If one thing is increasingly clear in the jobs market, it’s that it is more global than ever. Employer relocations and overseas hires have jumped after a two-year slump. Meanwhile, the promise of the new “work from anywhere” economy means that an increasing number of top global companies are expanding their hunt for talent to a truly planetary scale, as reported by The Guardian.
This means that, if you want to get the most out of your career, you no longer need to be constrained by geography. However, whether you want to relocate to an exciting new job overseas or want to work for a top employer without leaving your current place of residence, you need to be able to compete with the rest of the world. With that in mind, here are our top tips for standing out in a global jobs market.
Master business English
It remains a cold hard fact that English is the lingua franca of international business. Therefore, if you want to stand out against your peers, you need to master the fundamentals of business English.
Fortunately, with digital platforms like Preply, you can register for dedicated business English tutoring from qualified experts for as little as $5.50 per lesson. You can tailor your learning experience with live classes, which are available 24/7, and take your pick from an array of ‘real-life learning topics’, which is also particularly useful if you are working within a particular niche and want to familiarize yourself with the specific jargon terms you’re most likely to need due to your employment.
If you just need to brush up your business English ahead of an important job interview, investing in these kinds of remote, practical tutoring sessions could be more than enough to set you apart.
Understand cross-cultural communication
If you wish to work in an international context, you must be able to demonstrate an ability to communicate across cultural boundaries. Having a shared language of English is not enough to make meaningful connections with colleagues, partners, clients, and customers.
That’s why you should take the time to ensure you understand the fundamentals of cross-cultural communication, as outlined in this blog post by Rome Business School. Better yet, try putting yourself in real-world situations where such communication is necessary for success, such as volunteering.
Practice adaptation and resilience
This one is especially important if you are planning on physically relocating for a new role. If a company wishes to extend a job offer to you, sponsor your visa, and cover your relocation costs, they will want assurances that you are up for the task of moving abroad to start a new life.
This means that you should demonstrate in your job interview that you are adept at adapting to new situations and remaining resilient in the face of new challenges. Any previous experience you have living and working abroad will prove important at demonstrating this, so it may be worth keeping this in mind and racking up some relevant experiences abroad to bolster your profile.
Know what employers want
The job market across all industries is constantly in flux. New skills and new attributes are constantly falling in and out of vogue. In order to get your foot in the door and ensure that your applications stand out, it is worth keeping abreast of global job market trends so that you can utilize your existing skill set to the maximum possible impact.
For example, read educational articles by sources such as TechRepublic so that you are armed when asked questions like, which coding skills are most in-demand among employers right now? Which personal and management skills are companies in need of at the moment? What are the main software platforms being used by innovative global companies? Having this knowledge to hand will help you tailor your job applications and gain maximum utility from your learning and development.
By following these tips, you can ensure that your job application stands out in the global marketplace. Whether you want to work in Silicon Valley, Shanghai, London, or Stockholm, these are the attributes that will make employers take notice.
