I have exactly one year to find the new job, and for various reasons I’m interested in getting a job overseas (ouside the US), preferably an English-speaking country. Canada would be ideal. However I’m very inexperienced with the job hunting process and I don’t have much of a network to work with, especially overseas. Overseas also means I need to find an employer who would sponser me for a work visa, which I realize is a tall order. Internet job sites and mailed resumes haven’t produced any responses so far. Any advice on what steps I should be taking next?
I’d also appreciate any advice on companies or types of jobs to apply. I have a Ph.D in astronomy, and while my math and physics are weak for a Ph.D., I have extensive experience in instrument design (system level, not component level) and laboratory work (testing radiation detectors, optics and system-level testing of instruments). I’m getting somewhat burnt out by academia, and at this point I’ll accept any job where I can put my technical background to good use.
If you want to work in Canada, check out BUNAC. They provide you with a work visa that allows you to work and live in Canada for about six months. They also have programs in New Zealand, Australia, Britain, and Peru.
The BUNAC program for New Zealand is open to all US citizens aged between 18 and 35. You may not want to go to New Zealand, that’s your prerogative, but it’s an idea at least.
Sorry, I should have mentioned that I’m a Japanese citizen and won’t be eligible for US military jobs. (I’m currently living in the US on a J-1 exchange visa which expires in a year.)
New Zealand and Australia would be fine, but BUNAC doesn’t recruit in Japan as far as I can tell. I will check out the immigration requirements for Australia, thanks for the link. I did check Canada’s some time ago and found I’m eligible.
Any advice on how to get in touch with a potential employer for a full-time supposedly-permanent job, and get them to take me seriously?
Here’s a list of job vacancies at the UK Lab where I worked before I retired.
Being Japanese could be a good selling point for you as they often have collaborations with Japanese groups. I think it’s relatively easy to arrange a work permit if they can say that they are unable to recruit a suitable Brit.
Good luck wherever you end up.
The Peace Corps will teach you another language, and you’ll get to travel overseas, meet all kinds of interesting people, and do some good in the process.
I think after two years, they give you $15,000 or so, which is enough to start a small business for yourself, if you’re so inclined.
iirc, japan and australia have a reciprocal working holiday visa. it meas you can work in australia visa free for 1 year. my info is waaaay out of date but check into it
This is very true. If English/Japanese bilingualism is needed in the job, there’s not many suitable non-Japanese candidates. I have one friend who’s found herself getting into rather cushy jobs with this being the only factor to distinguish her from other more experience people - and she hasn’t lived in Japan since she was 12.
From what I can see on a brief check, you’d qualify for the Highly Skilled Migrants Programme, providing you’ve got three years experience at graduate-quality employment, and earning more the £40k/year. And you may still qualify without both of those being the case - the PhD by itself gets you 30 of the 65 points required. The advantage of this scheme is that you don’t have to have obtained a job before applying - you’d be free to apply for any jobs after having got the clearance, which makes you more attractive to employers (because they don’t have to jump through the hoops to get you a work permit).
Thanks for the link, but according to an on-line point calculator, I don’t qualify for this. I’d have to find an employer first and then beg them to get me a visa.
China Guy, a quick google search hasn’t turned up anything but I’ll keep looking, thanks for the tip.
Peace Corps is an interesting idea, it may do me good. But I’m more interested in finding a place to settle down than to just “see the world,” and I’m not sure Peace Corps would be a good start for that.
I was talking with someone at the airport a couple weeks ago who mentioned his daughter connecting with a DC-based organization called Interaction, I believe. They link people, especially technical people, with all kinds of overseas work opportunities. Try Google.