, just a few clicks away.
Your first port of call is always the handy advanced job search panel on smartjob.com. You’ll be amazed how easy it is to find available vacancies with reputable employers at a country of your choice. With easy filtering functions, such as by industry and job functions, getting closer to a suitable opportunity is no longer a digital nightmare.
The resource station section is also jam packed with great career tips and real life insights for those looking for inspiration and guidance while considering a career move overseas. Smartjob.com understands that such a life-changing decision is never to be taken lightly; the more thought out the decision, the better. This is why the editorial team at smartjob.com has painstakingly produces amazing content to help you move in the right direction.
If you have a burning question in mind, look no further than smartjob.com’s Career Doctor section. Real people, real problems, real experts, and real solutions. In partnership with Classified Post, you can now voice your concerns and ask for advice on getting and building a career overseas.
With a large variety of resources and tools available, smartjob.com is your perfect online partner to get you one step closer to your dream job overseas.
They say grass is always greener on the other side. Working overseas has always been a dream to many smart job seekers, especially in the early stages of their career. Working abroad doesn’t have to be just a dream with these practical tips from smartjob.com. smartjob.com makes it easy to keep a lookout for overseas jobs. You can search for jobs by specifying overseas locations, or create timely email alert so that when an opportunity is available, you’ll be notified.
smartjob.com offers comprehensive tools to search for overseas job postings
Do your research on the hiring company. What’s the work culture like? Are their employees happy? Is the pay structure attractive?
Learn more about the environment. To live in a new country is different from traveling for leisure. A good place to start is expat community forums, as they often address specific concerns of foreigners living in the country. You can even start making friends immediately!
More Hongkongers are crossing the border.
Calculate your cost. Your main expenses will be accommodation, transportation, food and entertainment. Depending on country these differ vastly; smartjob.com recommends that you speak to an expat already stationed there for practical advice. It helps to know exactly how much your future employer will subsidise, and and how much will come from your own pocket. Get started on the local language. Knowing even a few commonly-used phrases is a smart way to help you settle down and get around. Improving on your English will not go amiss either, as this is spoken in many countries.
Working abroad is both an exciting and challenging prospect. Be open minded and try to see things from a wider perspective. You may just be in for the ride of your life.
Networking is one of the most effective ways to expand your influence. The more professionals that know you, the higher your chance of being offered a promising job opportunity. Walking into a room full of strangers can be daunting, so how do smartpeople network effectively? smartjob.com has some easy tips to get you started.
A quick introduction is key to effective networking. smartjob.com recommends that you prepare an elevator speech – a quick introduction in 15 seconds or less. Include your name, current profession, and why you are excited to be at the event. End your speech with a question to keep the conversation going. “How about you?” always does the trick.
Attending an event is only the first step. Create a clear goal to achieve by the end of the event. The easiest objective would be to get a specific number of name cards by the end of the event. Start with a small number, and build up your goal from there.
Acting smart is also important in developing connections. Be polite, attentive, and listen. Ask questions to get more details and always make eye contact. smartjob.com has other great tips on body language in the professional world.
Name cards are one of the most effective ways to make your name stick in a new contact’s mind. In a culture as diverse as Hong Kong, smartjob.com recommends having one side of your name card printed in Chinese and the opposite side in English. Make sure to have updated and accurate contact information on your name card.
After the event, hop on the internet and follow up by sending the people you met an invite to connect on LinkedIn, following them on Twitter, and subscribing to their blogs. Always be sure to remain in their radar in a respectful, non-intrusive manner.
Networking effectively takes time and practice. As your network grows, you’ll find yourself face-to-face with your dream career before you know it.
As a rule to success, effective networking is a key people skill you must learn as you climb the corporate ladder. While nothing beats the real life experience of meeting new people and getting to know them, there are now many online sites that simplify this for you. As Hong Kong’s leading online job portal, SmartJob.com has some great social media networking advice for you to follow.
LinkedIn is considered the Holy Grail of professional networking online. It is no longer just nice to have a LinkedIn profile; not having a complete profile can put you at risk of being ignored by potential recruiters and employers. Many of your colleagues past and present have a profile on the platform, and connecting to them opens up their connections to you. Build your LinkedIn empire tactfully and professionally with the help of SmartJob.com.
Although Facebook is quite the “social” website, joining the right Facebook groups with members from your industry or profession will be well worth the effort. Most of these “honeypots” are invite-only groups, so work on those relationships and get clued in. A great way to start is by joining social media events in your area and to get to know digital influencers. SmartJob.com also lists great professional smartevents to further help your networking.
Twitter and Sina Weibo make networking easy. Since messages are public, you can join any ongoing conversations and meet like-minded people. Following hashtags is the easiest way to get started. You can also follow SmartJob.com to meet other local professionals like you!
The key to success network online is to bring your relationship offline and nurture it in real life. Having a digital life certainly makes connecting with like-minded professional easier, but nothing beats a firm handshake and a smile.
Networking is one of the most important aspects of finding a job and growing in your career. In a world full of likes, shares, and tweets, it’s crucial to know how to maintain a professional networking presence in social media. Smartjob.com helps you network professionally with advice from smartpeople at their timeline and through their own social media sites.
A Google search can easily reveal your social media profile. Be sure to remove any photos, statuses, or tweets that you don’t want your current or future employers to see. Your boss won’t be too happy to see that all the drinking you did last night gave you a “killer hangover” that you’ll be bringing to work. Also make sure to keep the work-related complaints to a minimum; never insult your boss or coworkers publicly. Not only is it rude, but it’ll catch up with you in the long run.
Tweet your way into your dream job with Twitter. Creating a Twitter handle like “NancyPR” makes it clear what your forte is and what you’re looking for. Follow companies that you’re interested in working with to build your network and discover openings.
LinkedIn is dubbed the “professional person’s Facebook” for a reason. However, knowing how to use LinkedIn efficiently is essential. Avoid using general skills like “team-player”, “multi-tasker”, and “communication skills”. Instead, use skills that show off your individual strengths. Be sure your profile is 100% complete, including the photo! A missing picture makes your profile less personable and shows that you may not be confident. Stick to a recent, professional headshot and as a good rule-of-thumb: if it’s on your Facebook, it’s probably not a suitable LinkedIn profile picture.
Smartjob.com knows you face international culture everyday. With Hong Kong’s history as a trade port, it has seen more cultural exposure than most other places in Asia. When conducting business, cross-cultural understanding is crucial. It is easy to cause unintended offense with miscommunication based on a traditional background.
When dealing with coworkers and clients from other places of the world, you should be aware of important cultural differences. In places like Germany, Scandinavia, and Australia, verbal communication is weighted heavily and conversation can sometimes be characterized as blunt. This is not the case in high-context Asian cultures where information is delivered less directly, sometimes relying on the unsaid message. In addition, the fast-paced nature of Hong Hong may result in employees like yourself finding mainland business too slow. Another example is the handshake: a polite Asian handshake could appear limp to someone from North America where the strength of the handshake effects how assertive you seem.
Intercultural training and awareness can help foster successful international business. Social and business practices can be researched online for more intricate explanations of cultural differences. Gain insights into the conduct of coworkers, this is the first step to fostering a tolerant and sensitive workplace. Together, people of many backgrounds can work well when placed in a safe environment. Just remember to be aware and let your colleagues help guide you to proper cultural behavior.
Culture is the cornerstone to business. Daniel de Lange of Asia Capital Holdings shares the importance of cultural understanding. Simple steps to better understanding. This is the third episode of a 7 part though leader series sponsored by ServCorp Smart Offices. http://blog.servcorp.com.hk
What is the level of data security in Asia? Paul Rafalowski, Managing Director, Asia Pacific INTRALINKS provides us with industry insider information on the current state and importance of data security. This is the second episode of a 7 part though leader series sponsored by Servcorp Smart Offices.www.so-u.tv
How to set up a busines in Hong Kong. John Barclay of Primasia Corporate Services discusses the ease in which business’ can be set up and maintained in Hong Kong. This is the first episode of a 7 part thought leader series sponsored by ServCorp Smart Offices.
怎樣在香港成立公司?Primasia Corporate Service 的John Barclay為我們解釋如何在香港開設公司.想知道更多,可以繼續收看其餘由六集.本特輯是由ServCorp Smart Office 贊助.
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