In talking with engineers based in the U.S., the thought of taking their skills international doesn’t typically enter the calculus. Availability of positions domestically makes looking outside the border unnecessary.
However, there is a sect of engineers who desire more than just an engineering job. They are looking for travel, new cultures, and an opportunity to apply their engineering skills to better humanity in a different way.
What’s an expat?
It wasn’t until nearly a decade into my career that I heard the term “expat” for the first time. By this time, I’d already spent eighty percent of my career outside the U.S., working in South Korea, the U.K. and Germany.
An expat, or expatriate, is someone who temporarily or permanently resides in a country other than that of their citizenship. I discovered from my extended work experiences outside the U.S. that I rather enjoyed being an expat. The engineering work was interesting, working in teams comprised of different nationalities was continuously new, and the challenges engaged all of my faculties.
Where do I begin?
Just like for domestic jobs in the U.S. or Canada, there is a large number of “expat” engineering job sites. A simple web search for “expat engineering jobs” or “international infrastructure jobs” will give you hours of surfing enjoyment.
However, there are a few sites that offer expat engineering in what I consider a ‘vetted format’. These include the following:
Devex. Interested in learning more about global development? This is the site to go to for developing global situational awareness about infrastructure development and geo-political issues. One of the benefits of this site is the extensive jobs board.
From this site a simple search for “engineering” provides you with openings from both private and public sector organizations. This also includes openings with Non-Governmental Organizations (NGOs) if your desire is to support the non-profit space.
USAJobs. Reserved for U.S. citizens primarily, this is the portal into the U.S. Federal Government job market. You can do a search for engineering positions without creating an account, however, you miss out on the functionality of weekly auto-searches that put job reports in your inbox automatically.
To search for engineering positions use the job category search term “Engineering and Architect” or the series designator “0810”. You can also add a specific location, making it easy to target your search to a specific geographical area. The search encompasses all of the Federal Government departments and agencies. Get started at USAJobs (http://www.usajobs.gov).
North Atlantic Treaty Organization. Job availability at this international organization also comes with restrictions: you must be a member of one of the twenty-eight nations that comprise NATO membership. If you meet that criteria, then you have the opportunity to apply for the very competitive engineering positions at one of NATO’s headquarters or agencies.
There are three different sites to go to learn about engineering opportunities with NATO:
NATO Vacancies. This site provides a list of positions available in Brussels, The Hague, and other NATO headquarters locations. However, sometimes it isn’t all-inclusive and some engineering positions aren’t listed. The one benefit of the site is that you do not need to register to use it.
NATO Career Portal. This site is NATO’s repository for career vacancies, it is all-inclusive, and you will have to register to gain access. This is also the site one will use to actually apply for a vacancy. Simple word searches for “engineer” or “infrastructure” will provide resulting vacancies.
NATO Support Agency (NSPA). This site provides a number of engineering and IT vacancies that aren’t carried in either of the other two sites. These include both permanent, term positions as well as consultant openings in both Luxembourg, NSPA’s location, or Afghanistan.
United Nations (UN). Fancy an opportunity to apply your engineering skills in support of humanitarian and disaster relief response in Haiti? How about peacekeeping operations in Dafur? Or disaster risk reduction in Bangladesh? The UN also has openings for engineers across the many sub-organizations it contains. These include field operations supporting peacekeeping forces or humanitarian operations as well as environment and urban development program support.
Your portal into UN vacancies is through the UN Careers website. You can search for engineering and program management positions on this site without registering for an account. If you decide to undergo the application process, however, you will need to register.
One option with UN positions that doesn’t exist with USAJobs or NATO is the ability to be placed on a “roster” of qualified candidates. The UN periodically will take for consideration candidates who are vetted through a selection process that makes them eligible to apply for openings. In many cases, engineer positions will clearly state that applicants must be “on roster”.
Expat Engineer Job Sites. There are a large number of these sites on the internet and they all operate in the same fashion, allowing one to search by job category, industry, and location. If you use one of these vehicles to locate a position, do some additional research about the hiring company and any names listed, e.g. HR point of contact.
LinkedIn. Don’t discount using LinkedIn for finding international engineering positions. If you’re new to this space, begin by developing a network of connections of people already operating internationally. In most cases, they will be willing to share some ideas about where to look and what to do to be best positioned for international opportunities.
Going international isn’t for everyone, but those that do receive a whole lot more than just interesting engineering work. Exposure to cultures, experiences, and more.
Are you ready to go international?
“The world is a book, and those that do not travel read only a page.” ~ Saint Augustine
Christian Knutson, P.E., PMP is international infrastructure development program manager, engineer, and author. He has 21 years of experience in leadership, management, engineering and international relations earned from a career in the U.S. Air Force and is author of The Engineer Leader, a recognized blog on leadership and life success for engineers and professionals.
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