Another way to live the life of a computer nomad is to find temporary or contract computer jobs. This could be either a telecommuting job, covered earlier, or a traditional office position. It is much easier to find temporary work if you are a citizen or have a work permit for the country. Even so, there are positions available for foreigners in many countries. They vary wildly in salary. Technical professionals from Europe and the U.S. are sought in the oil-rich countries of the Middle East. Native English speakers are always needed in many countries of the Far East and somewhat in Latin America, but these are not typically computer-related positions.

Finding employment overseas is similar to looking for any other job. It requires planning, patience, and persistence. Know for sure the kind of job you want. Consider your qualifications, experience and knowledge, especially in computers and foreign languages. These are the fields where you have the most marketable skills.

Once you decide which field or job to pursue, evaluate your qualifications. Applying for a job requires a certain amount of salesmanship. You’re selling your expertise or services and convince your prospective employer why you’re the best on the market. Your skills then back you up. It is easier to sell your services when you are confident in what you are selling.

Networking for Jobs

If you are seeking employment after arrival in a foreign country, networking is even more critical to your success than it would be in the U.S. In many cultures getting hired is much less likely if you are not personally introduced to an employer by someone they know. If I were looking for work in a foreign country, the first thing I would do is to find and talk to as many expatriates as I could. There are numerous message boards and forums for expats on the Internet. Most places with expat communities have bars or coffee shops where English-speakers hang out. They are an extremely valuable source of information.

Other methods of networking are international organizations like the American Chamber of Commerce, with chambers in most major cities overseas. They will have a directory of members or hold meetings you can attend as a guest. There are also many ways to make contacts with people living and working overseas. The social networking methods discussed here are also useful.

Become a Temporary Employment Agency Nomad

Temporary agencies are most useful for nomads who don't leave the country of their citizenship. In the United States workers with computer experience can often find work within days of arriving in a metropolitan area. I spent years working for temporary agencies in the San Francisco area.

For the global temp worker, it is much more difficult. While bigger temporary agencies like Manpower and Kelley Services have offices around the world, many factors make it difficult for foreigners to find temporary employment overseas through agencies. Few countries allow tourists visiting on visas to get a work permit. Even if you could, in many countries you would need to know the local language to get employment. The pay in developing countries would be a fraction of what workers from the U.S. or Europe make.

These temporary employment agencies have offices around the world:

Kelly Services
This is a temporary employment agency that has offices in eighteen countries worldwide. They cater to a wide range of requirements from lawyers to accountants to engineers to scientists.

Arquent
They have jobs around the world. They "match professionals with freelance, contract, try-before-you-hire, and full-time job opportunities at top organizations."

Job Search on the Internet

The Internet is a great place to hunt for a job. It is filled with information about other countries, as well as job openings. Search engines such as Google and Yahoo! show countless web sites on the topic of overseas employment. Most jobs advertised, unfortunately, are exceptionally high level technical and managerial positions requiring many years of experience. The Internet has on-line classified ads for overseas employment and sites that links you to regional newspapers. The following sites have useful information on jobs worldwide:

Escape Artist
Escape Artist may have the most complete directories of resources on finding overseas employment. Their list of countries with opportunities includes places like Finland and Antarctica.

OverseasJobs.com
Contains a limited database of overseas job opportunities, mostly requiring years of technical experience.

Cool Works
If you are the outdoor type, and you intend base yourself in the U.S., then here’s a site worth looking at. It contains a list of temporary, part time and full time jobs. Examples include work for cruise ships, national parks and camps.

Job Serve
Mainly for Australian jobs, it also lists employment in the United States and the United Kingdom.

International Job Search
About.com's information is useful for worldwide job seekers.

Eresumes.com
This site claims to have "all you need to know about writing and distributing resumes."

Post Your Resume

Getting your resume out to thousands of prospective employers and clients has become so much easier than before the Internet gained widespread use. You can post a resume on your own web site, email it to hundreds of businesses, post it in a newsgroup, or register with countless web sites designed for matching employers and prospective employees. Yahoo! has an extensive section of computer resumes posted on web sites. Other search engines and directories also offer sections for resumes.

Of the thousands of special interest forums and mailing lists on the Internet, don't rule out the ones not specifically for posting resumes. Become a regular participant in newsgroups for your particular field of expertise.

There are several ways of making and posting your resume. One is to simply create a text version of your resume using the "save as" function in any Windows word processing program and selecting .htm as the format. Then it can be posted like any other web page. All popular word processing programs such as Microsoft Word and WordPerfect have this capability. You can also distribute your resume as an email message. Some job sites require that you fill out a form with separate fields such as name, address and work experience. Another way is to create a resume as a web site using software such as FrontPage.

Other sites that let you post your resume include Career.Com, Career Builder and Monster.com.

Visa Requirements and Embassies

Virtually all countries require work permits or visas before you can work there legally. Most will only allow foreign workers to fill positions if there are no locals who are qualified. Some countries even require an employer to release wanted ads in newspapers for a particular position for a specified time period. If no qualified local responds to the ad, then a foreigner can be hired for the position.

Different countries have a different set of requirements and standards for those who wish to obtain work permits. One of the best ways to find out how you can obtain a working visa is to ask expats or prospective employers.

The following site will link you to some pages that will provide some information on travel requirements and obtaining work permits:

Foreign Consular Offices and Embassies in the U.S.
This is a complete listing of foreign consulates and embassies throughout the United States. It is useful and usually necessary to contact them to inquire about visa requirements before planning any overseas trip.

Remember that trying to find an overseas job is much like looking for any other job. You must be able to sell yourself. A first impression, or good packaging, will do you wonders, but it is far more important to have quality within that package than anything else.

Finding decent-paying computer work overseas, especially after arrival, is feasible but difficult. I recommend telecommuting with a company in your home country. It is easier to find work, the pay is better, and you can take advantage of good dollar exchange rates and low costs of living.