Landing a job internationally from a developing country

Applying for jobs in Canada (or the U.S., U.K., Australia, or New Zealand) from a developing country like my country, Morocco, can be challenging if you’re seen as just a random person applying online. That’s why international job seekers often give up, thinking that there’s no chance. But using LinkedIn can make landing a job internationally possible.

To land a job overseas, become known to employers by becoming noticeable and reachable on LinkedIn. To do so, have a strong LinkedIn profile; connect with people; and like, comment and share news stories on your home page. 

To find the right people at the right companies, go to LinkedIn's advanced search (by clicking on the magnifying glass in the search box and then customizing search results by job title, industry, and preferred locations).

Use LinkedIn advanced search to find the right people at the right companies.

Once you have found key people, invite them to connect using a friendly, personalized message (but don't ask for a job in the invitation -- that's too soon!) Once they have accepted, use free LinkedIn InMail messaging to build strong relationships with the people to gain their trust. 

Also join up to 100 LinkedIn groups, particularly join groups in relevant industries that include people living in your target countries. You can find groups by going to advanced search, selecting Groups and then typing an industry, skill, or location into the search box. 

Additionally get endorsements for your skills from respected connections to motivate employers to choose you.

Use your LinkedIn profile section to let employers know of your employment status in their country and include your contact information to make it easy for them to reach you. 

Canadian opportunities for Francophiles

If you are fluent in French, there may be an exciting opportunity for you in Canada. Canada's Francophone Mobility Program (FMP) allows French-speaking international workers to work at companies in English-speaking provinces and territories to bring language equality throughout the country. These French-speaking professionals must be able to work in a managerial, professional, technical, or skilled trade job (Skill Type 0 or Skill Level A or B of the NationalOccupational Classification (NOC)) and must work in a province or territory outside of Quebec. 

The FMP program allows French-speaking foreign workers to work in Canadian provinces and territories outside of Quebec.

The FMP program simplifies the employer’s hiring process and gets a worker ready and willing to work in a short time. The candidate benefits by getting to start his or her career in a wonderful country.  

Through this program, an employer may not be required to apply for a Labour Market Impact Assessment (LMIA), which is usually required before hiring a foreign worker. If the candidate meets program requirements for language and work experience, he or she may be able to live and work in Canada.

Signing up for the program is easy and a work visa typically takes less than one month to receive. Connect with key people at target companies and then message them to learn if it is qualified for the program. 

For a Canadian employer to hire an international worker through the program, it should send the job offer to parisdestinationcanada@international.gc.ca  along with detailed information such as the job title, duties, expected start and end dates, salary and benefits plus the candidate’s resume (CV). FMP will let the employer know if a particular candidate is qualified for hire.  Learn more. 

In conclusion, if you're seeking a job overseas, don’t just apply online. It doesn’t work. Gain needed experience in your home country and then use LinkedIn to engage with target companies and work your way into the job. If you speak French, take advantage of the FMP program to land a great job in Canada.

Guest post by Ayoub Annan -- Thanks, Ayoub! Kathy

Ayoub Annan has a degree in Applied Mathematics and is a bilingual customer service representative in Morocco, where he is also attaining a second degree. He is seeking a position in Canada where he can use his customer service, language, leadership, and entrepreneurial abilities to help a company succeed. He is fluent in Arabic, English, and French and is learning Spanish. He loves to read and is a quick learner who thinks like an owner to make good decisions. Employers can reach him at ayb.annan@gmail.com.

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