Building Iraq
Building Iraq
(OP)
I noticed Bechtel got a HUGE contract for rebuilding Iraq. What are the chances of someone without much experience getting in on the action overseas (I'm in the United States). I didn't notice any job postings on their web page, but would consider many engineering and CM positions.
Actually, I'm wondering what the chances are for any international work without being a "senior." Has anyone traveled internationally early in their career? If you only speak one language (English), will that rule you out? Can you still get good experience from international work even when working with different codes, standards, and whatever else comes with working in a different country (i.e. be hired when you come back home). Just from hearing the Canadians in here talk, things are done differently up North. That makes me wonder if the effort needed to acomplish your work will be more than the excitement of traveling abroad since you may have to struggle just to get by in your work.
Actually, I'm wondering what the chances are for any international work without being a "senior." Has anyone traveled internationally early in their career? If you only speak one language (English), will that rule you out? Can you still get good experience from international work even when working with different codes, standards, and whatever else comes with working in a different country (i.e. be hired when you come back home). Just from hearing the Canadians in here talk, things are done differently up North. That makes me wonder if the effort needed to acomplish your work will be more than the excitement of traveling abroad since you may have to struggle just to get by in your work.





RE: Building Iraq
As for being a small fish trying to get some of the work, good luck.
regards
sc
RE: Building Iraq
I had 3 years in private consulting firm and 1 year as a site engineer on a large civil project before going to East Timor with 2 friends to try our hand at working for ourselves. After 4 months with no real projects, the contacts and perseverance began paying off, and we developed a strong base, which eventually lead into contracts with various UN agencies, World Bank and Asian Development Bank.
There were many engineers from around the world, the majority freelance and trying to get a gig with one of the agencies. The major firms tended to have their own staff, and it was very difficult to break in without a competetive advantage, e.g local knowledge or language skills. These are very hard to obtain on your own.
A suggestion would be to look at organisations such as RedR www.redr.org or Oxfam for a foot in the door in the region. The skills aquired provide an advantage in networking and can lead to opportunities elsewhere.
After 2 1/2 years in E. Timor I returned to Australia and continued as a sole trader engineering consultant. The skills aquired are not solely of a technical nature, but I feel have improved my ability to assess problems and determine solutions. The conditions you work under force you to really apply all the creativity that goes with solving engineering problems. And it's a real buzz! :)
cheers,
GAllen
RE: Building Iraq
RE: Building Iraq
JTMcC.
RE: Building Iraq
I think your best bet is to try for contract work. Check out CE Weekly and search for overseas work. There, you can find if you're qualified or not. They also post direct jobs, or you might work from contract to direct.
Overseas work isn't what it used to be. Many people in the big cities speak at least some English (except maybe taxi drivers in Bangkok
Remember, you're the expert when you're 30 miles away from the office. You can't count on getting help from a more experienced person, so you will have to rely on your own devices. Being a junior probably helps, since your rate is lower ... you need to prove that you're capable of performing the work.
Also, if you have a family - forget it. It's really tough to maintain a relationship from afar. It's also tough to get a spouse to accept the living conditions "over there", unless he/she's the adventurous type. You have to be somewhat adventurous yourself. You will work long, hard hours, sometimes doing a lot of "grunt" work, just to get it done. The most popular words you hear in the Middle East are "Tomorrow, if Allah wills."
Double the period they tell you. For instance, if they say 3-months, you'd better count on at least a 6-month assignment. Make sure you can stand being away from the American lifestyle that long or longer.
Good luck!