Sri Lanka Jobs

Locating Sri Lanka Jobs

• JobsNet.lk breaks the jobs down by category right on the front page. The top three categories are Administrative Services, Services, and Manufacturing. If those are your fields of choice, this may be your ideal starting place. Keep in mind, jobs listed here state the age and gender they want to fill the position.
• TopJobs.lk has a job bank, as well. These, too, are divided by job category for easy searching.

As with any job search site, make sure you thoroughly research the company in question before giving out personal information or hopping on the next flight to Sri Lanka to attend an interview.

A Plantation and Service Economy

According to CIA.gov, Sri Lanka jobs are mostly service or agriculture based. As of June 30, 2006, 40% of jobs were service-related, 34.3% were in agriculture, and 25.3% were in industry. Some of the leading agriculture products in the country are rice, coconuts, sugarcane, rice, and grains. Prominent industries include the processing of rubber, tea, clothing, and cement. Visit the CIA.gov website for more extensive lists.

Unfortunately, the unemployment rate for women and those with high school and college graduates is higher than the rate for men and less educated workers. Overall, the unemployment rate is around 6.3%.

Settling In

A few tips for conducting business or just settling into life in general in Sri Lanka:

How Do You Greet a Sri Lankan?

Put your hands together, hold them under your chin, and say, "Ayobowan." In most cases, you will be correct by using this word as this is the greeting of choice of the Sinhalese (majority) population. If you know you’re greeting a Tamil (the largest minority), you can substitute, "Wanacome."

Knowing how to greet a Sri Lankan in their native language is important whether you're at a job interview, trying to sell a service or a product to a citizen of Sri Lanka, or just saying hello to your new neighbor.

The People and the Land

Overall, Sri Lankans are known as very friendly people. A few things to know about the people and the land before you decide to pack your bags and move:

• The people are largely Buddhist. Other prominent religions there include Hinduism, Islam, and Christianity.
• The land is beautiful! There are beaches, hills, and more.
• There are exotic animals—from birds to elephants.
• Climate depends upon where you are on the island. According to Travellers Worldwide, the best, driest months are December to March if you're planning to work on the west coast, south coast, or the hills; the best on the east coast are May to September.
• The food is exceptional!

Gender Roles

Men are in charge; women bend to their will. That can be a hard adaptation for a strong-willed, independent woman, so if that's you, beware! Roles are still in the process of shifting; only since 1977 have young rural Sri Lankan women had a place in industry.

Don't Disregard the Peace Corp

You may be thinking along the lines of a traditional job in Sri Lanka. The Peace Corp is an option for you as well. From the Peace Corp website, some of the things you will be working on if you choose to go this route to work in Sri Lanka are:

• English language skills
• Agriculture and environmental projects
• Youth work programs
• Education

The Peace Corp is a great way to work in another country without completely throwing caution to the wind and moving there for good.

The Bottom Line

Working in Sri Lanka may not make you rich by United States or European standards, but if you have the desire to live there, view some of the job listings above and see if there's something that matches your skill set. What you'll find there may not be the most glamorous job you've ever dreamed of, but the people are nice, the land is beautiful, and the economy has been experiencing a bit of growth in the past few years.

For more extensive information about Sri Lanka, visit the U.S. Department of State website.