Getting a developer job at 19 abroad

Hey guys, i didnt know where to ask this exactly but do you think I could get a developer job at 19 years old without a degree? The thing is, I don’t want to stay in Germany anymore, so I would like to move to an english speaking country like Australia or New Zealand. Do you think it would be possible for me to get an entry level developer job abroad even though i have no degree and no prior experience? My english is alright btw although i never had a spoken conversation in english.

Interesting challenge.

Is it possible? Yes. Is it probable? Depends on the country.

Many countries have restrictions on foreign work visas when it comes to age. I’m Canadian (a lot older than 19 :stuck_out_tongue: ) working in China as an ESL teacher (and about to return to Canada next week :slight_smile: ). In China, the rule is 22 - 55 years old. I have seen younger people working here, but it’s rare. China does that to ensure the workers have had the “opportunity to attend University”, get a general degree, and become “skilled” labour.

Many countries will also require your company to sponsor your work visa. Some countries will ask for proof of experience.

All isn’t lost though. It’s very easy to get a student visa if you wanted to try Uni in Australia or New Zealand. You could also get tourist visas for both those countries. In most countries, you aren’t legally allowed to work on these kinds of visas.

Your best bet is to research visa and immigration guidelines for the countries you’d like to work in. Or apply to companies that you like and be extremely open and honest about your visa requirements.

Just don’t stop.

Ever.

Because dreams are worth going after.

Hope you find yours. (also, find a speaking buddy… you’re going to be speaking a lot when you realize your dream, so it’s important to practice now.)

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As @DaveC said, it varies by country. My guess is that your best bet is to look
at countries in the EU first, but you’ll have to research the immigration policies of any countries that you want move to.

If you wanna go to Australia or New Zealand you can get a working holiday visa easily. There’s lots of german kids over there.

If your skills are good enough you can probably get a job just like you would in your home country. Although a WHV wouldn’t permit you to get a permanent job so you would definitely need to show a potential employer that you can get the job done as a temp worker. Have a solid portfolio.

I would highly recommend New Zealand, if only for the traveling.

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