Candidate Question: How do I get an overseas PR job?
This post is part of series of an on-going candidate question series where the readers post their job search and career questions here and I feature them anonymously.
Q:
I would like to work internationally in either tech or pharmaceutical PR. What resume building steps can I take to best position myself for a job/country change? Are foreign agencies open to hiring US candidates?
A:
You should consider working for an international PR agency that has offices throughout the world. Many of these agencies do offer interested employees the opportunity to work temporarily or permanently in other offices, especially if you have the language skills. Some agencies have international exchange programs allowing employees to experience what it is like to work in another country office for a few weeks up to several months. You may also be able to apply for a full-time transfer if there is a position open in another agency office or transfer to a sister company’s international office if the agency is part of a larger entity.
The more international experience you can gain while working in the United States, the more viable of a candidate you will become for these overseas posts. If you have the opportunity to work on a team with international clients and interface with international media, you can make a better case for yourself when you approach your company for a transfer.
Other related Q & A posts:
When Should You Follow Up on Your Job Application
When Should You Start Job Searching
How to Find a Recruiter for an Entry-level Position
Photo credit: Patrick Q [Flickr]
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Date: February 16th, 2009 / Author: Lindsay
Posted in Candidate Question / Tags: Advice, Career, international jobs, Public Relations
2 Comments - Add yours!
Leslie Forman (March 2nd, 2009)
I’ve lived in China for almost two years and I know many young foreigners that work in PR here. It seems to me that important qualifications are excellent English writing skills and conversational Chinese. For many of my friends, the informal conversations are in Chinese but the writing and editing are in English. The people I know were all living in China when hired (either studying Chinese or teaching English or both.) In my experience only senior people will be sent over from HQ, but young people can be local hires. Local hires (or “halfpats”) earn wages that are higher than Chinese staff of the same age but nowhere near what they would be earning in the US. Good luck!
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This blog is to share my recruiting experiences and discuss thoughts on the job market, PR industry and technology.
Alison Kenney is an independent PR practitioner with more than 15 years of PR consulting experience.
Honza (February 18th, 2009)
Plainly from the Czech perspective, international agencies do hire foreigners, but only to higher functions, like Account Director. The reason for that is an extensive language barrier in CZ.
I encourage you to try all possible foreign opportunities, because it is going to benefit you a great deal!