While a lot of Filipinos are dreaming to work abroad, some of them are barred for many reasons. Some don’t have enough budget to process all the papers needed. Some are fearing that they won’t get any offers because they lack experience. There are also aspiring OFWs who think that they won’t get any jobs because they lack education. While education is a very important and a gem in your resume, you should not think that it will bar you from becoming an OFW.
In a nutshell, the answer to the question whether you need a college degree to work as an OFW is NO, a college degree is NOT necessary to become an OFW. But having a degree is still important as this provides you more options and opportunities when working abroad.
Also Read: 8 Reasons Why You Should NOT Work as an OFW
In this article, we will discuss whether you need a bachelor’s degree to work as an OFW or not. We will also share with you how important it is to have good education before going outside the Philippines.
Why is it important to have an education to work overseas?
Education is not just important so you have a better understanding of how things and systems work. It is also essential so you can find the job that you really love. Going to school and finishing a degree will help you discover your passion and the thing you love to do in the future. If you haven’t found the reason why education is a gem, here are some things to ponder.
1. Education helps you get a high-paying job.
Without experience, your edge is your education. People who finished engineering, architecture, and medicine have high chances of getting hired even without experience. Some of them get hired with a high income in their first job. And as they continue to work, their salary increases. Education is undoubtedly an edge and you can get over the stiff competition if you have good education before you work abroad.
2. Education helps you find your passion.
College allows you to choose the degree you want to take. There are a lot of options actually. You can take up accounting, engineering, tourism, cooking, medicine, and so on. As you venture into these courses, you will eventually find your passion. For example, through accounting, you will discover how you love making reports for businesses and individuals. Through cooking, you will discover how you love making arts through food. Your passion also need not be your degree. You can be an engineer while loving how to cook. Education is just one of the many ports where you can find your passion but it is one of the most effective ones.
3. Education helps you understand things.
When applying for a job, you don’t just accept offers from people you don’t know. You research about the company as well so you would know if you are going to get a good offer. However, you wouldn’t do these things if you have no education at all. You wouldn’t know how to research about them unless there’s someone by your side who can teach you how to do it. You wouldn’t understand what’s in the job offer if you can’t read. Basically, having an education is needed so you can understand job offers, job roles, and employment contracts.
What do you mean by education?
Education is a formal system that teaches you the things you won’t learn at home. You can get an education from a public or private school, from a tutorial center, or from a vocational center. Education is not limited to finishing college. It can be finishing your elementary, high school, or vocational course.
Do you need a Bachelor’s Degree to work abroad?
Many Filipinos are barred to work abroad because they think that not finishing college won’t get them anywhere. While having a bachelor’s degree is like perfume in a resume, you don’t actually need to finish college and have a bachelor’s degree to work abroad.
Some OFWs went abroad with only vocational courses as their education. Some only finished elementary but managed to find a good-paying job. If these OFWs had the chance to look for a good career without finishing college, you have the opportunity too.
A bachelor’s degree is not needed when you work abroad. But, you may need to fill in the gaps by showcasing your skills and experience to your potential employers. You need specific strength to replace education in your resume. If you can’t be a degree holder, be someone who has enough experience.
Tips to find a job without a bachelor’s degree
1. Use your experience to make your application catchy.
If you don’t have a bachelor’s degree, don’t worry. You can still find a lot of potential employers by using your experience to make your application catchy. For instance, if you have worked in a hotel for a couple of years and you want to be a hotel staff when you work abroad, make sure to include that experience in your resume. If you have worked in big companies as a corporate employee and you wish to find work in a corporate world as well, you should include those years of experience in your resume.
2. Get an education while you are working.
As you look for a job, you will find a sustainable one, which pays just enough so you can survive abroad and be able to remit money to your family. While you work, try to allocate time to get your education. For sure, there are centers that allow expats to study. You might also need to save up as you pursue your education. But, money should be the least of your concern. Once you get an education, your compensation will increase or you can find a better job than what you currently have.
3. Work on your experience abroad.
If you don’t have both education and experience, it’s not an issue. You can work on your experience abroad. But, you might need to begin at a lower level and slowly climb the ladder. You might need years of experience so you can find a job that pays a high salary.
Final Thoughts
A bachelor’s degree is not necessary when you work abroad but it is an advantage. When you are given an opportunity to work in other countries, try to work on your education so you can improve your career someday.