Illustration by Tetley Clarke
When you landed your first serious tech job, you were probably buzzing with excitement. You faced new and exciting challenges every day, you had more money and probably even more respect. But how do you move forward when the excitement wears off?
Taking a job abroad might be the answer. While packing up and leaving all that you know might seem daunting, moving to another country can offer plenty of opportunities to boost your career. Increased access to information, transferable IT skills and ease of communication all mean that it has never been easier to pursue a tech career abroad. Consequently, the exponential growth of the technology industry over the last 20 years has created a mass of international job opportunities to select from.
How is relocating abroad likely to benefit your IT career?
At the Annual World Economic Forum in January 2018, Jack Ma, Alibaba’s CEO made a strong argument for the active development of soft skills in the future of the tech industry. In his speech, he strongly asserted that because of the progress of AI, the future of career progression in technology belongs not to those with just technical skills, but to those with a combination of “soft” (interpersonal) skills and technical skills.
Focusing on acquiring soft skills in addition to your technical skills could be the most significant thing you could do to boost your career in technology, as “hard” skills supported by a unique array of soft skills cannot be replicated by any written code or robot. This means that employers now more than ever before are beginning to appreciate the role which their employee’s soft skills can have in enabling their organisations to ride the wave successfully.
One of the single most effective ways to rein in all the necessary soft skills you need to advance your tech career is to move abroad.
As tech talent is sought in almost every European country, being open to relocation means that you automatically position yourself to take advantage of a wider pool of global opportunities available.
As tech talent is sought in almost every European country, being open to relocation means that you automatically position yourself to take advantage of a wider pool of global opportunities available. Moving to another country can also offer you plenty of opportunities to gain experience of other cultures and working styles — which is important in a global economy where IT professionals are increasingly mobile and will work on international projects throughout their careers.
Without further ado, here are the main reasons why we believe you should consider making a move:
Resourcefulness and self-reliance
Immersing yourself in an unfamiliar environment with a compulsion to thrive will expose you to the unique situation of having to rely on your own resourcefulness. Having to be more independent and adaptive than you would normally be in your home country. This could bring a new perspective and open up creative channels.
Your foreign work experience will look great on your CV.
Global Networking Opportunities
Working abroad in the tech sector will offer you a chance to foster relationships with people within your field on an international level. Eventually, this will enable you to establish a network of global contacts that might come in handy someday.
Networking on an international level doesn’t have to be just a social exercise, but rather it could be used as a tool for keeping yourself abreast of latest developments and advances in your field. For example, hackathons and interactions with like-minded people from different backgrounds could help you gain access to a network of friends you could rely on (or offer) for technical advice.
If you eventually decide to move back to your home country, you could also draw from these relationships, positioning yourself as someone who could bring valuable business contacts, regional knowledge and key contacts to companies at home looking to expand.
Cultural intelligence
The best way to develop cultural intelligence is by immersing yourself in the culture, traditions and social norms of the country you’re living in. Cultural immersion helps you gain some insight into different ways of thinking and living, and this insight is a trait increasingly sought after by employers as most companies seek to gain more of an international presence for their brands.
In an increasingly globalised society, learning to accept and appreciate cultural differences is definitely a good move for your career, as well as a huge plus for tech companies.
Multilingual edge
In the global economy, tech companies that serve customers across various countries often need to recruit skilled people who can communicate with more than one target audience. In addition to this, the ability to communicate technical concepts in other languages such as Portuguese and German is one ability that is increasingly valuable to employers, as well as the ability to communicate in the language of emerging markets (such as Russian and Mandarin).
Being a multilingual “techie” turns you into a key asset that can form a vital part of a company’s growth strategy — whether it is trying to capitalise on opportunities for growth in overseas markets, or gain entry into a new market on a national level.
Improved communication skills
A high level of effective communication is a key feature of any high-performing team, and working with people from other backgrounds is one effective way to develop effective communication skills. By exposing yourself to different working styles, you are inadvertently strengthening your communication skills and confidence as you progress through your career.
New learning opportunities
The set of skills popular in your home country might be limited, and moving abroad could be a great way to learn new technical skills and actually put them to use within a profitable organisation. Not only will you expand your skillset, but also your marketability.
Personal satisfaction
If you have a penchant for adventure and are eager to learn about the cultures of the world, working abroad may help satiate your intellectual curiosities.
By exposing yourself daily to the challenges of working in a new country, you will grow in yourself your sense of belief that comes with knowing that you can thrive in any situation.
European startups collected a record $19bn from investors in 2017, showing a very stable and vibrant technology scene in the region. Highly industrialised countries such as Germany and affordable but stable countries such as Portugal are an example of attractive destinations for job seekers looking for IT jobs in Europe.
Matching today with tomorrow,
Your Future.Works team
0 Comments