Finding a new job in this day and age is hard. While roles are more niche than the generation before us - there seems to be a job for every talent and taste - competition is fiercer, potential employers scrutinise harder at interview stage, and adequate pay is another matter altogether. Now, throw in a lack of experience in the country you’re applying… yup, it doesn’t look like an easy ride.

However, it’s not all doom and gloom! Working in a different country is an exciting opportunity to make some money while you’re discovering a new place, it offers new insight into a familiar industry (or the chance to get a taste of a new one) and it will give you unrivalled skills for when you return to your home country; you just need to get your foot in the door. If you’re looking for a new role abroad, read on for some pointers I have learnt (well, am learning!), or have been recommended by the people around me.

*The below is based on my experience searching for content writer roles in Sydney.

Sign up to all job alerts

This is something you can do before you’ve even set foot in the country. A month before I arrived in Sydney, I set up email alerts for every combination of content writer, digital producer, content editor, digital writer, etc, I could think of. I’ve found Seek, Indeed and LinkedIn the most helpful with this tactic, but I also check the Mumbrella jobs page regularly, and go directly to the websites of dream employers to send them an expression of interest or just see what they’ve got going on on the job front.

Get on the books of recruiters

Research the best recruiters in your industry; a simple Google search will do the trick, or ask for recommendations in relevant Facebook groups. Also, everyone knows a recruiter, or knows someone who knows a recruiter, so just ask in your circle! You never know what contacts you or your friends/colleagues have out in the wide world. Speaking of…

Talk to people

I am genuinely humbled by the amount of help my friends, family, colleagues, ex-colleagues and friends of friends have offered during my job search so far, from pointing me in the direction of specific people, contacting acquaintances on my behalf, suggesting companies to register interest with, ‘putting a good word in’ when I’ve applied to a company they work for, and more. I didn’t even realise some of these people had links to Sydney, so speak, speak and speak some more as you never know who you have in your midst.

Become a Faffer

… which sounds a lot ruder than it is haha. Find a Finder’s Fee, aka FAFF, is an international Facebook group with people posting job opportunities spanning a range of industries. These include in-house roles, permanent roles, contract roles, freelance roles, remote roles, everything really.

Keep positive

It’s disheartening getting rejection after rejection, or simply not even hearing back, especially after you put time and hope into the hundreds of applications you send out. It can feel personal, but remember it’s not. With regards to my visa, the working holiday visa, the six-month restriction on working in one place is a big deal-breaker; no one wants to train someone up to have to do it again in six months’ time. I changed tactic and now am applying solely for contract jobs. Similarly, on some good advice, I dropped mention of my visa in my cover letter, so it doesn’t put off potential employers in the first instance. Similarly, the time of year plays a big part - post-Christmas (and Australia Day here) is pretty quiet on the job front, so February onward, things should pick up. Now is not the time for shame either: follow up on emails you’ve sent, if you’ve not heard back.

In my panicky times in the month leading up to my move, when I was applying for jobs and getting nowhere, I was reassured that things would get moving once I was physically in the country. At the time, I didn’t understand that - my CV would show the same experience after all - but it’s the little details that can make all the difference, for example, the Australian address and phone number on your CV.

I was also given a good piece of advice: sit down, open Excel, and work out how long you can survive without getting a job. Take your moving abroad savings, note down regular outgoings (rent/hostel payments, bills, etc), any extras like travel insurance, give yourself an ‘enjoy the new country’ fund and be realistic. You might be prematurely panicking and not taking time to enjoy the amazingness of moving abroad.