How do skilled newcomers face job sacrifices when looking for work?

Many people experience stress at work at some point in their lives. But the distractions of migration involve completely different challenges.

Moving to a new country requires skilled immigrants to make decisions not only about work but also about the needs of their families and their entire life as newcomers.

It is very common for them to be forced to give up their jobs to work in their new home, especially if their testimonies are considered non-transferable.

For example, a pediatrician may take on the job of being an ultrasound specialist, or instead, a teacher should take on the role of an elderly nurse.

While some countries - such as Canada, for example - weigh heavily on the demands of skilled migrants, resolving them still poses significant barriers to employment.

One of the great frustrations of skilled migrants is that despite entering a host country based on their information (for example, foreign exchange), that does not guarantee success in the local labor market.

In our measurement study, we examine how skilled migrants deal with this problem and the strategies they use to deal with job sacrifices.

Looking for a better life

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Motivation motives vary, but many people move with their families in search of better opportunities for their children and a better standard of living. When they arrive, they learn that many of the things they expect from their job may not come true, and they have to rethink how they can set themselves up and make sense of a new situation.

In general, most of these workers will end up unemployed. That means they are taking low-paying and unsatisfactory jobs as their job opportunities are not commensurate with their professionalism. They often experience some form of self-sacrifice in the hope of providing opportunities and a better life for their families.

Our research shows that in order to improve their chances of finding a better job, immigrants need to become more self-reliant. This involves measuring the pros and cons of various career options and carefully planning the next steps in their work, while at the same time learning about their new situation and any potential job market barriers in which they seek employment.

It requires hard work without any supportive structures in the organization and means that immigrants must be active in their work.

Our research shows that industrious and active migrants who are involved in managing the work may have a better chance of finding quality work that goes hand in hand with their professionalism.

One of the most important ways to do this is to get involved in the planning of activities in their new country.

While some urban-based human settlements and agencies may be able to assist in planning the work, those efforts are left to the job seekers themselves.

Learning new ways

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Although skilled migrants are often job seekers, they have to learn new career paths that are a hallmark of their new work environment.

That means understanding unspoken rules and common practices in their new labor market and adjusting their career goals and strategies accordingly. This may be different from learning new ways of communicating or even engaging in informal workplace discussions.

It also involves measuring the pros and cons of various career options and understanding what types of sacrifices, if any, they will need to make to protect local work and resume their activities.

This type of analysis may require them to give up certain aspects of their approach and redefine their professional lives, but they may gain new knowledge and networks.

Once they were in the midst of this radical change, which is often reflected in self-sacrifice, our research found that supportive social networks play a key role in successful recruitment.

Immigrants leave behind their established social networks and relationships as they migrate to the new world. Therefore support for their adoption home is very important in helping them explore local career options and pursue new careers.

Work planning is important

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Finally, contrary to popular wisdom about more job searches that lead to better results, we conclude with different advice.

Based on what we have found, it may not be the motivation for looking for a job for someone else, but rather the type and quality of planning their work that can be most important when it comes to getting a good job.

Skilled migrants may have to relinquish their original lifestyle and give up some of their professional goals and programs. But a quick way to search for jobs, community support, and get involved in some of the planning activities from the beginning can help them succeed.

This may include making contact with and reaching local organizations and employers even before they arrive.

This can give newcomers a realistic view of job prospects even before they leave their home country and can create realistic expectations - and possibly even a small degree of job loss once they arrive.

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