I know a lot of people from friends and relatives working abroad. Having worked as an OFW before, I know the hardships a lot of our ‘kababayans’, our folks, go through.
Going abroad and work in a foreign country is a life-changing experience. You’ll be able to learn a culture, know a new language, see new places, and meet new people.
Of course, the monetary aspect is one of the main reasons why Filipinos would leave everything in their homeland to work abroad.
You’re going to have to get out of your comfort zone when you travel because there are a lot of challenges along the way when you go abroad. Read here tips for Filipinos travelling abroad.
It is not easy for being an OFW and yet it feels like a necessity, especially for those who want to improve the quality of their lives. There are not that many opportunities in the country, so this is understandable for most Filipinos.
For this post, you’ll learn all the necessities and requirements that OFWs need to fulfill. Here, you’ll learn about types of overseas jobs can you qualify, where to apply for overseas work. We’ll also discuss how to use government agencies like Tesda, OWWA and POEA
Types of Overseas Jobs
Before you apply for a job for overseas placement, you first need to determine your skills and qualifications. This will determine if you can qualify for needed work in another country.
OFW Jobs fall into two major categories, skilled and unskilled.
Skilled Worker
The skilled worker is someone who has expert knowledge acquired for specified work. Notably, they’ve finished formal education from university or college.
Skilled workers may have also undergone training in a technical school or they may have also learned their expert skills on the job. Skilled workers often have higher wages.
Unskilled Labor
The unskilled laborer basically refers to the part of the workforce that has limited, minimal, or no skill. Unskilled workers generally have a lack or have lower educational attainment like elementary or high school. Unskilled workers basically are offered lower wages.
Most OFW jobs require some sort of certifications (college or trade school) for both skilled and unskilled workers. If you’re unskilled you can undergo short training from
TESDA, in that way, you can get a certificate.
However, if you generally have years of experience in certain skills and you also have significant references, that should be enough to help you get employment abroad.
Here are the most in demand OFW jobs abroad:
- Singer
- Hostess
- Dance
- Musician
- Nurses
- Doctors
- Engineers
- Teachers
- Construction
- Medical Worker
- Healthcare
- Farmers
- Seamen
- Sales
- IT Professional
- Domestic Helper
- Factory Worker
- Food Service Workers
- Machine Operators
- Administrative Clerks
- Government Officials
Where To Apply For Overseas Work
1. Apply Via Licensed Recruitment Agency
POEA can’t accommodate all Filipinos who want to apply as an OFW. This is the reason why there are recruitment companies licensed by POEA.
You need to find a recruitment agency, registered to POEA. This is very important.
You can check all licensed POEA Accredited Agencies on their official page.
Check the company name, in case you found one from a newspaper or online job posting. This lets you know it’s a legitimate agency.
2. Apply Via The POEA’s Government Placement Branch (GBP)
This means is entirely helpful since you already know the job is legitimate since it’s recommended by POEA.
POEA uses GBP as their in-house recruitment hub. This is the government agency’s job placement facility for those looking for a job abroad.
Personally, this would be the best solution to get work overseas. You know for sure that you’ll be protected by a branch of the Philippine government.
You’ll be at ease since you know that the job they’re posting is definitely authorized and the employer is highly recommended. Also, you no need to pay a placement charge.
You can check out POEA’s GBP’s job vacancies on their official page.