When you are talented and ambitious, there are always unique opportunities to expand your territory. What really matters is if you’re dedicated to pursuing them.
It’s never easy to leave your family, neighborhood, friends, and customs to turn a blank new page in your life. However, it’s worth taking this as a challenge to access the merits of working abroad. Lebanese students have the greatest advantages: they’re bilinguals living in a multinational country with diverse cultures, which allows them to be sought after by numerous businesses worldwide.
If you think you’re a talented Lebanese student waiting to commit to your fullest potential abroad, read our article to find the best countries to set up your life and expand your boundaries.
Top Countries for Lebanese Students to Find Work
Lebanese students are a few steps ahead in the global workplace due to their multilingualism and experience living in a multicultural environment. However, there are some countries with higher possibilities of hiring Lebanese employees based on their own sets of criteria. Below, we pointed out the five best countries for Lebanese students to find work.
1. UAE
With about 80,000 to 150,000 skilled Lebanese residents, the United Arab Emirates is many Lebanese students’ choice to work, mainly because they share language, religion, and customs in many ways. Thus, it is much easier for Lebanese students to adapt to the country and communicate with the locals. Subsequently, as there is no language barrier, Lebanese students are offered a wide variety of job opportunities compared to other nationals in the UAE.
Needless to say, working in the UAE can make Lebanese students and graduates earn good amounts of money since the country is known for its rapidly growing economy and rich living standards. Popular jobs for Lebanese students in the UAE are technology, engineering, medicine, and finance.
2. Switzerland
Switzerland holds the title of being one of the top countries to work for many nationals, including the Lebanese community. There are reportedly over 16,000 Lebanese students and graduates living in Switzerland, which is not few compared to the small size of the country. Then, what makes Switzerland special for Lebanese students?
There are plenty of reasons why Switzerland is popular among Lebanese people; first, it is a country of global diplomacy, which makes the country one of the safest and most multinational countries in the world. Secondly, Switzerland hosts the most privileged businesses with serious investments in the world, making its residents earn high salaries and proceed in their selected careers. Third, French is one of the official and most common languages in Switzerland, which removes the language barrier for Lebanese students.
Popular jobs in Switzerland for Lebanese students include software engineers, accountants, IT specialists, physicians, professors, and more.
3. France
France hosts over 300,000 Lebanese migrants and descendants, which can be considered a second home for the Lebanese community. The reasons for this large population vary, yet the main reasons lie behind historical, political, and economic aspects. Today, Lebanese residents play an active role in any sector or field in France, from politics to art and business.
Lebanese students can find a job easily in France not solely because they share their language but also because there are many Lebanese-owned businesses, such as Elie Saab, a fashion design company launched by a Lebanese-French designer, and FIMAS SA, a real-estate company run by Lebanese business owners, as well as communities to help talented Lebanese students find a job from a variety of options available for them.
The minimum wage in France is €1,747, and the average skilled employee can earn around €2,500, which is a reasonable amount to live comfortably in cities other than Paris. Lastly, Lebanese students can work in many sectors in France, yet the popular professions include teachers, nurses, software engineers, IT technicians, and more.
4. USA
The Lebanese community in the USA is among the largest Lebanese communities in other nations except for the home country, Lebanon, which is unsurprising as there are undeniably lots of work opportunities in the US for many nationalities, and Lebanese people are not excluded. There are over 480,000 people in the US with Lebanese nationality or ancestry, many of whom had settled in by launching their own businesses, including George Joseph, the founder of Mercury Insurance Group, and George J. Maloof Sr., a businessman and former owner of the Houston Rockets, or found employment after graduating from US universities.
It is not very difficult to move to the USA for Lebanese students as English bilingualism and living with a diversity of cultures and religions is what many Lebanese people’s strengths in the global workforce. There are all kinds of jobs available for Lebanese students and graduates in the USA, yet highly skilled Lebanese individuals can work in health, finance, academia, entrepreneurship, software engineering, and many more career paths. Average salary differs from state to state, yet Lebanese students can expect an average salary of $5,000 or much more.
5. Australia
Lastly, Australia is on our list for its constant foreign workforce, particularly for Lebanese students. Australia is the choice of many Lebanese students to not only study but also employment; this is mainly because many Australian universities help successful Lebanese students pursue their careers there as there are many notable alumni of Lebanese descent, such as Marie Bashir, the former governor of New South Wales from the University of Sydney and Steve Bracks, former Premier of Victoria from Federation University. Also, life in Australia is usually experienced as peaceful and fun by many Lebanese migrants, thanks to the vivid and adventurous life in both urban and rural areas.
According to the latest data, there are over 87,000 Lebanon-born residents in Australia, most of whom settled in Sydney and Melbourne. Trending jobs for qualified Lebanese students in Australia are nursery, education, engineering, technology, commerce, and more.
FAQs on How to Search for Work Abroad
What Are the Challenges Faced by Lebanese Students in Finding Work Abroad??
Common challenges for Lebanese students in finding work are the language barrier, finding a visa sponsorship, cultural adaptation, financial preparations, and such. However, it is important to know that such challenges can be overcome with the right approach and careful consideration.
For instance, language barriers can be dealt with easily with the right job applications that fit your capabilities, and luckily, the three most common languages in Lebanon – Arabic, English, and French – are some of the most used languages in the world. Financial and cultural challenges can be solved with the same strategy: apply for the right positions so you can work comfortably and happily. Another critical issue is to find a job that secures your stay in a foreign country, and the best way is to talk with prospective employers if they provide sponsorship to obtain a work permit beforehand.
Without a doubt, there are many more and better opportunities awaiting qualified and passionate Lebanese students in different parts of the world; all it takes is to be courageous and follow your goals in life. Living in the countries we mentioned above will allow Lebanese students to socialize with their own community as well as people from other nationalities, making it much more fun and exciting to live abroad. Perhaps, your path to success hinders somewhere you can learn only by taking a long journey.
We hope this article has been informative. Check out our Currently Open Scholarships Page for more academic opportunities!
