Plenty of long-distance job seekers are faced with a crucial dilemma when considering a career overseas. Should you concentrate your efforts on securing a job before flying to your planned country of destination, or should you pack your bags, allocate yourself a suitable budget to work with, catch a flight, and hope for the best?

Undoubtedly, the presence of different time zones and geographies would make job-hunting a little tougher than it is. Even seasoned professionals with both academic and practical qualifications can be trumped by the long-distance card, especially when you factor in travel to the need to outshine other candidates for the position. You should not be discouraged, however, as the situation can be handled with the right credentials, research, and determination.

Securing the position before going there could be difficult, given the fact that physical presence counts a lot in communication. Focus your efforts first on establishing a more personal approach by utilizing your network to find out how you can establish personal contacts with your targets. Many long-distance job seekers increase their chances for callbacks by giving their applications the appearance of being “local” by using a colleague’s phone number in the target area or getting a voice-mail phone number in the same area code as the company they’re applying for.

The chances of landing a job offer prior to flying is also better if the candidate is highly qualified, especially if he or she clearly has the strengths to the degree that it would push the company’s business to a new direction. Companies sometimes offer to fly the candidate out for an interview if he or she is that qualified. It is important to note that a candidate’s credentials is still the most important issue to securing the job – a candidate without the right skills would still not be considered for the job no matter the location.

The job seeker’s commitment to moving is also very important to the application process. Express your interest in each firm and detail your plans to visit the area, and establish as many rounds of interviews as you can.

The more adventurous person might decide that the best route to take would be to move to the country prior to the job hunt. This alternative isn’t for everybody as it is a strategy that entails a lot of risks. However, risk can be minimized through careful planning and extensive research before you pack your bags and book your flight.

The first step before making the move is to allocate a realistic budget that you could follow. Remember: you might be in a situation without a steady source of income for a period of time, so it is very important to plan a budget and stick to it. After doing so, look into the job market in the place you plan to move into: are companies in that business plentiful and thriving? A good way to do this is to look at job boards for that country to get an idea of the career opportunities available. Your findings present a good opportunity to identify the companies you wish to apply to and formulate an idea of what it would be like to establish a career there.

Establish as many contacts as you can prior to the move to personalize your approach as much as possible. Consider getting in contact with recruiters as that could allow you access to not just your target firm but also other companies the recruiters handle. Remember that you only get one chance to make a first impression – a stellar recommendation from a reputable source is much better than an unsolicited letter to the company.

Ultimately, success in seeking a job in a foreign market depends on the same key factors involved in job hunting in your city – the candidate’s resume quality and determination to succeed in that market. With the right experience and strategies, you too can turn your determination into results