Offshoring Yourself for a Better Job - CareerAlley

Offshoring Yourself for a Better Job - CareerAlley We may receive compensation when you click on links to products from our partners. Companies everywhere are outsourcing and offshoring work, sending IT, manufacturing and even front-line customer service jobs to countries with far lower costs of living. That means fewer jobs for workers in the United States, but it also means opportunity. Instead of waiting for your job to be offshored, decide to offshore yourself. Find a place youve always wanted to live, and look for an effective, strategic way to apply your skills. Here are a few ideas to consider: Teaching Yes, many young Americans participate in teach English abroad programs like the famous JET program in Japan. However, youre a professional adulttake it one step further by opening up your own freelance teaching studio. Plenty of wealthy parents in Japan, China, Singapore and India are eager to pay good money for one-on-one tutoring in English, mathematics or music. Who should do this:Talented, passionate teachers unable to find opportunities in the US, or current doctoral candidates/adjuncts unable to find a tenure-track job in academia. Writing How do professional web writers manage to stay afloat when rates are sometimes as little as $12/hour? They find places to live that arent the United States. Many professional freelance writers establish residencies in cosmopolitan cities with a low cost of living (Bangkok and Berlin are a popular options), and then write for American publications. Theyre the ones grabbing up all of those freelance jobs you cant afford to take, since their rent and cost of living is only 1/3 the cost of yours. Who should do this:People who have already built up a small freelance writing practice and have two or three long-term clients. Dont make this move unless you already have writing experience under your belt. Medicine The health care system in the US is in disarray; even though it is one of the fastest growing industries in the country,the desire to get more for less is squeezing doctors, nurses and other staff to the breaking point. Many medical professionals are choosing to open practices overseas, where doctors get to spend more than five minutes with each patient and where medical treatment is not burdened by the US health insurance system. You do, of course, have to be re-licensed in your new country of residence, but many countries are eager for trained and talented doctors. The other alternative is to start your medical training in a foreign country. As a reference point, consider theAUA Caribbean medical school, whichprovides world-class training in an international setting, effectively preparing students to take their medical careers to multiple countries after graduation. Who should do this:Medical professionals committed to doing good work, or students who want to study medicine but stay out of the US healthcare system. Web, Mobile, Software or Game Development Like many other careers, the high cost of living is pricing people out of taking a year or two to develop a really strong web app, mobile app, software, or video game. If you have a small team willing to travel, take a year, find an inexpensive place to live abroad, and churn out your work. Who should do this:Established, small teams willing to live and work together to create something amazing. Must have a project management plan in place before you move; dont make this a lets see what happens decision. These arent the only careers available to talented people willing to work abroad. See our previous article about the best overseas jobs, including government work, green energy, and engineering. Then make your plans and pack your bags: its time to offshore yourself to a new country. This is a Guest post. If you would like to submit a guest post to CareerAlley, please follow these guest post guidelines. Good luck in your search. Joey Trebif