Taking your career international

Find international jobs, navigate regional norms, and build a global network

Building your career in a new country

Moving your career abroad offers numerous benefits, both professionally and personally. It allows you to gain exposure to diverse work environments, enhancing your adaptability and broadening your perspective on global challenges and solutions in the field of chemistry. Working in a different country can open doors to unique research opportunities, cutting-edge facilities, and specialised industries that may not be accessible in your home country. It also helps you develop a global network of professional connections, which can lead to future collaborations and career advancements.

Whether you are moving for improved financial security, a research sabbatical, for international collaborations, increased job opportunities, or to fulfil a lifelong passion for cultural change, in this resource we’re going to cover some key advice for successfully moving your career abroad.

Understanding Visas | Where to Find Opportunities | Building your International Network | CVs | Building Experience Abroad | Understanding the Local Labour Market | Identifying Cultural Differences| Financial Considerations and Cost of Living| Managing Homesickness

Country guides

We are building a database of country-specific guides. The first is now live:

Nigeria country guide

Understanding visas

Visa requirements can vary significantly depending on where you are looking to move. In many cases, you may require sponsorship from a company to secure your visa.

If you are looking at moving to the UK, the Gov.uk website is the best source of up-to-date information: Visas and immigration - GOV.UK. You may also be able to reach out to the Citizens Advice charity for free visa and immigration advice: Get specialist immigration advice - Citizens Advice. You don’t need to be a UK citizen to access this service but you may need a UK address to access their support.

For selected countries outside the UK:

USA visas (Including H1B visas) can be found on the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services website: Home | USCIS. Due to changes in the US political leadership, changes are likely at short notice and it’s important to stay up to date on any visa changes that might impact your relocation.
Canada can be found here: Work in Canada - Canada.ca
Germany can be found here: D-Visa: Residence permits for employment - Federal Foreign Office
France can be found here: Contact - Assistance - France-Visas
Australia can be found here: Explore visa options work
Japan can be found here: Work or Long-term stay | Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Japan
The UAE can be found here: Residence visa for working in the UAE | The Official Portal of the UAE Government

For other countries, we would recommend checking government websites in the first instance for the most up-to-date and accurate information. Third party websites may be out-of-date or may charge additional fees to access their services.

Where to Find Opportunities

Many job-boards include global job opportunities. We have included some general, international boards below as well as some country and region-specific websites here:

Global Search Websites

Chemistry World includes a number of international chemistry roles.
LinkedIn is a global job board and includes vacancies in a variety of fields around the world.
Indeed has dedicated sites for different regions. You can change the country code before "Indeed" in the web address to find your region. For instance, uk.indeed.com for the UK, br.indeed.com for Brazil, and de.indeed.com for Germany. You can find a full list of country codes here .
Nature Careers lists many science roles in different countries, with a particular focus on the US, EU and China.
ResearchGate includes a job board with roles across the EU, US and China.
Guardian Jobs hosts some international job listings and allows users to filter by continent.
Jobs.ac.uk is primarily focused on the UK market but has a large section covering China, and other international academic opportunities also appear from time to time.

Americas

Science Careers has many science roles in the US.
Life Science Network allows you to filter to jobs in Brazil.
Conicet specialises in science roles in Argentina.
Elempleo covers jobs in Colombia and Costa Rica.
Job Bank is a site run by the Canadian government and covers jobs in a variety of sectors.

Europe

Euraxess covers research jobs across the EU.
EuroScienceJobs covers science positions across Europe.
Academic Positions includes jobs around the world, although the majority of postings are in Europe.
EURES covers jobs across Europe in a variety of sectors.

Middle East and Africa

GulfTalent covers employers across the Middle East.
Bayt specialises in industry roles in the Middle East, North Africa and Pakistan.
Science Careers lists opportunities in Africa.
Afrorama offers job opportunities across Africa and allows you to filter by the UN Sustainable Development Goals. However, the website does not specialise in science roles.

Asia

Japan Research Career Information Network focuses on research and academic roles in Japan.
Career Cross includes a variety of roles in Japan.
Naukri is among India's largest job boards and covers a variety of job areas.
Science Careers has a dedicated search covering India.
Shine.com has extensive job listings across many sectors in India.
MyCareersFuture is run by the Singaporean government and covers a variety of sectors.
JobStreet is a branch of SEEK and is popular across Malaysia, Singapore, the Philippines, Indonesia and Vietnam.
HeadHunter is one of the largest job sites in Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan and Kyrgyzstan, with dedicated sites for each country.

Australia and New Zealand

Seek.com.au lists jobs across Australia and New Zealand.

Building your international network

Get in touch with the RSC Local Sections in the country you are considering moving to. There are numerous local sections outside the UK and a large number within the UK and Ireland. They will be a useful source of information and help to build your network in your new region.
Networking on LinkedIn can also be helpful. Building your professional relationship with Chemists in your chosen country and asking for them to share an anonymised version of their CVs has been shown to be effective. However, as always you will still need to critically evaluate the guidance you are given to ensure it is relevant and high-quality.
You may also wish to explore industry-specific conferences, events, and career fairs which can offer key insights into local hiring trends and allow you to build your network in your chosen country.
Ex-pat discussion boards can also be useful sources of information as you can often get information from people from your home country who have moved successfully.

CVs and cover letters

We have resources tailored to the UK labour market available (CVs and Cover Letters). Internationally, job applications can vary significantly. For example:

Germany: it is normal to send a 1-2 page CV, a 1-page Cover Letter, and an ‘Anlagen’ (proof of your qualifications and references), which can make applications lengthy.
USA: CVs are typically called ‘Resumes’ and are often only 1-page in length.
In some countries: photographs may be normal, although these are not typical in the UK or the USA.
In some countries: additional information such as date of birth, gender, marital status, ethnicity, and even religion may be expected on a CV.

Customs and norms are also prone to change. Many countries that previously insisted on in-depth personal information are now scaling this back due to anti-discrimination policies. It is therefore important to stay up to date on changing recruitment practices in your target countries.

In some cases, there may be websites and resources shared directly by the country that offer CV advice. For example:

Canada: The Canadian Government provides a Resume Builder as part of its Job Bank resource: Resume Builder - Job Bank
Germany: Make It in Germany offers CV and job application advice for Germany: Applying for a job
EU: EuroPass is a standardised CV format that is increasingly used across the EU: Home | Europass
Australia: The Australian Government offers information on CV norms:
- How to Write a CV and Covering Letter
- Authoring a successful CV
Qatar: The Qatari government provides a CV template: CV Template
South Africa: The government has CV templates and guidance: Compiling a Curriculum Vitae | South African Government

Building experience abroad

When considering a move abroad, gaining international experience can help your CV stand out. It can also foreground that because you’ve successfully worked abroad before, you will be able to do so again. Any opportunities to study or work abroad can make a valuable contribution to your international CV. If you are working in Academia, this might involve targeting international publications, travelling to conferences, and/or undertaking a research sabbatical abroad. The RSC Researcher Collaboration Grant can help with funding an international research project: Researcher Collaborations Grants.

If you are working in industry, are there opportunities for international projects? Can you travel to other company sites, attend conferences, or undertake a secondment? If you are a student, why not explore a semester abroad or university exchange to gain valuable international experience? Volunteering or undertaking internships abroad can also be a great way to build your international profile and show experience of working outside your cultural context. Taking time to learn a foreign language can also be a positive way to show your international commitment as well as giving you a useful skill for living abroad.

Understanding the local labour market

Understanding which sectors are growing, where the jobs are located, and which skills are in demand is an important part of moving your career abroad.

Engaging with the RSC local sections can be a fantastic way to gain insights into labour market trends. You can find a full list of local sections here: Connect with others involved with chemistry in your area. There are a large number of local sections in the UK and Ireland with numerous others across the world.

If you are looking to move to the UK, the RSC Future Chemistry Workforce and Educational Pathways Report provides a useful snapshot of the evolving skills and jobs required in the chemical sciences. You can also access the RSC pay and reward survey to see what chemists earn in the UK.

You can also look at official government labour statistics or industry reports which can offer key insights into salaries, unemployment rates, and growing sectors. For example:

U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (USA)
Office for National Statistics (UK)
Eurostat (EU)
INDEC: Instituto Nacional de Estadística y Censos de la República Argentina (Argentina)
IBGE Portal (Brazil)
INE (Chile)
DANE (Colombia)
Statistics South Africa (South Africa)
Kenya National Bureau of Statistics (Kenya)
Haut-Commissariat au Plan du Royaume du Maroc (Morocco)
National Bureau of Statistics (Nigeria)
Central Bank of Sri Lanka (Sri Lanka)
Federal Competitiveness and Statistics Centre (UAE, English site available)
General Authority for Statistics (Saudi Arabia, English site available)
Central Bureau of Statistics (Israel, English site available)
Ministry of Manpower (Singapore)
Department of Statistics Malaysia (Malaysia)
The World Bank (Global)

You may also wish to explore local professional associations as they will often publish labour market analyses, salary surveys, and sector-specific reports (as the RSC does for the UK).

Some countries also list shortage occupations where there is a deficit of skilled workers. This can be a valuable place to identify in-demand job titles. For example:

Skilled Worker visa: eligible occupations and codes (UK)
Occupation Shortage List (Australia)

Identifying cultural differences

Different countries around the world can have markedly different workplace norms. For example:

In the Middle East, it’s common for the work week to run from Sunday-Thursday with the weekend being Friday-Saturday. Early starts (often at 07:30-08:00 are also common) and work hours may be different around Ramadan.
In Brazil, 30 days of annual leave are inscribed in law, but often you cannot take holiday during the first year of your employment at a company.
In Japan, there is a strong emphasis on hierarchy and respect in the workplace. Employees are expected to show loyalty to the company, often working long hours, and it’s common for workers to socialise with colleagues after hours. Taking time off or leaving early can be seen as a sign of lack of commitment.
In the US, the work culture tends to be fast-paced and results-driven, with a focus on individual achievement. The typical workweek runs from Monday to Friday, and while there is no statutory paid leave at the federal level, most companies offer vacation days, usually ranging from 10 to 15 days per year.

These are just a few specific examples of how work can vary significantly around the world. It is important to carry out research to understand the workplace norms of the country you are moving to, to ensure it will be a good fit for your values and working style. As part of this, you may find it helpful to reflect on where your personal working style conforms to or conflicts with the working culture in your chosen country. If you identify that there are significant differences between your working style and the approach in the new region, that isn’t to say you shouldn’t make the move or you won’t fit in, only that there may be adjustments to make to your expectations and approach to work.

Regardless of where you are moving, cultural differences in communication, working hours, flexibility, and workplace hierarchies can require sensitivity, patience, and effective communication to negotiate and manage.

In a similar way, there may be differences between your home country and new country in terms of equality legislation, parental leave, treatment of different genders, and reasonable adjustments for workplace differences (such as disabilities, learning differences, and/or other requirements and health needs). It’s always worth researching what these differences are, how they impact the recruitment processes and working culture, and whether they will be a good fit for your needs.

To find out more about the cultural differences between countries, you might find the following resources helpful:

Living abroad guide – Expat.com provides guides for many countries and cities around the world, offering advice on visas, work, study, health care, accommodation and other key information.
Country Commercial Guides – The International Trade Administration has information on key economic indicators, customs, regulations & standards, travel advice, visa requirements, and business customs advice for many countries around the world.
Foreign travel advice - GOV.UK – The UK foreign office provides information on safety & security, entry requirements, and key information for every country in the world.
Expatica: The largest online resource for expats – Has information on Austria, Belgium, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, Luxembourg, Netherlands, Portugal, Qatar, Russia, Saudi Arabia, Singapore, South Africa, Spain, Switzerland, Thailand, United Arab Emirates, and United Kingdom.
WVS Database – The World Values Survey undertakes research into the different values and beliefs of various countries around the world.
Expat Country and Region Guides - HSBC Expat – HSBC provides information on Australia, Canada, France, Germany, Hong Kong, Malaysia, Netherlands, Singapore, Spain, Switzerland, Thailand, UAE, UK, and USA.

Financial considerations and cost of living

As part of your research, it’s important to understand the typical salaries for roles in the destination country so you can make an informed decision about your financial security and the quality of life you could enjoy.

Websites such as Community | Glassdoor can be a useful source of salary information.

For information on cost of living in different countries around the world, Numbeo (Cost of Living) can be very useful and includes information on average prices of food and drink, groceries, transportation, childcare, housing and average salaries.

Expatisan (Cost of Living Comparisons, 2025 data.) offers comparisons between two locations so can be useful if you want to compare your current country with the place you are intending to move to.

Generative AI can also be a useful tool for finding salary information. A prompt such as ‘Give me average salaries for Chemists in Alabama’ in your preferred tool can give relevant and helpful information. As with all AI, we would always recommend double checking the information to ensure it’s up to date and accurate.

Taxes are also important to consider to understand how much take-home salary you will have available. PWC offers a useful guide to Worldwide Tax summaries: Worldwide Tax Summaries Online

Don’t forget to factor in re-location costs such as flights and moving furniture. In some cases, companies may help cover the cost of relocating, pay for temporary accommodation, fund healthcare, and even pay for you to ship your furniture abroad. However, this will vary on a case-by-case basis and may require negotiation as part of your contract.

Managing homesickness

Whilst moving to a new country is an exciting adventure, it can also be natural to experience homesickness. Often, people who relocate find the first days and weeks exhilarating as they settle into a new house, new job, make new friends, and begin to scope the neighbourhood. However, over time it can be normal for homesickness to sink in once the excitement wears off and the realities of normal life set in. To help manage homesickness

Regular calls and video chats with family and friends can help you to feel connected.

Connecting with colleagues, local communities, and expat groups can help create a new sense of belonging.

Joining the local sections of the RSC can help meet likeminded professionals in your new location.

Identifying a mentor who has experience of relocation can be useful to give you an ally, whilst also offering you advice on managing the transition. The RSC Mentoring Scheme can help with this.

Taking time to explore your new city/town/country can help immerse you in the new country and continue the excitement of travelling to new places.

Taking care of wellbeing and building a good routine can help add structure to your life in a period of change.

If possible, plan a trip home and for your family/friends to visit you. This can help give you something to aim towards and provide reassurance that home is still there.

Remember, that homesickness is a temporary state. As you build new relationships your new country will start to feel like home.

If you are still finding it challenging to settle in or are feeling anxious or depressed as a result of the changes, you can also reach out to the Chemists' Community Fund who can offer wellbeing support and advice.