[The Beast1]

What's it like getting a job abroad?

Besides the passive income individuals, have any of you guys tried to get a real job or start a business? How marketable would an America be if he just walked off of the plane with a resume and CV in hand?

Obviously there are a lot of factors, but I'm curious to hear some expat stories.

[2014]

location and business idea are big factors

[GyopoPlayboy]

2014's right: location matters a lot, mainly due to your visa status. most countries won't allow you to start a business or work on a tourist visa. and obtaining a work-related or business visa usually requires a company to sponsor you or a large financial investment of some kind.

in china, they would be more than happy to give you an english-teaching job if you just walked off the plane and hit up some language schools. other members of this forum frequently link to the Elevator Life guys, who import wine into China, as an example of expats starting businesses abroad. if you run a search, you should find several threads talking about their story.

our go-to member for starting a business abroad would probably be youngmobileglobal. he's an american as well who runs his own show in asia. if he's not too busy, he might chime in with some thoughts.

but to answer your question directly, getting a job abroad is not at all difficult if you just want A job. i'm not sure what you mean by a "real" job, though. any job that puts real money in your hands is real to me.

if you are trying to get hired based on your american-ness, most companies in most countries are only going to want you for your english-speaking/teaching abilities. unless you have some special skill that those companies need that they cannot find within their own country, your marketability as an american will just come down to the fact that you can speak english.

in my case, i've worked a job and started a business abroad but I had a special visa that was tied to my parents, so i'm not sure it would help you much.