We all have a certain degree of attachment to our home countries, but sometimes, to take the steps we want in our career, we need to set our sights overseas.

Finding employment in another country, especially the popular ones like the US, Canada and Britain, takes a lot of planning, hard work and some flexibility.

Here, we’ll go over some of the best advice for finding employment in a foreign country.

Start Searching Early

Securing a job, especially in the more competitive industries, can take several months. If you want to beat the odds that are stacked against you, you need to start your job hunt as soon as possible, allowing you to get your resume in front of the right employer.

Get your resume polished, and make sure it has impeccable English, or whatever the language of your target country is. Your LinkedIn profile should lay out your professional experience clearly and concisely, and highlight the skills that are going to get you the job. The obvious reason for this is that the sooner you start searching, the sooner an opportunity will open up to you.

Aside from that, your residency in a country may depend on you being employed there. You don’t want to need the services of a firm like Hacking Law Practice before you get a single interview. If you want the best chances, you need to have started your job hunt yesterday!

Aim for Less Competitive Cities

Many people, especially in the early stages of their careers, don’t just want to secure a job in a certain country, but a certain city too. While cities with a booming business district such as London and New York have a lot of opportunities, this has led to highly competitive job markets in these areas as well.

If you set your sights on one of these cities, you’ll be up against the best talent from the local area, as well as a lot of high-achieving international talent. Unless it’s your dream to work for a specific branch of a specific country, it’s best to target the less competitive cities.

Austin, Texas

There are many cities in the US, such as Austin and Seattle, that are starving for qualified international workers, yet have far less competitive job markets.

Reach Out to Small and Medium Sized Companies

A lot of newly-qualified foreign students apply to larger companies when they’re looking to move overseas, thinking that these give them a better chance of sponsorship. This isn’t always the case. Multinational companies are up to their necks in applications from jobseekers from all over the world, many of whom have similar skills and experiences. Small businesses, on the other hand, tend to look for a more unique pool of talent. Many of them will be eager to hire bi or multi-lingual international students in order to support their plans for foreign expansion in the future. Small and medium businesses may only hire and sponsor a single international student a year, but often you’ve got a better chance with them than the big guys.

This post has been contributed by Ryan Gatt, it may contain affiliate links.