Building your career in the country where you studied is a bit like finding a job in the company where you did your internship: it is easier, there are more advantages, and you are already integrated... In this article, we will review the concrete benefits of staying and working in the country where you studied.
Knowledge of your host country's language
When you are an expatriate or want to become one, learning the spoken language of the country you live in is essential. Whether you are a Spaniard who wants to work in Latin America or an American who wants to move to England, it will always be more straightforward. However, at the same time, you will have to make sure to adapt to a different accent and be able to pick up the local expressions quickly, but in any case, you will be operational in no time. Now, if you land in a foreign country where your mother tongue is not spoken, bred on dubbed Netflix movies, with only your school courses, or even worse, if you do not speak the country's language at all, it will be definitely more complicated and tedious to find a proper job. At the end of the day, one of your most significant assets when working in the country where you studied is your ability to speak the language, use practical everyday life vocabulary and understand the local expressions.
Understanding the local culture and norms
Another vital asset will be your comprehension of the local culture, especially related to the working environment. For example, whereas in Europe, a person will feel obliged to be modest in a job interview or when looking for a job, in the United States, they will have to fiercely demonstrate that they are the most talented and the best for the position. While the former will never dare to talk about money, the latter knows that they must negotiate their salary right from the start. These are very different approaches to the work culture that are important to understand when applying for a job in a particular country. Here again, a student already living in the country will be favored over someone just arriving and going straight into the job market.
Ease of immigration and obtaining visas
Temporary work permits may be easier to grant to people who studied in the country where they are seeking employment. This is the case, for instance, in the United States, where obtaining a work visa can be very complicated and restricted to those with particular profiles aiming for specific sectors. Expats who have studied locally can work for one year on a J1 visa. In some cases, some people even go back to school to obtain this temporary immigration facility.
Better recognition of diplomas
In some countries, qualifications may not always be recognized as equivalent to those required to work. This is particularly the case for some European medical diplomas that are not fully recognized in America. In this regard, the main advantage of seeking work in the country where you studied is that there won't be the issue of certification equivalence that can hinder a job application. This is also very important because sometimes, even if your foreign diploma is recognized, the country where you graduated can be a negative point as opposed to candidates who graduated locally. This is especially true in the United States, where the reputation of universities (especially those of the Ivy League: Harvard, Princeton, Yale, etc.) is very significant. You may be disadvantaged if your educational background fails to appeal to your employer.
Better salaries and more opportunities for advancement
By being educated in the country where you want to work, you thus make sure that your future employer has all the keys to understanding and appreciating your background, which will most likely reflect in your salary and professional opportunities. A study by the Canadian government shows that immigrants who have studied in Canada earn at least $500 more each year than immigrants who have studied in other countries.
The ease of networking
Last but not least is the ease of networking. For example, if you have studied in Canada, completed a few internships, and met people in your field, you already have a network that will be very useful when hunting for a job or integrating the local job market. According to an article published in Le Monde, about a quarter of all recruitments in European companies are done through internal channels. This is often how an international student will have an easier time integrating into the work world in these countries.
