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June 2012

How does a foreigner find a job in South East Asia?

With the economies of the world in their current challenging economic statuses

more and more job seekers are being lured into the South East Asian job market, but

very few people know how to leverage themselves into the unique job markets of

this region. To give a hands on guide, two of Glasford International

(http://glasford.com/) Partners in Malaysia and Thailand have complied a list of

essential steps to follow within this article. Our advice goes out to those desiring a

new career in South East Asia as well as those foreigners that have been based in the

region and wish to remain. We even hope it will be of help to those souls that have

fallen deeply and madly in love during a vacation.

Map of South East Asia ©Wikimedia

Look within

The best option if you work for a multinational company is to apply for an

“interoffice transfer” to the region. Many companies have policies to consider

internal applicants (even those from abroad) before they look outside their

organizations. These position are by far the easiest to adapt when relocating and

often come with an “even” or even increased salary package for those who are

granted the transfer to an overseas posting. Before approaching your company’s HR

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department, make sure you inform your line manager about your transfer

intentions as your boss will undoubtedly receive a phone fall for a reference check

and you don’t want to be caught in a difficult situation.

Network Abroad

If your chance of an international transfer is not going to happen, its time to start

leveraging yourself in the region with your intentions. The best place to start is by

contacting international associations such as your country’s Chamber of Commerce

or other local intercultural groups. LinkedIn is also a good place to start by finding

other employees who are associated with targeted companies or global executive

recruitment firms like Glasford International. Tell these contacts of your ambitions

and how keen you are to take your acquired experiences to the regional to help their

organizations develop into a truly international company with you potentially

joining.

Make the Move

Its very difficult to convince a prospective recruiter of your abilities by sending

email without actually being physically present in the country that you are looking

to relocate too. The hiring manager is taking a significant risk and will want to meet

with you in person before making a decision. There are thousands of candidates in

your exact situation sending emails, but without being physically present in the

country your chances of finding a position are reduced greatly. So plan a trip with

sufficient time to network and make one on one contacts with Recruitment

Consultants or companies themselves. This requires planning and also sufficient

time and money to ensure you are taken seriously. This also gives you and your

family a good opportunity to truly research the country/city at source.

Tailor your resume and your expectations

This is a crucial step in relocating and including such things as a local phone number

and emphasizing your language abilities in the country of choice is essential. Be sure

to research salary levels as if you are applying in countries of lower costs of living,

be sure to tailor your earing expectations to a reasonable level. If you need advice on

market salaries a good source is contacting a Recruitment Consultancy as they know

first hand what salary levels are and can assist greatly in this regard. Spend time to

research print and on-line as there is plenty of economic data and reports that are

free. A good place to obtain broad cost comparisons between cities could be

Numbeo.com (http://www.numbeo.com/cost-of-living/comparison.jsp).

Be prepared

Being prepared for the potential move is crucial and this includes considerable

research on such things as living costs, housing, local taxation regulations and also

work permits and visa formalities. You will most likely be employed on “local

conditions” meaning you are obligated to the same conditions as a local national

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unless you were lucky enough to get the transfer from your home office to the

country of relocation. If you have a unique skill set coupled with strong network in

the region or a formidable reputation within your profession, then you might be on

the radar for a full fledged expatriate package but this is becoming less common and

applicable for a select few.

Many expatriates that wish to remain in the country after their expatriate contract

expires (typically three years) have to go through the sometimes painful process of

switching to local terms and conditions if they wish to remain. That does not

necessarily spell gloom and doom but it will be felt on the pocket.

Having sufficient information and savings to make the transfer is crucial and more

importantly make sure your expectations are realistic. If you had struggled to find

employment in your home country do not expect to find it any easier in a new

country. As an expatriate you will be only considered if you have something the

locals do not have and if employed you will be expected to work twice as hard to

show it. A potential employer will be taking considerable risks and money to

employ you outside of your own country and its crucial that you are prepared to

work very hard and more importantly “stand out in a crowd.”

Learn the national language

In many South East Asian countries you

can still get away with knowing only

English but ability to communicate in the

local language(s) will provide you with a

powerful added advantage when seeking

work. It will also make you enjoy the stay

so much more.

Many sticks in the fire

Imagine your job hunt through a wide

angle lens. Don’t use a shotgun approach

Local Language & Culture ©daphnegan

spreading your CV like a plague but do use multiple avenues to reach your

destination. Building a relationship with an Executive Search firm alone many not be

sufficient. Always remember that search firm work on assignments from their

clients. The clients are corporations seeking talent and the candidates are the

‘product’. Search firms are thus very dependent on the assignments they have in-

hand. They will only be able to place you when they have a matching opportunity in

hand. That can take time.

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Not every career opportunity goes through a search firm. Company’s go through

multiple means to find talent so it is worthwhile to be pro-active and resourceful.

Continuously review print and on-line media. Most importantly try to engage

directly with the companies where you wish to work.

Be flexible

If you are not prepared to be flexible think twice about moving from your home

country or remaining in a posted country when your expatriate contract has expired.

Most of South East Asia countries are emerging markets. They are exciting locations

but don’t expect it to be the same as your home country. Local companies are very

different from the MNCs so if you have come from a MNCs be prepared for a culture

shock. The work environment here is different. Try to accept people as they are.

Ultimately they will change you rather than you change them. When you are in a

foreign country you must respect different cultures and traditions. If you don’t, life

will become a living nightmare. End of the day, you wanted a new experience so take

it in.

Be considerate

Expatriate failure is not uncommon and the root cause is often that the spouse

and/or children fail to adapt to the new environment. Moving to a new country will

affect everyone in your family so consider carefully. Make sure the move is

something your family wants to experience and not only you. An unhappy spouse

will undoubtedly make you less effective at work.

In many South East Asian countries western style housing and education are at a

premium or in some places hard to find. If you don’t have housing and education

allowance built into your packages please consider these items very carefully before

making a hasty decision.

One region, many differences.

South East Asia is not a singular location and the differences are startling. For most

people it would be far easier to settle into Singapore than rural Laos. There would

also be far more career opportunities in places like Singapore or Hong Kong. Indeed,

these two metropolises could be excellent entry points for new expats as living

there require less adjustment than many other South East Asian cities.

Many countries in South East Asia have restrictions on work permits and many HR

departments prefer not to go through the hassle unless absolutely necessary.

Traditionally Singapore and Hong Kong have been more open to receiving

foreigners and the income levels are also more in line with western levels (and so

are the costs of living).

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A Continuously Changing Landscape

In the old days expatriates came almost exclusively from the west, these days it’s a

much more open and competitive landscape. South East Asia has seen a large influx

of Indian expatriates and Asian expats are in demand. They know the culture and

languages better than their counterparts from the west. Expatriates from Asia have

lowered the hiring costs as they are prepared to work at more localized conditions.

If you can perform the job, and willingness to learn, and adapt to local conditions

then you stand a much greater chance of getting that job. The emblem on your

passport really is not very important. You need to make the decision if it is a

worthwhile trade off.

Stay legal

Some companies may suggest that you work for them without a valid work permit.

We strongly suggest you refrain from this however tempting or risk free it may

appear. If you follow the laws in your home country, there is no reason you should

go breaking them in another country. You really do not want to be messing with

immigration or tax laws.

Last but not least….Be Patient

If you are expecting instant results you are setting yourself up for disappointment.

Seeking a new career takes time anywhere in the world but even more so when you

are exploring opportunities in a country away from home. Also keep in mind that a

country is very different on a holiday than it is when conducting your trade there.

Chances are that you will not be residing in that five star resort and you will need to

adapt to cultural differences and working norms if you stay for a longer period. It is

an enriching experience so enjoy the culture shock.

We hope our advice will be of help.

Santi Campanella Peter Lisney

Director Executive Director

SS Recruitment / Lisney Search /

Glasford International Thailand Glasford International Malaysia

s.campanella@glasford.com p.lisney@glasford.com www.ssrecruitment.com www.lisneysearch.com

Glasford International, the global executive search partnership founded in 1998,

maintains a direct presence in over 40 countries spanning across; Africa, Asia,

Australia, Europe, North America and South America. With over 350 consultants

worldwide, our group provides retained executive search and selection services to

client organisations that require cross border executive recruitment and real-time

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local knowledge. The partnership also provides assessment and associated talent

management solutions. Glasford International is a registered company in the

Netherlands, owned in equal shares by its global partners with an elected Board of

Directors. Global meetings are held twice a year to ensure our partners continuously

keep abreast with international best practices and market developments.

(www.glasford.com)

See this article on: Lisney Search Blog (http://lisneysearch.wordpress.com/)