That Wasn't a Job Offer
Advice For Millennials
I usually write one or two posts a week, but this week my brain was broken by an accidental comment I read on social media.
How was it accidental? Well aside from engaging in private messaging, I only use social media to post content from my various blogs. I rarely respond to comments. I read threads of conversations only if I think they might be useful to something else I am working on.
Anyway, I read this message, and it melted my brain. Now, I cannot paste the message because I believe in actual privacy and there is always missing context so who knows if the person really meant what they said, or, if they simply communicated in a strange manner.
The message asked the audience for advice. This person, the original poster or OP, seems to be living in Asia. The question put to the audience went like this, “I have opportunities to work (as a teacher we assume but cannot be sure) in the USA, Australia, and Canada. Where is the best place to go?”
Based-on very unreliable research, it did not seem like this person was a dual or triple passport holder. I actually inquired what their nationality was, but I did not get a reply.
I did get a reply about the status of the offers. I was informed, that in fact, offers from all three countries had been received.
That is when it occurred to me that I should explain what a job offer is and is not. It is highly unlikely a person without residency and prior approved immigration status could get a legal job in any of the countries. As an American with a Canadian family, I am very experienced with the ins and outs of the work visa and immigration process for both those countries.
I have only found a handful, literally like 5, employers willing to do a future offer with immigration status and work status pending.
As for Australia, I have friends who have permanently immigrated there. The process seemed to take around a year, and after they were approved, they started applying for jobs.
My point is that all three of the countries have difficult and expensive processes. Unless you were cleared to work in all three, you would not be able to legally take any job offers. It would be rare for a single person to have all three of these countries offering jobs with visa sponsorship, but obviously not impossible.
However.
You can still get job offers that are not authentic but also genuine.
When companies and schools post online, especially if they do not employ many expats, they assume all applicants are legal to work. Normally, this is in fine print somewhere, but often it is never discussed.
So what is a job offer?
A job offer is the beginning of a contract. One party is offering terms, the other party needs to accept, under the Condition that both parties are legally allowed to participate.
Did you ever wonder why your initial expat contract is in your language, but when you arrive, there is like a 30 page contract you cannot usually read?
To be legal, and have an actual contract that binds the employer to pay you, you have to have a visa and be allowed in the country. That final “local contract” is the legal binding agreement issued after your visa is completed.
Sometimes this is done before people arrive, as they assume the visa will be processed. If the visa is not processed, you will not be guaranteed compensation even if you do some remote work.
I find many Millennials are not as skeptical as Gen-X’ers like me. Millennials often will assume if it is online and from a real company, then it is fair game.
To be fair, job lists rarely use geolocation to at least warn people they need immigration status to apply. I try to scan for warning signs before I share jobs with others, and, I often find jobs limited to certain people who hold a certain immigration status.
So, don’t be misled and be upfront. If you are recruiting into a job that does not usually employ expats confirm they have someone who works with visas, and confirm how the visa process works.
If you know you are not legally allowed to work in a country, research the different visas required for your situation. Different people qualify for different visas, so, trusting advice from a friend could be a disaster.
If you are working with international schools in countries with strict immigration policies, ask them:
What happens if there is a delay?
How often are visa applications rejected?
Does the processing time ever exceed the job start date?
It is best to know the odds and the stats, and remember, bureaucracy treats everyone individually based-on the morning the bureaucrat had :).
Why is this SubStack called, Pancake on a Stick?
Pancake on a Stick is the single funniest story I have ever heard in my life. In about a year from now, the event will be reenacted and recorded. I named the SubStack after the story, because every time I think of the name, I smile and laugh. This helps with my writing and tone, and makes me always remember the most important things in life.
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Most social media is dead to me, but you can find me on LinkedIn and Youtube.
LinkedIn (A bastion of boredom but mostly on mission)
https://www.linkedin.com/in/tdeprato/
Email
info@tonydeprato.com
My video series on Expat Recruitment is BORING but useful Listen or Watch and you can master this process.