Now listen – patience is a virtue. This saying is absolutely applicable when planning to move abroad. With the way almost everything is as easy as one click these days, I do understand how frustrating it is to have to wait and go through a whole process when it seems like there should be a shortcut to it all. However, when it comes to such life-altering decisions and choices, I implore you, be patient and do the groundwork so you can set yourself up for a better beginning. Why do I say this? Well, keep reading. Hint: Scam!
I’ve heard too many stories about people who’ve lost thousands of dollars to study abroad, work abroad or move abroad agencies (scammers). These criminals are very crafty and patient, and they are very good at reeling in desperate people and exploiting their desire for a better future. Their websites are designed to convince even the smartest of people into thinking the offers are legit. Some even go as far as having real offices in real locations, which you can actually visit, but when they are done with you, you’ll never find them again.
The worst kind are the ones who actually “pull through” on their offer, but when you get there, you get the shock of your life when there’s no actual job, the university isn’t at all what they advertised, your accommodation is some dingy-looking hostel or God-forbid, you end up in a life-threatening situation like human trafficking. The worst of the worst. I don’t mean to scare you, but these are real issues and real situations that we have to be extremely cautious about.
Not all agencies are scammers. There are some legit businesses out there that actually help you find the work or university you need and assist you in your move abroad. They can make your life simpler by lessening the burden of having to do all the research, but this doesn’t mean you should fully rely on their efforts alone. You need to do your own work in checking the credibility of the information they give you and ideally of their business before they even get started. Here are my tips on how to go about this.
Research the agency online – this is the most basic step you can take. Check the website. Serious agencies have their own domain so imagine studyabroad.com vs studyabroad.wixsite.com. Already a massive difference between these two. If they can’t set up their own domain, how will they help you? Once on the website, review their “About page” and determine how long they’ve been in business.
If less than a year, you might want to skip that and look for a more credible company. Check their contact info – does it align with their location? Check their socials and see if they have any interaction with any sort of community and above all, check for success stories. That’s one way to tell what type of work they’ve done. Look for reviews and testimonials. Maybe contacting some of their past clients might be a good idea if they’ve been publicly listed. But again, these people may be in on the scam, so you need to be wary.
Read Also Accommodation Abroad – Guide to Find Perfect Home
If you’ve done the first bit and the company looks legit and you’ve decided to work with them, now you keep your ears open. Listen to how they communicate with you. Are they too pushy when it comes to you paying them? Are they open to having in-person meetings? Do they have transparent contracts? What are their timeframes? How well do they involve you in the entire process? You’ve got to be alert at all times and trust your instincts. Read situations and don’t be blinded by your desire to move. Even if they are helping you with the process, a certain level of patience from you is necessary to ensure you aren’t missing anything.
Whatever information they provide you, check it as well. If it’s a university, go the website. Check the tuition fees and compare it with what they gave you. Review the courses/modules, the faculty, the accommodation – everything. If it’s a job, check the company out. Where is it located? Who are the HR managers there, how many employees does it have? Does it have LinkedIn page etc. Review the laws in the country when it comes to visa applications or residence permits and see if it matches what they’ve given you. Sorry if I sound like a broken record but do some work yourself. You have got to.
Read Also Policies to prevent and deter fraud – European Commission
What I will conclude though is my personal advice – normally, what an agency can do, you can do yourself. I think they should be used as a last resort. You try it out first. Give yourself some credit and believe you can at least give it a go. Once you’ve failed a couple of times, fine, try an agency out. Making an attempt on your own will also help you when you do work with an agency because you’ll already have an idea about how the process should work. You can read here for some ideas as well that I talked about in my last article.
Believe in yourself – you can do it! Just give yourself a little time and watch the magic happen!
