I’m Probably the Wrong Person to Ask How to Work Abroad

People back home ask me this surprisingly often.

Where did you apply? What agency did you use? How much is the salary? What visa do I need? How long did everything take? Is it easy to find work in Malaysia? Can you recommend somewhere I can send my resume?

And every time, I feel a little useless because I don’t really have the kind of answer they’re looking for.

I know applying for work abroad can be difficult. Finding a legitimate employer is already one thing. Then there are agencies, contracts, medical requirements, visa processing, documents, and the uncertainty of whether the job you’re applying for is even worth leaving home for.

Even after getting the job, there’s no guarantee that the salary will be good, the company will treat you well, or that life abroad will look anything like what you imagined.

I’ve met Filipinos here in Malaysia who are doing well, but I’ve also met people earning salaries that honestly make me wonder how they manage to live here while still sending money home.

So whenever someone asks me, “Paano ka nakahanap ng work abroad?” I sometimes don’t know how to answer without sounding a little ridiculous.

Because mine was unusually easy. And medyo mayabang pakinggan when I say it like that, but that’s really what happened. I didn’t spend months sending applications everywhere or jumping from one interview to another. I had an initial interview, waited around a week for the result, then went through the final interview. That same night, I already knew I got the job.

After that came the medical and other requirements, while the company handled most of the visa processing from their end. Even the medical, transportation expenses like Grab, and baggage allowance were covered, so I barely had to spend anything throughout the process.

Even the part before leaving the Philippines was much easier than I expected.

They flew me to Manila because I still needed to attend a government-required seminar for OFWs. Since I was already there, the contract signing was also done during the same stay. The company covered my accommodation, meals, and transportation, and the hotel room was honestly big enough for a family.

I never went back to Davao after that. Once everything was done, I flew to Malaysia the following day. The flight was covered, I flew with Malaysia Airlines, had my meal onboard, and when I arrived, someone was already waiting outside the airport to bring me to another hotel.

Another huge room, by the way. I remember thinking at some point, Ganito ba talaga?

Apparently, no. And that’s probably the most important thing I have to explain whenever people ask me about working abroad.

My experience is not the standard.

Even now, the company still covers half of my accommodation, along with other benefits that make living here easier. I know I’m on the more privileged side of the OFW experience, and I don’t say that to make my situation sound impressive.

I say it because I don’t want someone looking at my experience and thinking, “Ah, madali lang pala.”

It isn’t. I just happened to get lucky.

There are Filipinos who spend months applying. Some borrow money just to complete requirements. Some deal with questionable agencies. Others arrive abroad and discover that the job or conditions are different from what was promised.

And then there are people who stay even when the salary isn’t great because they have families depending on them back home. That reality exists too.

It’s also why I’m careful whenever someone asks me how much they can earn in Malaysia. There isn’t one number I can give.

It depends on the role, industry, experience, company, visa, and probably several other things. Being abroad does not automatically mean earning a huge salary either. You still have rent, transportation, groceries, bills, and everything else that comes with living in another country.

Sometimes “working abroad” sounds much better from home than it actually feels when you’re the one standing at the grocery checkout wondering why everything suddenly costs so much.

What I appreciate most about my own situation is something much simpler. I still have choices.

My passport is with me. I can book a flight home when I need to. I don’t feel like I’m stuck here. I’m working abroad because, at least for now, I choose to be here. Parang basic lang when you say it that way, but after hearing different stories from other Filipinos abroad, I’ve learned not to take that for granted.

And maybe that’s why I don’t really have a dramatic OFW story to tell.

I didn’t go through a hundred applications before someone finally gave me a chance. I didn’t arrive with almost nothing and build everything from scratch. There wasn’t some big moment where I risked everything for a better future.

I got an opportunity. It happened to be a good one. And I said yes.

So when people ask me for advice on how to work abroad, I can tell them what documents I needed, what happened during my process, and what living in Malaysia has been like for me.

But I probably can’t give them the formula for getting a good job abroad because, truthfully, I never had to figure that part out myself.

So ask me about my experience and I’ll gladly share it.

Just don’t use it as a blueprint.

Swerte lang talaga ako. And I know that.