1/18/2017 7:01 AM
It all depends on where you want to go.
I have been abroad since 1990, mainly in Europe. Many countries with golf industries have their own greenkeeping associations. For example, in the UK it's BIGGA, Australia has the AGCSA. I have had extensive contacts with superintendents in both countries and I never heard of an American GCS landing a job in either place.
I'm a member of AGREF, the French greenkeepers association, and in the past I was in Spain's AEdG. There is even a Europe-wide association of greenkeeper associations, that goes by the acronym of FEGGA. I don't know anything about South America or Asia.
Most of these associations have job listings, but you will find it practically impossible to get an interview let alone a job. Even if there is no language barrier, there are inevitable mountains of bureaucracy to go through for legal status, residency and work permits, and most employers would prefer to avoid that because it would mean a 6-12 month delay before you could start work. Then there's the expense of importing a foreigner compared to a local guy who's good to go right now.
I landed in Europe while working for the Gary Player Design Company, so I wasn't dependent on a foreign employer, which allowed me time to get established here while I could support myself.
One thing to consider if you do move overseas, which I didn't think about, is it may be difficult to move back to the U.S.A. After a few years you are out of the loop back home, and the places on your résumé, even if they're good jobs, will be meaningless to prospective American employers. Now it's just as hard for me to find a job in the U.S. as it is for Americans to do so in Europe. (Plus I'm getting old, and France has the best health care system in the world.)