Can a SysAdmin get a job overseas?

RaynardXO

Hi Everyone

I would like to know if a system administrator can get a job abroad with the following certifications and years of experience:

A+, Security+, CASP, N+, MCSA/MCSE 2012 to 2016 with Linux+

All 3 years worth of experience with all certifications. Additional certifications to obtain in the future:
Redhat Certified Administrator, SUSE Certified Administrator & Microsoft Windows Powershell (aaannd some more additional certs Redhat Enterprise Virtualization & Microsfot Hyper-V)

Please feel free to reply to my thread and share your experience on how you got a job with your current certifications that you obtained over the years. And if there'll be a chance to get a job abroad with the certs that I've mentioned above.

Thank you

mzx380

If you have relevant work experience and certifications then of course its possible. I think a bigger factors that might prevent you from landing a job are the environmental ones.

Do you plan on working on-site?
Do you plan on traveling back and forth?
Is a language other than English require?
Does the country you plan on moving to easily accomodate English speakers if you don't speak the predominant language?
How big of a cultural shift is it for you? Is it something you can live with?

scaredoftests

I don't what the issue would be. Apply and see....

pirlo21

Do you have college education? That's a plus too.

EANx

They can but you have to be realistic. Do you have a place in mind? Have you researched the job market there? Not every place values CompTIA certs so unless you know your desired location does, you're a guy with three years experience and basic MS/security certifications. How competitive does that make you compared to the people already living there?

Now if your objective is adventure and you're not solely-focused on Western countries, there can be a lot of opportunity out there. In addition to being an IT contractor for the military or somehow managing to get a job in the US Foreign Service (or equivalent for non-US citizens), there are plenty of multi-nationals and oil companies that also look for expats. Heck, even supporting the scientists at the S Pole.

boxerboy1168

EANx wrote: »

They can but you have to be realistic. Do you have a place in mind? Have you researched the job market there? Not every place values CompTIA certs so unless you know your desired location does, you're a guy with three years experience and basic MS/security certifications. How competitive does that make you compared to the people already living there?

Now if your objective is adventure and you're not solely-focused on Western countries, there can be a lot of opportunity out there. In addition to being an IT contractor for the military or somehow managing to get a job in the US Foreign Service (or equivalent for non-US citizens), there are plenty of multi-nationals and oil companies that also look for expats. Heck, even supporting the scientists at the S Pole.

where can I find more information about this?

EANx

boxerboy1168 wrote: »

where can I find more information about this?

Depends which. Employers will often judge you on your ability to ask clear questions.

PAE does a lot of contracting work in embassies and in the Antarctic: https://www.pae.com/career

IT for the US Foreign Service can be found at https://careers.state.gov/work/foreign-service/specialist/career-tracks/information-management-specialist (The window for applications is pretty small)

There are a bunch of military contractors. Outside the big thread here, you'll find a bunch of companies like Lockheed Martin, SAIC, Dyn-Corp, Glotech, etc.

LordQarlyn

First I am assuming you are a US Citizen, thus my reply is mostly applicable to US citizens. As a system admin, realistically, your best option for getting overseas is through US Government contracting. Many contractor IT positions outside the US require US citizens to fill, especially for those position that require a security clearance. You're chances of getting a good old-fashioned expat job are slim, for most countries they simply use locals, either citizens or immigrants to fill the position. In the wealthy Middle East nations, most expat IT jobs are filled by IT professionals from low-cost countries, such as India and the Philippines, and non-GCC Arab nations. Westerners (to include Americans) weren't tapped below manager level, but these days, I'm seeing more and more IT manager positions seeking Indian managers rather than westerners. Director level and above are still generally filled by western experts as well as high-level SMEs and consultant types (particularly for information security and cybersecurity or other specialized systems) but rank and file IT professionals are filled by people from developing countries.
Another possibility is to be assigned by your employer to an overseas location. That's what happened to my brother (he's a financial analyst), and he worked for a British company in the US, then they sent him, moving expenses paid for, to Australia for a few years, then to Hong Kong. But again that's usually done for either senior level people or those with high demand specialty skills.
Yet another possibility is to try to immigrate, but of course that's easier said than done, and you wouldn't get the expat perks which is why many people want to work overseas.
If you decide to pursue government contractor IT jobs, I would look to those in countries such as Saudi (yeah I know lol), Kuwait, Bahrain, UAE, Qatar, or Oman, because if you still want to work overseas, it looks better to have those countries on your resume versus being deployed in Iraq or Afghanistan which is basically living in a cloister of other Americans (though that is changing and not all jobs there consists of Americans). And one way to improve your chances of getting good expat jobs is to have a proven track record of working in a cross-cultural workplace.
For expats looking to work in the Gulf, these seem to be the best websites, I've almost got hired on some of them but I probably priced myself too high lol:

https://www.naukrigulf.com/
https://gulftalent.com/
https://gotogulf.com/

Always keep advancing your skills, even if you decide not to pursue management, having high demand specialized skills can open doors overseas for you. Good luck!

johndoee

Are the days of people making 200K+ in the Middle East over with?

Fulcrum45

LordQarlyn is correct about the DoD option. I'm heading to Afghanistan as a Net Admin in a few weeks. The OP has the right certs in regards to a DoD type position so it's just a matter of finding someone willing to plunk down cash for your clearance. I'm not making 200k but I'm not hurting either, lol.

LordQarlyn

johndoee wrote: »

Are the days of people making 200K+ in the Middle East over with?

They are very scarce these days lol. For deployed jobs, they are almost gone.

I did see an IT Director job in Abu Dhabi that was ~$200k in dirhams plus great benefits .

RaynardXO

Hi mzx380

I am actually looking at countries like Australia or Canada or London for that matter.

And thank you for the others that responded to my thread. I really appreciate the information you have given me.

Above are the countries that I am looking at specifically Canada & Australia

LordQarlyn

RaynardXO wrote: »

Hi mzx380

I am actually looking at countries like Australia or Canada or London for that matter.

In that case, visit the country-specific websites of Indeed or Monster, find job boards for those countries, and apply for jobs you are qualified for. Also look into US companies with presence in those countries - that's probably your best option if you are trying to work in those countries as an expat.

Again, as a system administrator, it's going to be very hard to find companies willing to sponsor you. Not trying to discourage, just being realistic. For Americans to get work in those countries as an expat or even on a work visa (which you won't get any of the typical expat benefits) is hard, most countries are more protective of their work forces.

You could try to self-sponsor as an immigrant, depending on your age, savings, and skill sets, that's not too hard to do for Canada and the UK.

ITSec14

I've been looking into working overseas a lot as well, more specifically Europe. My wife is from Europe and still has her citizenship, but not sure of my chances of landing a non federal job there due to requirements. I do know her country gives preference for residency to spouses of citizens rather than folks just looking to migrate. I've looked into federal jobs in Germany/Belgium/Netherlands/etc., but there don't seem to be as many open to US citizens.

nisti2

To apply for Canada there's the Immigration Program.

You wont get any job offer at least you need to have any IT Specific experience about what they are looking.

Hope this help, let me know. I live in Toronto.

Regards.

RaynardXO

Thanks for your reply nisti2

Specifically i am looking for a job abroad in which they are required specific skills for immigration. Perhaps there are visas that offer people work with specific skills. I know for sure there is a work visa in Australia called the 457 Visa and 187 Visa. If anyone has any knowledge in regards to these types of visas.

Thank you in advance.

RaynardXO

LordQarlyn wrote: »

In that case, visit the country-specific websites of Indeed or Monster, find job boards for those countries, and apply for jobs you are qualified for. Also look into US companies with presence in those countries - that's probably your best option if you are trying to work in those countries as an expat.

Again, as a system administrator, it's going to be very hard to find companies willing to sponsor you. Not trying to discourage, just being realistic. For Americans to get work in those countries as an expat or even on a work visa (which you won't get any of the typical expat benefits) is hard, most countries are more protective of their work forces.

You could try to self-sponsor as an immigrant, depending on your age, savings, and skill sets, that's not too hard to do for Canada and the UK.

I am looking for something like this, self-sponsor. I'll have the funds and everything so basically i'll just be looking on getting a job there and the rest is on me for e.g housing and all that blah blah.. So basically just looking for a working visa to be legal to work there.

LordQarlyn

RaynardXO wrote: »

I am looking for something like this, self-sponsor. I'll have the funds and everything so basically i'll just be looking on getting a job there and the rest is on me for e.g housing and all that blah blah.. So basically just looking for a working visa to be legal to work there.

That shouldn't be a problem then, you will have to be patient and persistent, and start on the self sponsor visas as soon as you can.

RobSnowden23

How much is a system admin is getting paid in Kuwait/Qatar/AF these days?

messirossi

Sysadmin jobs in most firms are mostly filled by people from India, Pakistan or the Philippines. On average I guess they get around 30-40K usd per year. This could be different in MNCs where westerners occupy these positions, they could be making anything between 80-100 K

RobSnowden23

messirossi wrote: »

Sysadmin jobs in most firms are mostly filled by people from India, Pakistan or the Philippines. On average I guess they get around 30-40K usd per year. This could be different in MNCs where westerners occupy these positions, they could be making anything between 80-100 K

you joking? 80k to 100k in those areas are still kind of low to me. The US dollar worth nothing there.. it's like paying taxes with the currency differences.

LordQarlyn

LOL they aren't going to pay Sys Admins more than that. Further, if you go with an MNC or government contract, lot of your living expense are taken care of.

Finally, those places are only expensive if you're trying to live like an executive. There are plenty ways to live more cheaply, for some items, you can live even cheaper than in western countries.

RobSnowden23 wrote: »

you joking? 80k to 100k in those areas are still kind of low to me. The US dollar worth nothing there.. it's like paying taxes with the currency differences.

anhtran35

80k for an SA is correct. Why would they pay you more? U are living in their housing and prob. using their rental car. Food/Drinks etc are on you.

LordQarlyn

anhtran35 wrote: »

80k for an SA is correct. Why would they pay you more? U are living in their housing and prob. using their rental car. Food/Drinks etc are on you.

Indeed, if you are in Afghanistan, food and drink (non-alcoholic of course lol) are provided as well.

messirossi

LordQarlyn wrote: »

Indeed, if you are in Afghanistan, food and drink (non-alcoholic of course lol) are provided as well.

I think alcoholic drinks will be there too.