The country is partitioned into two parts: two third of its population stays and works in the urban part, while much of the land area in the rural part is plain virgin tropical forest. At the end of the coastal strip are the capital city, Bandar Seri Begawan, home to the country’s international airport and the large seaport of Muara. The highest percentage of people residing here are found in its capital and other clustering urban cities such as Rimba, Berakas, Jerudong, etc.
If you are interested in working here as an expat, your options are very limited as the job market is tight. For foreigners residing in the state while looking for work, finding a job before your visa expires is unlikely. However, this article provides information on finding a job in Brunei as an expat.
Commercial evolution of the country
According to history, the State of Brunei Darussalam became fully independent in 1984 and since then, the island has developed into an attractive center for tourists drawing more than half of its population annually. Aside from the tourism sector, which accounts for a high percentage of the nation’s GDP, transportation also contributes greatly to the developing economy, as the country has one of the largest seaports in the region. Widely accessible by foreign investors looking to expand and set up here, and tourists interested in having a good time, the jobs opportunities open to foreigners residing on the island are few and they pay very little compared to other countries. Despite this challenge, finding work here can be a bit exigent for foreigners, who are not highly skilled and experienced.
Types of jobs
The normal working in a typical office setting is gradually becoming outdated with other forms of working systems emerging. These forms include remote, part-time, hybrid, internship, contract-based, freelancing, seasonal work, etc. Fortunately, in the main sectors of the country open to foreigners, these forms are available. Industries where expats can be found working include but are not limited to tourism, health, education, transport, etc.
Finding a job as a foreigner
Despite the rate of unemployment here, there are work vacancies in both local and multinational companies, local warehouses, schools, hospitals, banks, etc. operating within the state. The popular way of finding work nowadays for expats is searching for the ads of numerous openings on LinkedIn, websites like Indeed, glasshour, etc., career pages of desired multinationals, job groups on Facebook, job sections of local newspapers, et cetera. While using these means, expats can find and apply to jobs filtered to their fields of interest, level, job type, and work experience. Because of the few vacancies available, only proficient migrants who measure the requirements employers seek are frequently hired. Another method one can try is networking: this involves finding out about vacancies from relatives, friends, or foreign networks in the same discipline
Work requirements for expats
Regardless of its small size, the country still provides work to expats living within and outside the island. But, with the small number of openings available, there is an unremitting need to hire only well-trained and dexterous hands. Though for expats without formal education, there are lots of short-term jobs in the hospitality industry like being drivers, waiters, cooks, porters, etc. They do not often require formal education, but they do not pay well as professional jobs.
Language skill
Learning to speak English is advisable for expats with the desire to communicate better with other residents around them, particularly netizens in rural areas. Those fluent in English, have a higher possibility of being hired here thanks to the desire to improve their English speaking in the world. Native English speakers with TEFL certificates and teaching experience should look for employment in domestic schools across the islands to teach English.
Work visa/permit
After getting a job, an expat living outside the region has to apply for a work visa at the local embassy or consulate before relocating. This visa grants expats the right to stay on the island for a certain time. Work permits are issued by the ministry of labor upon an employee’s arrival.
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