How To Become The Most Visible & Most Valuable Candidate - Step by Step Guide

Blog Post Title: How to Land Your Dream Job Abroad Without Applying Online: A Step-by-Step Guide

In today’s job market, especially for international job seekers, landing your dream role requires being strategic, proactive, and highly visible. This guide explains the step-by-step method I use to help clients secure jobs overseas, bypassing traditional online applications and directly connecting with employers. Here’s how it’s done.

Step 1: Create a Value Profile

Your first task is to establish a strong, standout profile that showcases your skills, qualifications, and eligibility for the job. Here’s how:

Optimize Your CV: Avoid a generic, all-purpose CV. Instead, focus on creating a tailored CV that’s industry-specific, whether you’re in trades, IT, or any other field. This document should highlight your skills and experience directly relevant to the job.
Build a “Star” LinkedIn Profile: A “star” profile is more than just an online resume. It demonstrates your value by including quantifiable achievements and samples of your work. For example, if you’re a plumber, share project details or photos. For an IT professional, you might share key projects or client testimonials.
Highlight Your Eligibility: Make it easy for employers to see that you’re ready to work. Include any relevant licenses, registrations, or certifications on both your CV and LinkedIn. Indicate your visa status or eligibility to help employers understand they won’t face complications hiring you.

Step 2: Identify Target Employers

Next, identify 100 potential employers to reach out to directly. Here’s a multi-source strategy to find the right companies:

Use Job Sites for Insights: Sites like Seek and Trade Me Jobs give insight into which companies are actively hiring in your field. Remember, however, that many employers, especially smaller ones, don’t post online due to the cost.
Search Job Aggregators Like Jora: Job aggregators scan multiple websites for job ads, giving a broader look at the market. Even if the job posting isn’t your goal, these listings identify companies that may be hiring.
Check Accredited Employer Lists: For New Zealand and some other countries, accredited employers have permission to hire international candidates and are often more open to considering overseas talent.
Use Google and LinkedIn: Search for “expression of interest” along with your occupation (e.g., “plumber expression of interest New Zealand”) to find companies open to connecting with potential candidates. LinkedIn’s filters also allow you to find specific companies within your industry.

Step 3: Make Direct Connections (Virtual Door Knock)

Now it’s time to directly approach each employer on your list, bypassing traditional online applications. Here’s how:

Contact via Career Portals: Visit each employer’s website and look for a careers or “work with us” page. Submit your CV and a letter of interest directly through their portal if available. If not, email it to them, or use a contact form.
Follow Up on LinkedIn: Follow companies and key contacts on LinkedIn, and consider sending a brief, professional message with a link to your LinkedIn profile.
Stay Out of the ATS: Avoid submitting applications through automated tracking systems (ATS) whenever possible. These systems often screen out candidates before reaching a human decision-maker.

Step 4: Consistently Follow Up

Direct engagement, patience, and persistence are crucial to making this approach successful. Keep track of the companies you reach out to, noting any responses or potential next steps.

This method has helped countless candidates successfully land roles across industries, from accounting to construction. With a commitment to becoming visible and valuable, you, too, can find your way to a great job opportunity abroad.

For more guidance, feel free to connect on LinkedIn, watch more videos, or explore additional support on my website.