I know a couple of people live/work abroad and just wanted some input as to how to go about finding/aplpying for jobs abroad and how easy/hard the process of being allowed to work abroad is.

I'd LOOOOOOVE to work in the USA (I know shhh) and there are a number of jobs that I could apply to (and I would apply if I lived in the US already).

When looking for work abroad how does the process work? Would you apply for a job first and then sort out stuff like visa if/when you get the job? But then how would interviews be done etc...

Anyone got any tips/advice from previous experience?

I've had a telephone based interview for a job in London. It consisted of talking on the phone and an online based competency test where I remote dialled in to their machine and they monitored my progress in real time.

Mark

Me too. It is very difficult to move to the USA for work. I seem to remember that you really have to prove that you are offering something that a US citizen can't, i.e. that there are exceptional reasons why you should be allowed to live and work stateside and a lot depends on whether you have a work sponsor. Haven't got any info to hand (quite a while since I looked into it), but here is a starting point.

Well Al Quaeda could sponsor his application. Though it would only be a short contract, the afterlife benefits are apparently quite good.

If you can get an employer to sponsor you that is a huge help.

Working in the US is a PITA. A friend's finally got her green card after technically 'marrying' her boyfriend, but she was pretty much housebound for about a year. Couldn't travel, couldn't work.
http://www.workpermit.com/us/us.htm - any use?

The only thing that appeals to me about working in the US is access to cheap car parts.

It has never appealed to me. I have friends who have done it in the past. One is now teaching in Canada, and the other last time I heard was a journalist in New York.

America is probably one of the hardest to get to, although you also have an advantage, because you already speak the language. Their green card / work visa system can be very strict - basically, you can only do the job, if the company can prove that nobody already in America can do it; there are some exceptions and workarounds, but that is basically how it should work.

You can get automatic citizenship, if you serve in the US Army (sounds like Starship Troopers).

Basically, apply for jobs, but you definitely need to find your unique selling point.

Europe is easier, you can go anywhere in the EU and look for work, no permits or visas. But you will generally need to speak the local lingo - or work for a big multi-national, who have English as their business language.

Getting a TEFL certificate is also a good idea (Teaching English as a Foreign Language). That means you are qualified to work teaching English, which can get you buy, if nothing else is available. If you go to a language school in Germany, for instance, in the classroom they speak 100% the language being learnt - which was hard trying to learn German, because if I didn't understand something, I had to work out how to formulate a question in German to try and understand the topic; it also stops you being lazy and dropping back to using a "common" language, such as English.

Funnily, having visited the USA, and seeing what they have done to destroy their freedom since the early 90s and especially the accelerated deterioration of their live since 2001, it is a country I don't really feel like visiting, let alone living in.

Germany gets a reputation for being overly officious and full of rules. It is, but guess what, those rules (including our own constitution) safeguard many more freedoms than America had, even before 11/9 - that is something I've heard from Americans living in Germany and from Germans who lived in America for a few years.

I would like to way in, given I'm currently doing it. But I'm massively knackered do to a long airport shift and you deserve my full attention, so if it's ok, I shall return manana.

However, I will echo the USA comments so far (with the exception of Dave's dislike for the place, as I happen to love it). It's insanely difficult, but the easiest way is via a UK company that runs some kind of exchange program. Largely these are tourism or tech based, but there are other avenues. For a conventional work permit visa, you will need an offer of employment first.

For the love of god, don't go and live in Houston.
It's the most soulless, characterless city I've ever been to.

Basically I looked in to it and got the impression that "America doesn't want you". So unless you plan on living below the radar cash in hand, look into it but don't set your heart on it. I think if you were a high-level professional with a full lifetimes worth of CV, then you would have unique experience, until then you're on the same social level as Mexicans looking for holes in the fence. Marry a US bird though..

Yes but if you get divorced you can expect to be deported.

why anyone would want to go to a country full of crazy irritating nutters is beyond me

oh wait a sec.... just remembered I live in scotland

Hmm...

H1B requirement is to have a degree or 12 years of relevant experience.

I have neither

They ( a couple I know who have emigrated there with their 2 kids and a roofer buddy of mine has just been granted) say Canada is worth considering.
Requires qualifications and/or sponsors I believe. But if you like the outdoor life and hate crowds....

I think that there are other way though I doubt that he has a C$ million which is the other route.