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What qualities in a resume / career path for a software developer are desirable enough that would make an employer look as far away as international to find new employees?

For Example: I want to work in Seoul, Korea at a foreign (non-Korean) company.

  1. What are the most important aspects of a career / resume for employers to look for when selecting software developers or EPR systems engineers to go internationally?
  2. How would one go about finding positions like this?

Is it, more certifications? specific programming languages? years of experience in the company before sending the person internationally? Visa requirements? Language requirements?
I find some large companies have positions in other countries, do you need to work at that company first at your current country location or can you apply for foreign position and still expect to be considered?

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  • I would want to know what you accomplished in those 3 years of experience. – HLGEM Aug 23 '12 at 20:02
  • If you have any ways of networking with people in the country/industry you're looking for (perhaps online?), you may find better answers to what things employers there look for when hiring, and what would make an international candidate appealing – Jessica Brown Aug 23 '12 at 20:03
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    Personally I give no consideration to a candidate's industry certifications. As a general rule they're too easy to get and do not correlate well to a candidate's actual ability. In most cases, any halfway competent individual willing to pay the certification fee can become certified. So I'd suggest you focus on the specific skills that you have, and provide some clear, concise examples of how you have used those skills on actual projects. – aroth Aug 24 '12 at 1:09
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    This questions, as written, falls into the "Please review my resume/CV" category spelled out as off topic in our FAQ. You could make this a more general question by removing your personal details and asking for general guidance specific sections of the resume. I do not see a way to fix this question with out completely changing it though. Voting to close but will vote to reopen should it be changed sufficiently. – IDrinkandIKnowThings Aug 24 '12 at 12:14
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    I have updated the question, please advise if further updates are needed or if it should be broken into multiple questions. – Quinma Aug 24 '12 at 15:28
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Look at it from their perspective, not your own. Is there any risk to them? For every risk you represent, they will want something in return -- either an extra skill or a lower wage demand.

You say you have a work-permit, so the biggest risk is mitigated. Make that one very clear on your resume, take the doubt out of their mind immediately.

Other risks are probably locale-specific. For example, in London, people come and go very quickly. So the first thing on an employer's mind is "how long are they going to stick around?"

This isn't even about nationality. I am English and, when I first moved to London, I couldn't demand as much money as I can now. To an employer, there was a high chance I'd just head back to the country after 6 months.

People call it "London Experience" because the longer you've been here, the more likely it is that you'll stay, or at least stay near enough to work here.

I obviously haven't a clue if there are similar concerns in Seoul, nor what other concerns you might find there, but it's your task to figure out. I would sincerely advise calling some companies and asking them. Find out what the concerns are and either mitigate them or accept that your monetary value will not be as great until you can.

Beyond that, it's just the same as any other application. The more you have to offer, the more they're going to want you. That is no different if you're applying for a job down the street or on the other side of the planet.

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  • I believe my question is too general of a question. You did a fair job of answering it for how general it is. Thank you. – Quinma Aug 29 '12 at 15:26
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I've worked in Korea (still here) and Japan in the software industry. Basically, you will need a degree and a few years experience to get an interview. Degrees are pretty much mandatory in East Asia and they are required for most visas.

Speaking the language will certainly help (especially if you are native one or more other languages as well). My Korean is basic conversational and I struggle through meetings but I still got work in a Korean company. For me, if I spoke with fluency I could command a much higher salary. I know others who speak more and less fluently, how well they fit in seems to have more to do with their personality than with their language proficiency.

It isn't only migrant workers in the West who get screwed by their employers and you should be familiar with the basics of the legal environment you want to work in. Having a working level of a language will help prevent you from getting screwed around.

Ideally, always get sponsored first. If you get sponsorship before you leave you can usually get your airfares paid, relocation allowances and help settling in. This makes a huge difference when switching jobs internationally. For most multinats you should expect at least $7000 in these allowances (which is a nice first month bonus). Some companies will pay flights and other costs after you are in country but this is not the norm and most won't so apply beforehand and get some extra cash.

Good luck.

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  • I appreciate your feedback, given that I have these qualifications, would you also be able to answer the 2nd part of the question about how I should find a position like this? I have lived in Korea for a few years before but I was not a software developer. – Quinma Aug 31 '12 at 16:29
  • Search job sites (I've found indeed.com is pretty useful for Korea), put your resume up on certain sites (the Seoul Global centre is one place to start), network, contact recruiters, go to careers days, all the usual really. I've received leads from all of those methods. – Tsagadai Sep 4 '12 at 5:21
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I think good things to include would be that you have either had cultural experience (e.g. traveled or worked or worked with people from those countries) or cultural interest (e.g. you are learning the language, enjoy the music or food).

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