Globalization impacts nearly every industry, some more than others. I have found that it’s important to understand the impact of globalization on jobs and income inequality from the perspective of an employee or contractor looking for lucrative work. However, it’s also important to understand what factors to consider as an employer looking to take advantage of globalization cheap labor.
Let’s start with a look at what globalization is and how it impacts individuals and organizations in developed and developing countries.
Best Globalization Jobs
For those looking for lucrative, stable globalization jobs, I have compiled the following list of potential careers, along with relevant comments for each.
1. Interpreters and Translators
Interpreters and translators facilitate communication between business partners and coworkers speaking different languages. Translators can translate text, emails, and documentation while interpreters provide real-time services to help meetings go smoothly.
English, Japanese, French, Spanish, Chinese, and Arabic are common languages for international business. However, with global markets always expanding, those speaking a variety of other languages can also do well in these fields.
According to ZipRecruiter, interpreters and translators make between $18 and $33 on average ($36,000 to $67,000).
Pros
- Work with many different people
- Typically, can work from home
- Needed in many industries
Cons
- Demand is cyclical
- You may need more than one job to make ends meet
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2. Market Research Analysts
Market research analysts help their employers understand cultural differences in developing economies. They collect valuable information pertaining to international, regional, and local markets. Companies must understand the needs of worldwide consumers in nations where they do business online or in person.
Market researchers provide expertise in how to deliver marketing messages effectively to different audiences and in different languages. You can expect to make around $64,000 on average in this career.
Pros
- Suitable for those who are results-oriented
- Very good salaries are possible
- Normal work weeks
Cons
- Not suitable for introverted people
- May be hard to break into this career
- Requires considerable knowledge and skill
3. Computer and IT Professionals
More than 55 million people worldwide work in information technology. Unquestionably, due to the rise of modern technology, the demand for this kind of profession has also grown. Developments throughout the 20th and 21st centuries have created a new era based on digital technology.
Information technology continues to restructure business operations in positive ways. With the rise of the internet, employers have expanded access to workers and other countries.
This has made it much more cost effective to implement and maintain software solutions. The average pay in this field is about $86,000.
Pros
- High pay possible
- Remote work prevalent
- Lots of opportunities to improve skills
Cons
- Globalization creates challenges for workers in high-cost regions
- The constant need to update skills
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4. Customer Service Representatives
Many businesses have made the customer experience a top business priority. Companies are constantly pressed to serve international audiences around the clock. Business process outsourcing has provided affordable ways for businesses to hire cheap global labor to maintain profit margins without sacrificing customer service.
Pros
- Affordable labor in developing countries
- Lower wait times due to labor shortages
- Creates opportunities for unskilled workers in developing countries
Cons
- Language barriers
- Time zone differences
- International employment laws vary
Careers in the Import-Export Industry
There are many career options in the import-export industry. Below, I highlight just a few opportunities for those looking to move into this field. These professionals facilitate the exchange of goods and services between companies and consumers around the world.
Labor-saving technology, vehicles, machinery, plastics, and numerous other commodities require skilled workers to handle the logistics and shipping arrangements and ensure compliance with regional and international regulations.
Here are a few examples of careers in this essential industry.
5. Import-export Analyst
Import-export analysts oversee many shipments and act as a bridge between those selling products and those buying them. Many companies distribute products and require expertise in this area.
These analysts often work in office settings during normal business hours. However, that largely depends on the regions they serve.
Those seeking jobs as import-export analysts we’ll probably need to have at least a bachelor’s degree in business administration, logistics, or a related field. Reviewing job applications on FlexJobs and other online job listings can help you understand the specific education and training needed to succeed in this field.
Responsibilities include preparing and confirming orders, communicating statuses to customers and manufacturers or distributors, handling pricing and invoicing, and collaborating with global team members.
After a few years of experience, the average salary in this field is $59,000.
Pros
- Potential to travel
- Dynamic industry
- Great salary potential
Cons
- Stressful work environment
- Every-changing needs of customers and distributors
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6. Air or Sea Export Agent
Air and sea export agents coordinate incoming and outcoming products. This requires a detail-oriented person committed to continuously learning about global brands.
On the plus side, it involves working with companies from across the globe, typically including many multinationals. Furniture, footwear, clothes, cars, and electronics are just a few examples of products shipped by plane or boat.
While working with global brands may prove exciting, it’s also an ever-changing environment that requires the ability to think quickly on your feet. With an average pay of $20 per hour, it might be challenging to work your way up to higher-paying positions in this important field. Gaining advanced degrees or certifications may help you with your job search, particularly if you’re looking to change careers.
Pros
- Work with global brands
- Fast-paced environments for those who crave change
- Great salary potential
Cons
- Stressful work environment
- Long or irregular hours
7. Logistics Manager
According to Flexjobs, logistics managers are crucial to a smooth supply chain. They are experts who oversee the shipping, operations, purchasing, and the entire supply chain management.
For those who are excellent organizers and negotiators, this might be the perfect opportunity to break into a global job. These problem solvers need to carefully coordinate many details without losing sight of larger business objectives.
Logistics managers can command six-figure salaries in some large corporations. The median salary in this field is $67,000.
Becoming a logistics manager is within reach for those who already work in the import or export industries. Considerable skills and experience are required to coordinate all aspects of supply chain management.
Pros
- Work with all aspects of supply chain management
- Great career opportunity for supply chain professionals
- High salaries
Cons
- Very busy industry
- Long or irregular hours
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8. Operations Manager
The average salary in this field is around $65,000. Operations managers and directors are typically salaried employees with full-time positions and benefits.
They work with sales staff typically based in different regions and know the ins and outs of managing online stores. Global operations managers typically document processes, policies, and processes that can improve efficiency, as well as oversee human capital.
They also assist in contract renewals and administering billing transactions, create ad hoc reports, and evaluate dashboards that measure the efficiency of the company’s overall operations.
In this busy industry, it’s easy to find companies that import or export goods and would benefit from a seasoned operations manager. There are several things I like about this job as a potential career change; it involves developing people as well as delivering and tracking products. If you’re good at troubleshooting problems and dealing with customers up and down the pipeline, this might be a good career choice for you.
Pros
- Ability to influence the daily operations of an import-export company
- Fast-paced environment with room for professional growth
- Opportunity to develop staff
Cons
- Requires years of relevant experience
- Many details to keep track of
9. Customs Broker
Customs brokers perform a unique function and answer to the U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP). These professionals facilitate the transfer of goods entering or leaving various countries. Companies often hire customs brokers to ensure that they are meeting the laws and regulations of each nation through which their goods pass.
Because this is a highly regulated industry, it requires skill, expertise, customer service, and integrity. Duties include arranging merchandise for shipments before they enter or leave the country. However, some customs brokers specialize in particular modes of transportation or types of products.
They command salaries usually ranging between $60,000 and $90,000, according to ZipRecruiter. In some cases, customs brokers have the unenviable job of communicating damage and delays due to the customs process.
Pros
· Potential to travel in certain positions
- Opportunity to safeguard national security
- Many opportunities to specialize
Cons
- Lots of responsibility, including coordinating the daily import-export and tracking of products
- Tracking all shipments
- Communicating damage and delays to companies and customers
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10. International Trade Compliance Manager
International trade compliance managers ensure that companies remain in compliance with regulations and laws regarding global trade. This typically requires a law degree as well as the ability to speak more than one language. It’s also important to become familiar with the foreign and domestic trade practices of the hiring corporation.
Because nearly every nation engages in international trade, compliance managers have the opportunity to travel to Europe, North and South America, and other parts of the world as part of their job. Poor countries can benefit from foreign investment, often spearheaded by a savvy compliance manager.
There are plenty of chances to travel in this position and many compliance managers earn well over six figures with $91,000 being the average for the field.
Pros
- Lucrative salaries
- Perfect for those interested in international laws
- Ability to showcase mastery of foreign languages
Cons
- Requires extensive expertise, education, and training
- Requires extensive negotiation and legal skills
Online Careers
Developing markets can sometimes experience a phenomenon known as a brain drain, according to TopTal. This results when educated workers in medical, technological, business, and other industries leave their native countries to seek more lucrative employment elsewhere.
However, with the availability of remote work opportunities, workers no longer need to physically migrate to other nations to make a living and practice their skills. This keeps talented, educated workers in cities and countries around the world without suppressing their ability to find work.
There are many examples of online careers that prevent the shortage of skilled labor and the loss of educated labor that can create brain drains and wage gaps in developing nations. Highly skilled, bilingual people often find jobs as translators, writers, and virtual assistants, to name a few.
By creating global jobs online, companies can benefit from cheaper salaries and also feed the global economy. Remote work doesn’t solve all the inequities created by moving jobs across borders.
However, it allows companies to access global talent that gives them a competitive edge. Additionally, global workers create more buying power that can go towards products and goods shipped across the globe every day.
11. Online Education
From teaching languages to students across the globe to administering college and university courses, online education makes knowledge more accessible than ever. It’s also a huge industry.
Workers in this field typically make between $15 to $30 an hour working part-time. There are hundreds of thousands of jobs listed on sites such as ZipRecruiter and Flexjobs. However, there are some downsides to choosing an online education career.
Many jobs only last through fall and spring semesters and online teachers, tutors, and educators may need more than one job to make ends meet. However, it’s a great way to meet and help students from industrial and developing countries without leaving home.
Pros
- Meet students from all over the world
- Develop language skills
- Make a good salary while working remotely
- The great lifestyle choice for skilled labor in the creative sphere
Cons
- Requires excellent communication skills
- No face-to-face interaction
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12. Freelance Writers and Editors
I love to write, so freelance writing and editing jobs are particularly intriguing to me. Many people in this field make an average of $25 an hour with top copywriters commanding $100 or more for their services.
Writers and editors produce content for websites, podcasts, television shows, and commercials. Freelance editors review texts and manuscripts to ensure the content and quality match project objectives.
There are many different specialties in this craft-based work. However, you won’t require a specific degree to get started.
Pros
- Can make a high salary in certain sectors
- Fully remote opportunities common
- Formal education is not necessary to get started
- Low foreign competition
Cons
- Difficult to secure high-paying clients
- Limited output due to the intense nature of work
13. Virtual Assistant
Virtual assistants offer a wide range of administrative support for businesses. It’s possible to work for more than one employer at a time since most gigs are part-time.
Executive assistants might handle scheduling, phone calls, and travel arrangements for their employers. Other virtual assistants may manage social media accounts, work on spreadsheets, or become personal assistants for influencers and individuals in need of organizational help.
Virtual assistants make an average of $24 an hour, with some full-time positions available for those with little experience. Trade affects wages, but workers in many developing countries have many of the skills needed to succeed in this field.
Pros
- Great job opportunities for at-home moms
- Can work from home or elsewhere
- Flexible hours
Cons
- Low starting pay
- Full-time work rare
What is Globalization?
According to the International Monetary Fund, globalization involves the integration of technology, labor, goods, and capital on a worldwide scale. From Japanese cars driven around the world (I drive a Toyota!) to the purchase of stock on exchanges in London, New York, and elsewhere, the signs of globalization abound.
How Does Globalization Affect the Labor Market?
Foreign trade and the cross-border imports and exports of labor, capital, and technology fuel this movement. Globalization jobs give employees access to work in virtually every country. However, there are pros and cons to the global labor market.
In advanced countries, the demand for educated, skilled employees has risen. Meanwhile, the demand for unskilled workers has decreased, driving down wages and creating a gap between top earners and less affluent labor markets. At the same time, the advent of completely online work has created many opportunities for workers in low-wage countries.
How Does Globalization Create Jobs?
Globalization drives the movement of ideas, goods, knowledge, and people across borders. Increasing employment opportunities creates social change in both physical and virtual environments.
This can lead to a decrease in poverty and child labor while improving literacy rates and access to education. Global and local companies can partner to boost economies, creating lucrative opportunities that emerge over time.
Economic growth and an increase in consumerism are major catalysts for the exponential increase in worldwide demand for both products and services. Foreign direct investment has also improved opportunities for unskilled labor resources. However, although globalization can lead to reduced unemployment rates, not all sectors and countries benefit from wage earners evenly.
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Globalization and Unemployment
Studies show that free trade can have a negative impact on wages for particular groups, including industry workers in the US and farmers in developing nations, such as India. Here are a few things to keep in mind when weighing the pros and cons of an increasingly global economy:
- There are winners and losers in nearly every scenario. Globalization affects standards of living to varying degrees within individual countries and amongst all nations. However, it’s not just rich countries that benefit.
- The negative effects tend to cluster among specific regions and industries. Therefore, looking for solutions within targeted demographics may resolve these economic inequities.
- Trade impacts consumer prices and wages. The impact of trade on welfare includes both consumer prices and wages, both of which tend to go up with increased globalization. However, globalization also tends to provide access to products that were not previously available. So, it’s important to consider the changes in relative prices.
How Many Jobs Has Globalization Created?
There’s no doubt that millions of people around the world are strongly impacted by globalization. However, job loss and job creation vary from region to region.
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