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"J> The focus of my research involves search
"J> strategies for
"J> seeking employment as a technical communicator outside
"J> English-speaking North America.
"J> Specifically, I am looking for:
"J> 2. Facts that technical communicators working overseas need to
"J> know
- You need at least some knowledge of the language.
- There are US companies that develop products overseas (from your
perspective) but do their primary documentation in English by native speakers.
Example: Hewlett-Packard.
- Many countries are quite restrictive about working permits for foreigners
(the US come in mind :-) ). But if the potential employer can show that he
needs some qualification that is difficult to obtain from a native, foreigners
get their chance.
"J> 3. Resources, hard copy or electronic, that might prove useful
"J> for overseas job seekers
- There are societies for technical communicators in many countries. They might
have magazines where you might find jobs. I could imagine that you could place
an ad there for very little cost.
- You might be able to get newspapers from foreign countries containing job
ads. You might find a job there or place an ad by yourself. In Germany you
should watch out for "Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung", "Welt", "Suenddeutsche
Zeitung" and "Zeit" (the last one especially for jobs in the educational or
cultural areas).
"J> 4. Organizations or contacts that can provide resources to
"J> those who wish to work abroad
There are many bi-national chmbers of commerce. Embassies might help, too and
cannot be avoided for some tasks.
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