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If
you are mobile and ambitious, you may wish to spend part of your career
living and working in another country. There are advantages and
disadvantages to doing so, but if you are unsatisfied with the
opportunities open to you in your own country, looking beyond its
borders could open up the opportunity of a lifetime.
It is easy for librarians to find and apply for international employment
opportunities. At LIScareer.com you can read about
Dallas Long’s experiences working in
Europe, Nancy Fawley’s job in the
Middle East, and Robin Kear’s
experience in Africa. Dozens of links to opportunities can be found in
these three articles. If you are inspired, as I have been, by the
experience of librarians like these, I recommend these articles as a
starting point to launch your international career.
Why Search for Employment Outside One's Own Country?
Economics and Career Opportunities
Troubled times hit libraries hard, but hard times are often limited to
specific countries. You can sidestep an economic downturn in your own
country and keep your career on track by gaining experience in a more
prosperous country until the economy recovers. One recent example:
shifts in the US economy after 9/11 affected the financial stability of
US libraries. As the federal government shifted the burden of essential
services onto state and local governments, public libraries suddenly
found themselves competing with police and fire departments for funds.
American public libraries implemented hiring freezes and generally put
the brakes on new projects and new spending. But the economies of other
countries were largely unaffected by 9/11.
Educational Development
An international mindset is one of the hallmarks of an educated adult.
Students often spend a semester abroad in order to gain exposure to a
different language and culture. Visiting a foreign country as a tourist
or student will expose you to its culture on a somewhat superficial
level. Working in another culture will expose you to both its positive
and negative aspects, thus providing you with a much deeper
understanding of that culture.
Languages
Overseas employment will give your language skills a workout. Your
language skills will improve through exposure and any classes you may
take. It’s great if you are already fluent in the local language, but
don't assume you need to be. Organizations that employ internationally
will often use a common "working language" (frequently English).
Dual Citizenship
Are your parents from other countries? Were you born in another country?
Have you married a foreigner? Do you have a grandparent from another
country? If you answered "yes" to any of these questions you might
explore the possibility of claiming more than one nationality.
The more passports you have, the larger the pool of jobs you are
eligible for. Dual citizenship is also a valuable gift you can give to
your children as it will increase their chances of finding a good job.
Potential Challenges
Discrimination
Many people are protective of their jobs, and HR professionals may not
have enough influence to overcome protectionist feelings in their
organizations. Foreigners are also vulnerable in the workplace; when
budgets and positions are cut, the fact that you are a foreigner may
informally factor into termination decisions. Discrimination based on
nationality is almost never in the interest of the organization. It
could even be illegal, particularly under free trade agreements which
trump national law in almost all cases. But discrimination against
foreigners still happens. Instead of giving legal reasons to
discriminate against foreigners, organizations will cite internal policy
as a reason to exclude a foreigner.
Adjusting to Diverse Workplaces
Adjusting to an international workplace can be challenging. Workers have
been shaped by their own cultures, so they each have different
expectations, goals, and ideas even about basic concepts. Communication
is more difficult in multicultural workplaces, but it is the key to the
successful functioning of the organization.
Colleagues and Library Users from Developing Countries
One or more of your coworkers may be from a developing country, and his
or her route to the developed world may have been a long and difficult
one. Nationals of developing countries face many more obstacles than
those of us from developed countries. Their jobs may be critically
important to them as families and communities could be dependent on the
remittances they send back home. They could have a lot more to lose if
they lose their job and are sent back to their country of origin. It is
very important to respect these differences.
It is likely that you will encounter library users from developing
countries as well. Poor countries need big solutions to solve big
problems, and to do that, they need information. In my experience
nationals of developing countries are make heavy use of library
resources in their quests to solve the problems of their countries.
Job References
Having good references is critical to the success of your career. If you
work abroad, your references will be foreigners. I have encountered some
HR professionals who are reluctant to contact references in other
countries. The HR department where you are applying may need a little
extra encouragement to make that international call to your references
overseas.
Opportunities
NAFTA
There's one big opportunity not mentioned by previous LIScareer.com
authors: crossing the 49th parallel. The North American Free Trade
Agreement permits North American librarians to work in the US or Canada
under a special visa agreement. NAFTA makes it easier to fill temporary
shortages of skilled professionals. There is no obvious shortage or
surplus of librarians in either country, but the law remains in place so
librarians can (and do) cross the border both ways: American librarians
work in Canada and Canadian librarians work in the US. Bringing a new
hire across the border under NAFTA requires remarkably little paperwork
from the employer, and is a simple and quick process for the employee.
Show your job offer and master’s degree to an immigration official at
the border, pay a small fee, and you'll be issued a work permit or visa
on the spot. A more detailed description of this process can be found in
Amanda Ross-White's article.
The Transnational Capitalist Class
Wealthy global citizens are moving money and goods around the globe, and
they need our services. Known as the "transnational capitalist class,"
this new group of individuals is a ripe market for information
professionals. Transnational capitalists consume a lot of information.
They need market research, legal documents, statistics, government
documents, DIALOG searches, Factiva alerts, and other information
resources we can sell to them. Their children, dubbed "third culture
kids," have unique information needs as well. Third culture kids grow up
straddling two cultures and need information about both.
Returning Home
When you return home, your international experience will be valuable. It
will prove that you have overcome obstacles, are internationally minded,
and have met information needs in a diverse environment. Inexpensive
travel is making our world more and more international. On your next
visit to a nearby city, look at the faces of the people around you. It
is likely that you will see the faces of a global village. Each of these
individuals has information needs. At home or abroad, it is our job to
provide a world of citizens with a world of information.
Useful Sources
Fawley, Nancy. Taking Your MLIS Overseas.
LIScareer.com. October 2005.
Kear, Robin. International
Librarianship: Getting There From Here. LIScareer.com. June 2004.
Long, Dallas. See The World - Be a Librarian!
LIScareer.com. January 2005.
Ross-White, Amanda. Have MLS, Will Travel: NAFTA TN Visas and the Job
Market. Journal of Hospital Librarianship, Vol. 6, No. 2, 2006:
59-64.
About
the Author:
Fritz Herrick has worked as a librarian in the Netherlands, Switzerland,
Canada, and the United States. He is always searching the globe for
problems we can solve by applying the principles of library and
information science.
Article published Sept 2007
Disclaimer: The
ideas expressed in LIScareer articles are those of their respective
authors and do not necessarily represent the views of the LIScareer
editors.
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