So the wanderlust has hit you again. In the same way that Ishmael dreams of sea at the beginning of Moby Dick, when he feels disenchanted with life on land, many people these days dream of overseas employment opportunities when they become bored of their lives. Unfortunately, most people have no idea how to go about finding jobs working overseas. Even the process of seeking overseas contract jobs--let alone permanent employment--seems intimidating, and they just give up.
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The fact is, it's difficult enough for many people to find jobs in their home countries. There's no quick and easy way to find high-paying overseas jobs, especially if you don't want to commit yourself to moving forever into the country where you plan to live and work.
Why is it so hard to find international jobs overseas? The same reason it's hard to find jobs in other fields, where there are more qualified people than there are jobs to go around. Sure, many countries, such as the United Arab Emirates, are awash in job opportunities--for citizens. However, for an American to find work overseas and remain a US citizen requires no small amount of finesse.
Overseas job opportunities are a matter of networking and "who you know" as much as they are a matter of your qualifications. This is true of most jobs, to some extent, but it is particularly true of employment opportunities overseas. Indeed, overseas employment opportunities are often more a matter of vigorous research and social networking than they are of your qualifications for the job.
Many people fail to find the employment they want abroad because they are actually to restricted in their efforts. They don't apply for jobs that they can do, because they think that they lack experience. However, with overseas work, it's often less a matter of how much experience you have, than it is a matter of being in the right place at the right time.
Overseas employment opportunities are often inadequately promoted. If you look on a big job postings site, or into the "classifieds" section of the newspaper (how old-fashioned), you'll find countless postings for jobs in your city, or in your country. You'll probably find almost no postings for work abroad.
For Americans, the surest path to short-term overseas is typically through the federal government. However, like all governments, the US government tends to be considerably less flexible in how it runs itself than private organizations. This is as true of its hiring practices is as it is of any other aspect of its organization. The federal government and its subcontractors have a narrow pool of contractors from which they hire. Your tasks, as someone searching for overseas employment opportunities, is to insinuate yourself into that circle.