Lots of African citizens seek international job opportunities. However, they are unsure of the procedure and steps to take to land a high-paying international job, particularly, while they still reside in Africa. Fortunately, our team of experts have carefully crafted the necessary steps to securing a high-paying international Job while in Africa.
But before we walk you through this guide, let’s take a look at the benefits and challenges of international jobs for Africans:
Pros
- Opportunity to travel and explore other nations.
- Get to work and team up with new faces.
- Get to learn new skills.
- Opportunity to master or perfect a new language.
- Help in boosting resume.
- It’s an opportunity to expand both personal and professional networking experience.
- Earn in good and high currencies.
Cons
- The cost of traveling abroad is high, which may, however, not be affordable for middle-class citizens.
- For freshmen, there are lot of paperwork to fill out.
- Due to the language and accent differences, communication will pose a challenge.
- Adapting to a new national and political policy. Every nation has its unique dos and don’ts.
- Partnering with new people might pose a challenge.
- Distance communication with loved ones.
- You may face racism.
Why You Stand a High Chance of Securing an International Job As An African
Africans stand a high chance of securing high-paying international jobs in the global market for a variety of reasons, which include:
Language proficiency: Africa is a multi-lingual continent, holding the position as the second continent with the most languages after Asia. With a vast number of languages spoken, and a commendable ranking in the English Language, securing an international job can be easy. This linguistic versatility also serves as a route for the company to expand their brand and explore different cultural markets.
Education Attainment: Every year, over 12 million graduates from Africa enter the labour market. This shows that Africa has a strong academic background. Remember that companies value education and experience, hence you have a high chance to compete with candidates.
Talent And Innovative Mindset: International companies are seeking to employ candidates with talent and innovative mindsets, particularly, industrious companies. Lucky for you, Africa, with its diverse culture and people, is a home of young and inspiring talents. Hence, if you are seeking to work abroad and outside Africa, stay ahead of other competitors by having skills that stand out.
Networking: Recently, Africa has been gaining global recognition, thanks to its culture, art, tourism, and more. This global recognition also serves as a networking strategy, connecting Africans with international industries seamlessly.
How To Secure a High-Paying International Job
Choose an In-Demand Career Path
Before you begin exploring different routes to land an international job, identify your value. Take your time and research and choose the high-paying and in-demand career path. This part is one of the vital parts of securing a job abroad. In addition, ensure you have an additional skill to your career, this will help you outrank other competitors. For instance, as a data analyst, you can add to your portfolio coding languages such as R, SQL, and Python. This approach will make you rank higher above others. Nevertheless, while there are various careers to choose from, which of them will eventually offer a high salary? Below is a list of in-demand and high-paying international jobs for Africans:
- Software Developers/Engineers
- Data Analyst
- Full Stack Developers
- IT Professionals
- Management Consultant
- Healthcare
- Working remotely
Gather The Necessary Requirement
Familiarize and gather the requirements for securing a high-paying international job. This may include getting your international passport, customizing your CV or resume, and applying for a visa or work permit.
To successfully secure an international job, it is important to have all these work-abroad requirements. However, some employers may request additional documents, to ensure you have all the necessary paperwork to show that you’re ready to work abroad.
Furthermore, you can research the company’s and country’s working requirements.
Choose The Country Where Your Skill Is In High Demand
The next to do is choose a country where your skill is in high demand and they value the applications of Africans. This is one of the important steps in securing a high-paying job internationally. So, start by doing some research and finding a country that is interested in your skill.
When choosing a country to work with, you have to consider other factors like travel expenses, safety, taxes, and accessibility.
These factors ensure the ease of traveling abroad for work. So, do your research and ensure you know what you’re getting into.
Identify the Paying Industry
Once you’ve figured out which country needs your skill, proceed to identify the best-paying companies in the country. Depending on your skill, experience and certificate, different companies offer different salaries. Therefore pick the ones that offer a high and captivating salary pay. You can successfully secure the best-paying industries by following these processes:
1. Networking
Most Africans who are working internationally secure their spot abroad through networking or what we refer to as connection. Networking simply involves connecting and creating relationships with potential employers, recruiters, or industry professionals. It also involves connecting with friends, neighbors, colleagues or mentors, who are working abroad or has someone working outside the country. Keep in mind that the more you network yourself, the higher your chance you get to securing a high-paying job abroad.
2. Make Use Of Job Search Sites
Another alternative to identify and apply to high-paying industries is to make use of job search sites. There are different job search sites out there designed to help you deliver your CV to different industries ready to hire skilled professionals. While there are plenty of job search sites, the most popular and widely used in securing international jobs include:
- Indeed
- Glassdoor
- CareerBuilder
- TotalJobs
- Reed
- And More!
Above is a list of job sites you can use to secure high-paying jobs abroad. However, to begin with these sites, you’ll have to set up an account with them. Creating an account on any job site is a straightforward process.
Simply follow the site’s prompt and proceed to set up your profile. Notably, when setting up your profile, ensure it contains the required detail that will make you stand out among other job seekers.
3. Engage in Online Forums and Communities
Alternatively, you can engage in online communities or forums available on sites like Facebook, LinkedIn, X (formerly Twitter), and so on. These communities serve as a networking service, providing an avenue for recruiters and job seekers to meet and connect. In these forums, job seekers post and share their experiences and professionalism, and interested recruiters connect with the participants. Alternatively, recruiters can also share their job offers, and interested candidates will proceed to connect with them.
Build and Maintain Your Online Presence
The benefit of your social media goes beyond posting pictures and sharing memes, it also helps in building your online presence. Building your online reputation increases your public awareness and provides visibility to your skill and professionalism.
In addition, your online presence serves as a digital collection of everything you do online, providing recruiters with information that isn’t in your CV. It’s worth noting that many top industries prioritize social media screening, ensuring that the candidate is fit for the company’s future. In other words, they utilise social media screening to determine whether you are fit for a position in the industry or not. Therefore, for job seekers looking for international jobs, particularly Africans, ensure that your online presence is appropriate and promising.
Continue To Enhance Your Profession
As far back as two to five decades, the level of professionalism then isn’t the same as what we are witnessing currently, there have been improvements. That means a professional who was an expert at that time may not be considered an expert in this century if he/she hasn’t been updating his/her skills. This is because there has been a significant update that they can’t adapt to.
Therefore, to avoid losing value in the job market, continuous improvement in skills and qualifications can make you fit in. This approach ensures that you are ready and up-to-date with the requirements needed to secure an international job.
How To Craft a Strong Resume For International Audiences
Crafting a strong resume is one vital factor that can increase your chances of securing a high-paying international job while in Africa. Here is a promising tip and strategy to help you craft a captivating resume:
- Ensure your resume format is accepted internationally.
- Highlight your relevant skills including languages (if any) and years of experience.
- Highlight companies you’ve worked with. Also, provide the duration of the partnership.
- Outline your aim and objective for the company (Ensure it’s captivating).
- Provide a list of your achievements in the field including awards (if any).
- Provide a list of your qualifications and certification.
- Provide contact information including your phone number, email address, social handles, etc.
Sum Up
While we’ve provided a detailed guide on how to secure a high-paying international job, it is crucial to know that the competition is high. Hence you may sometimes have to send your CV to multiple companies before anything positive happens. However, the surest way to overcome this stress is to make relationships with people who have connections. Hence, prioritize networking yourself in the international job market.
