we have a friend and his family in ghana who are doing quite well.
http://blogs.wsj.com/indiarealtime/2012 ... b-seekers/
Career Journal: The Hot New Destinations for Indian Job-Seekers
By Shefali Anand
If you are looking for jobs abroad, countries in Africa and Southeast Asia are some hot new destinations to lookout for.
Indian job-seekers looking for work abroad have newer destinations to choose from.
The typical Indian dream has been to work in the West, but the U.S. and countries in Europe have lately been struggling to provide employment to their own people.
The Middle East also has been a big draw for Indians in recent years, but recruiters say that options for Indian job-seekers are broadening.
Countries in Africa and Southeast Asia, which are expanding their businesses and starting new industries, are increasingly open to hiring globally skilled talent for mid-level to senior jobs. Professionals from India are uniquely suited for these jobs because they have the experience of working in an emerging market, say recruiters.
In addition, as Indian companies expand their footprint abroad, they often bring talent from India to fill many of their senior positions.
“Demand for Indians has gone up definitely from African markets, and to some extent Asian countries,” says Sunil Goel, managing director of Delhi-based executive search firm GlobalHunt India Pvt.
Of course in recent years, foreign jobs haven’t had the same charm for Indians as they did a decade ago, partly because Indian salaries have risen tremendously.
Still, jobs for senior professionals overseas can pay much better and can be a good career move because they provide international exposure.
“If you have experience working in other countries, understanding the cultural nuances etc., you are preparing yourself for a much better future,” says Sanjay Modi, managing director India, the Middle East and Southeast Asia for online jobs site Monster.
Companies in Africa and Southeast Asia typically hire foreigners, including Indians, for jobs in relatively new industries in which they don’t have enough talent at home.
To get these jobs, “you should have worked for six to eight years minimum, whereby you can bring some skill, expertise,” says Mr. Modi.
In Africa, “there is a huge demand for professionals in oil and gas, mining, fast-moving consumer goods, commodity, trading, manufacturing, telecom and banking sectors,” says Mr. Goel, of GlobalHunt.
To be sure, working in these countries may require you to bear some hardships. Pay attention to the old adage: Look before you leap.
Moving to Africa may feel like you have “stepped back in time, in terms of the infrastructure, the facilities,” says Jai Varshney, 37 years old, who moved to Lagos in Nigeria from Mumbai earlier this year, for a job at a telecommunications company.
There are limited high-quality medical and educational facilities, making it hard to bring families. Also, in some countries theft and mugging can be a problem. “The security concerns make you feel restricted,” says Mr. Varshney.
Nigeria is also notorious for a level of corruption that even exceeds India’s. As an example, M
r. Varshney says that in Nigeria even a bank teller expects some kind of “appreciation” for handing over money from your bank account.
Mr. Varshney mulled over these challenges for more than eight months before deciding to take a job in Nigeria as a marketing manager. He was lured by the opportunity to get international exposure, enhance cross-cultural learning, and the high pay.
“In two years you would save as much as you would save in six years in India,” says Mr. Varshney.
Jobs in Africa can be a great option “for a middle-level professional, maybe who’s stuck for growth here,” says Shiv Agrawal, managing director of recruitment firm ABC Consultants.
Mr. Agrawal says Indians have a good track record of working in Africa because they are already used to working in a difficult and grey environment compared to a Western expat. “It’s easier for us to be able to adjust into almost any place in the world,” says Mr. Agrawal.
In Southeast Asia, while the safety concerns are not as high as in Africa, there may be other issues like difficulty in getting work permits. In this region, some of the biggest demand for Indians comes from Singapore, for finance and technology jobs, and pockets in Malaysia and Thailand for jobs in communications, information-technology and retail.
But finding foreign jobs is a tough and time-consuming process.
One way is to work with a few recruitment consultants who have a history of placing candidates abroad, such as ABC Consultants and GlobalHunt or reputed firms in your city.
These recruiters work with companies who have operations in foreign countries, and they may be your best bet, particularly for jobs in Africa, where there aren’t many well-established jobs websites.
Another option is to look for jobs with Indian companies which have operations abroad. Bharti Airtel, for instance, has telecom operations in more than a dozen African nations via its acquisition of some assets of Zain. Tata Chemicals has operations in Kenya, and engineering firm Larsen & Toubro has a presence in Malaysia.
For jobs in Southeast Asia, you can try to find openings on jobs websites. Monster.com has an international site, while jobs portal Naukri.com has a Singapore site.
Leading local jobs sites in these countries include
http://www.jobstreet.com;
http://www.jobsdb.com/ and
http://www.eFinancialcareers.com for financial jobs.
Job-seekers can also try to find jobs through social media and networking websites like LinkedIn.com.