How to find overseas contractor jobs faster
By William Beaver, publisher
Monday, March 17, 2008, 07:45
FACT: The overseas job market keeps changing fast in places like Iraq, Kuwait and Afghanistan...
FACT: The recruiting pool is flooded because of people getting out of the military with overseas experience and security clearances, plus thousands of contractors moving from company to company...
FACT: Contracts are drying up, or changing hands, and some companies have packed up and left...
FACT: But even under these conditions, with the right tools and sources, you can still find employment in the danger zones...
Whether you're just browsing information about high-paying jobs in places like Iraq, or you're an experienced professional looking for your next contract...
You know you need lots of tools, constantly updated information, current news and good advice to succeed in your job hunt, which is exactly how Danger Zone Jobs can help you...
Finding yourself a job is this industry can be harder than most others...
Some traditional job search techniques work, many don't...
People who work overseas as private contractors, whether in security, engineering, transportation, or whatever, will tell you that finding a job in this business is a matter of both who you know and what you know.
But very few openings are advertised, despite the listings in Monster, Hotjobs and others. Employers hiring for federal contracts and sub-contracts have very strict guidelines and recordkeeping requirements for their recruiting process, which means you may never hear from them even if you do apply through their own site.
KBR, for example, has thousands and thousands of resume's in their database, yet they continue to conduct job fairs around the country. Why?
Simple. They need more than just bodies. They need qualified, experienced employees. Most of the other companies hiring for jobs in Iraq, Afghanistan, Qatar, Kuwait and similar places also need to find people that fit their specific requirements.
Finding overseas contracting jobs is a process, with no easy tricks or shortcuts...
To have a chance of finding an overseas job with these companies, you have to:
1. Network.
2. Stay up to date on what's happening in the industry,
3. Stay current on who has what contract and who lost what contract.
4. Find out which companies to try and which companies to avoid.
5. Keep up on what contracts are in play and out for bid.
6. Learn about new regulations and changes as Congress and the Pentagon keep increasing industry oversight.
And you have to do all these things without wasting your time...
We help you stay informed of the on-going answers for those questions and much more. In fact helping you radically speed up your job search is the whole purpose of Danger Zone Jobs.
Fast track employment information for 182 companies with overseas jobs.
* You can direct access company job site pages, saving tons of time. You've probably experienced this problem already. You go to a company site and spend a half hour trying to figure out where their employment pages are. Not anymore. We've found them for you. One click and you're there.
* Hiring information so you know exactly what they are looking for. Most employers have very specific ways they want you to us when applying for jobs. Now you'll know up front and save a lot of wasted effort.
* Current news about them, both from their website and from a vast variety of other news sources. This helps tremendously at interview time, especially when they expect you to know about their company.
Network with experienced professionals on our members-only discussion forum.
Our forum has been fortunate to have experienced people offering solid advice on a whole range of issues, for example:
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the best ways to deal with not hearing from companies after submitting your paperwork,
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the truth behind some of the stories you read about companies,
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and much more.
You'll have access to practical advice and helpful conversations with experienced people, not rude comments.
Thumbs Up...
I'm a person who likes to follow things to the source. I had the same questions many of you did about Danger Zone Jobs.
So, first I invested in a subscription and then recently on my travels to Kuwait I had the pleasure and opportunity to meet and talk extensively with the owner and editor. I give a thumbs up to both the web site and it's originator/owner, William Beaver.
Lyle Hendrick
former SF officer, two-tour private security contractor in Iraq, and now a consultant to various companies on security and reconstruction issues. Recently featured in New York Times Magazine.
Find out about successful job search strategies from people already working in it...
* The best ways to use job fairs. A job fair, if used correctly, is a series of mini-interviews. You need to be prepared.
* Where to find job fairs that hire for overseas.You'll know when and where to find job fairs for people willing to work overseas in high risk areas.
* Best resume' and cover letters. How to translate your background into terms human resources and hiring managers like.
* How to recognize and avoid job scams
* Recruiting firms that specialize in former military
Your site is excellent - in today's market I would imagine it's doing well.
Tony Scotti - securitydriver.com
How many international high-risk jobs are available? This site [dangerzonejobs.com] offers an idea, displaying high-paying jobs in Iraq and other countries, and in various fields including security, operations, intelligence, linguists, engineering, construction, mechanical and transportation.
PBS Frontline
www.pbs.orgWebsite and television documentary on private military contractors
Industry and company news, contract updates and other information is updated constantly ( almost daily since January 2005 )...
* Media Monitor of news and articles related to working in danger zones. We monitor the media daily and include updates on the news and features stories you need to know about.
* Industry news and contract awards - also monitored daily.
Greetings from Fallujah. I wanted to say hello and let you know I admire your work on Danger Zone Jobs. I own The Red Zone!, and I have added you to our list.
Russ Shattles - EOD Technician, PSD Operator
The Red Zone! blog
Recent information on working conditions so that you can approach job offers with confidence and knowledge.
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The truth about high-pay and tax-free earnings. (It's not what you've probably heard.)
* How to handle your finances and taxes when you work overseas.
* The legal status of private contractors and civilians overseas in a danger zone.
I really like DangerZoneJobs.com. You’ve got a good concept, and do it well. The collection of articles is excellent, and your focus is perfect.
Evan Lesser
Director - ClearanceJobs.com
a Dice Company
If you are truly up for the adventure, this is a good place to look. There is a fee for access to the member area, but this includes job listings, company profiles, and the like. There is a good amount of free info you can review before pulling out the credit card, including many articles, so you can make a very informed decision about joining.
The Riley Guide
The Internet's original career information resource
rileyguide.com
Can't you find some of the information free somewhere else?
Yes, definitely. All basic raw information is free if you are willing to trade enough time to discover it.
We collect and collate some of the best information, advice and sources around, and present it to you in a way that you can quickly deal with and act on.
There are bits and pieces of it in dozens of different websites, books, journals, trade publications, and in papers and magazines. And, if you care to spend the hours daily looking for it, you can get most of it free.
But is it really free?
The first thing you need to consider is the amount of time and effort spent tracking down the information you're looking for.
Your leisure time is important. The last thing you want to do is waste it in front of a computer trawling through hundreds of pages and emails trying to find some useable information.
Danger Zone Jobs acts as your personal filter: processing all that "free" information into something you can use, saving you tons of time.
Even when you track the information down, the next step is trying to make use of it.
You could spend the next five weeks reading every web page devoted to finding a job with the private military firms and defense contractors, and still end up confused.
Think about it. If information was water, you would be drowning, right?
Will the free information you find work for you? The only way you can know for sure is to put it to the test, then cross your fingers and hope you have the results to show for it.
How much time can you spare?
The editor of dangerzonejobs.com spends a good part of each and every day going through news alerts, newspapers, magazines, and trade journals, reading company websites, reading other forums, checking out new sources and new leads, talking with people in the business, trying to find the best stuff for your needs.
Can you spare hours everyday to do the same? Now you don't need to.
A valuable, easy to use resource for the Hot Zone job hunt...
I would like to begin by saying that his site is very easy to find by virtue of it's name. The site in my opinion will attract a wide gamut of potential employee’s seeking High Risk High Pay jobs, ranging from skilled professionals to adventurers, and braggarts.
Irregardless of site users this site provides an invaluable resource by combining hiring notices and hiring information in one site. Bill has built and orchestrated this site to assist in finding gainful employment in hot zones around the globe.
The layout of the site once a membership is purchased is very straight forward and still requires the users to search and comb the site for companies providing employment. As in anything else you have to be aggressive in obtaining solid and gainful employment, this site supplies the company profiles and links to career contacts for specific companies.
You have to be aggressive when using this site, Bill will provide you with the information and you have to do the best you can with it, the site is not here to find you a job it's here to assist you by providing informational resources.
Bill spends a tremendous amount of time and resources to obtain the information for his site, not to mention the cajoling he has to do with representatives of the companies on his site.
Only you can determine if the price is worth it that may lead to your dream job or another contract. If you spend the money to subscribe to Bill's site and you land a $150K contract then the money was well worth it, if not then you may feel differently.