How To Get a Job Abroad NOW . . . You Can Thank Me Later

If the title of this article isn’t obvious, I’m a HUGE fan of working abroad. Amon and I lived and worked in Spain and Japan for almost ten years. Two words: Life Changing.

First, the most obvious life changing benefits from living and working abroad: 1) meeting new people; 2) learning about different cultures; and 3) learning a new language. Second, the not-so-obvious benefit - you can save, save, save . . . MONEY!

When we lived and worked abroad in Spain and Japan, our employer paid for our housing and all of our utilities. Rather than spend that saved money on designer clothing, fancy dining, and hot-air balloon rides (that’s a thing, right?), we invested that saved money. In fact, we saved and invested so much money while living and working abroad, that we ultimately reached financial independence and retired two years earlier than we expected.

So, why am I sharing this? Reread the title of this article, man (or woman)! Getting a job abroad has huge benefits when you’re pursuing FIRE - especially when you can find a job with an employer that pays for your housing. If you have any interest in working abroad and living rent and mortgage free while living abroad, this article will get you started on your job search! Below is a list of five different categories of employers that seem to always have jobs abroad - many of which also offer free housing to their employees working abroad.

1. United States Federal Government

When Amon and I worked in Spain and Japan, we worked for the U.S. federal government. While working there, we got paid our regular salaries AND we also got our housing and utilities paid for in full. Of course, you’re not limited to just Spain and Japan if you want to work abroad for the federal government. In fact, the federal government is the largest US employer abroad - with thousands of jobs in more than 120 different countries. To look for jobs with the federal government, go to www.usajobs.gov.

2. Large Corporations

If you don’t want to work for a government entity, large corporations are a great way to go. These types of large corporations are typically headquartered in the U.S. but have field offices throughout the world. Google is a great example of this. It’s headquartered in the U.S., but it also has field offices in more than 60 locations throughout the world. And Google isn’t just a tech company that only hires techies. They have jobs around the world for people in merchandising, sales, marketing, customer service, data science, security - the list goes on. To search for Google jobs around the world, go to: https://careers.google.com/jobs/.

3. Travel Companies

Naturally, because of the very nature of service, there are tons of travel company jobs abroad. If you’re interested in working for a travel-type company, check out AirBnB. AirBnB has jobs in over 57 locations throughout the world in more than 350 different departments. They hire people in all sorts of disciplines, including jobs in facilities, marketing, photography, art and design, and safety positions. As a plus, their offices seem to be very worker friendly. They offer their employees free food and snacks, paid volunteer time, and a credit for annual travel and experiences. To search for jobs with Airbnb, go to https://careers.airbnb.com/.

Hilton Worldwide is another great travel company option. Hilton employs more than 165,000 people in more than 90 countries around the globe. And they’re everywhere! They have jobs in Morocco, the Netherlands, Peru, Poland, the Bahamas, Greece - Basically, anywhere that you might have considered living, Hilton probably hires there. Plus, Hilton was recently named the number 2 best workplace in the world. To search for a job with Hilton, go to https://jobs.hilton.com.

4. International Schools.

If you find the right international school to work for abroad, you can find some great benefits! If you’re not a teacher, don’t skip past this category too quickly. Of course, international schools hire teachers. But they also have other available positions that don’t require a teaching credential (e.g., nurses, coaches, admin assistants, sports directors, etc.).

If you’re interested in teaching at an international school, check out www.teachaway.com. The site lists different jobs at international schools in different countries. I recently did a random search on the site and found jobs that included free housing, a free trip back home for vacation, a sponsor, and free schooling for someone that moves abroad with children. Of course, benefits vary from place to place, but teachaway.com offers jobs in various locations throughout the world. If you’re interested in working in a school environment, this is a great site to begin your search.

5. Intergovernmental Organizations

Finally, number five on this list (and remember, this list is NOT all-inclusive): Intergovernmental Organizations. If you’re interested in working for an intergovernmental organization, check out jobs with NATO. The majority of NATO jobs are located in Europe. And NATO has some diverse jobs - jobs in political-military work, defense, security and diplomacy, engineering, resource management, administration and management or information technology. If you’re interested in working for NATO, you can visit: https://www.nato.int/cps/en/natolive/recruit-wide.htm.

The World Trade Organization (WTO) is another great intergovernmental organization to check out. WTO offers numerous opportunities for people to work at their headquarters in Geneva, Switzerland. They have openings for attorneys, legal officers, trade policy analysts and specialists, research economists and statisticians, press officers, translators and interpreters, and professionals in finance, IT, and HR. WTO offers free housing for employees who work abroad, a free trip back home every two years, 30 days paid leave, and federal holidays (totalling almost 40 days of paid leave each year!). To get a job with the WTO, check out https://erecruitment.wto.org/public/.

So there you have it - a list of five different categories of employers that you can check out to find a job abroad. Take action and start your job search today . . . You can always thank me later!

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