This is the inevitable question we get asked on every phone screen we have with an employer. This is to assess your eligibility for the role and if the company will need to sponsor you. This is not to trip up an applicant, but rather some companies, depending on their policies require Recruiters to ask this question to candidates. So how do you make this question work for you?
There are many factors that are discussed when deciding if a company is going to sponsor an individual, but the most fundamental question the employers ask themselves is, “does this person possess a skill set that we can’t find amongst candidates who don’t require sponsorship?” If the answer is a yes, then employers are more open to the idea of sponsorship. If the answer is no, then convincing a company becomes slightly moredifficult, but not impossible. The main reason companies do notsponsor is $$$; an average visa can cost as high as $5,000, in some cases even more.Therefore, if a company can spare that cost and hire an individual who has your same skill sets, but do not require sponsorship then most companies will choosethe latter.
So how do you know if companies are open to sponsoring? The answer is simple…DOyour research.
By researching into companies websites/LinkedIn’s you can see if they hired foreign employees in the past. This is a good way to gauge if companies are open to sponsorship. Also know…your…competition. As a Recruiter, I vividly remembered a conversation I had with a candidate that required sponsorship. In that conversation he explained how his particular skill set separates himself from others in the industry. He knew his competition, knew his skill set and argued why he's worth investing in. Lastly, know what tools are out there. Job boards such as Dice, Vizajobs, Crunchboard and JobsInLogistics list roles open to sponsorship in industries such as Software Development, Engineering, Sales and many more!
