In to the great blue yonder
It seems more and more people are taking the leap and moving abroad to work. The appeal is obvious, you get to broaden your cultural horizons, can gain invaluable cross-cultural skills and meet with a very broad range of people. It’s a dream many of us have - but before you start packing your bags, make sure you’ve covered all the angles...
Working abroad, living overseas, becoming an expatriate - these are all things that many of us dream about and even plan to do at some stage in our life. Few people actually put their plans into action, but those who do expose themselves to an incredible wealth of opportunity.
Current popular destinations for aspiring UK expats seem to be Dubai (and the UAE in general), America, Australia and Canada – all of which offer a dynamic lifestyle and excellent employment prospects. There is a wealth of country specific as well as industry specific advice available online in forums and on expatriate overseas jobs websites - Amazon even has a range of living and working abroad books for those researching their options.
But, if you’re seriously considering working abroad - whether permanently or temporarily - there are many considerations that you should bear in mind before booking your plane ticket. Here are our 10 top things to think about:
1) The type of work you want and the countries that can offer you the best opportunities
If you have a career path mapped out for yourself, it’s essential that you research the countries that offer you the type of work you want. You need to ensure that all your qualifications translate favourably in any country you’re consider making home and that the experience you have will be recognised and even wanted.
2) The buoyancy of the jobs market in your chosen country
Sometimes it’s possible to secure employment before you even venture overseas; in fact your current employer might offer to relocate you abroad. Either way, it’s important to check the buoyancy of the jobs market of the country you’re about to move to in case your initial job offer doesn’t work out for some reason. If you’re moving to a country with high unemployment or a country with limited opportunities for someone with your skills then there may come a time when you have to relocate or repatriate.
3) Work permits, permission to reside and visas
Depending on your nationality and the country you would like to work in, you may be forced to apply for residence, for a work permit or even for a visa to enter the country. If you secure a job offer from an employer within the country of your choice they may well be able to assist with such requirements.
4) Try and learn a foreign language
Preferably learn the language of the country you’re considering relocating to! This should stand you in good stead with local employers and also help you integrate far quicker into the way of life in your new country.
5) Employment law and practices and whether you will be protected and affected
Understanding the basic employment laws of the country you’re moving to will help you approach employers in the right way, it will assist you with your interview technique and it may help you when it comes to contract negotiations and salary discussions.
6) Health insurance, social security and taxation
Find out what an employer pays for in terms of your taxation liability, any social payments required and also in terms of health and welfare benefits. If you make sure you understand what your employer pays this should leave you with a clearer picture of what your responsibilities are and also how much of your salary will be left to ‘play with’ at the end of the month.
7) Open an offshore bank account for flexibility, ease of access and to reduce any currency fluctuations you might be exposed to
Opening an offshore bank account these days is not only incredibly simple, it is cheap and par for the course for all expatriates regardless of where in the world they live. Generally speaking, offshore bank accounts offer international travellers and expatriates far greater account flexibility in terms of access and services.
8) Self-employment
If you’re considering moving abroad and starting your own business there is a range of practicalities to consider. But very basically, you must ensure that your business idea is unique enough to survive yet not so unique that it is totally unlikely to succeed. If you have enough in the bank to survive for a year you will be giving yourself the best chance of success.
9) Living in and on the local economy - what you’ll need to earn versus what you’ll get
Time and again people move abroad to enjoy lower costs of living and don’t consider the fact that if they seek employment in the local economy the cost of living will suddenly become relative to what they are earning! Be realistic about what you can earn overseas and then look at exactly how much you need to bring in to survive - is there room to breathe or do you need to think again?
10) Don’t burn your bridges!!!
If you’re planning on sacking your boss and telling your colleagues just what you really think of them before hot-footing it out of the door and on to a plane, just remember this fact: of those who move abroad, most will either choose to repatriate or at some point in the future be forced to return home. Don’t burn any career bridges when you relocate overseas, you never know when you might want (or need) to return home...
Some useful websites: www.payaway.co.uk, www.expatforum.com, www.expatnetwork.com, www.fco.gov.uk,
