The Guardian Guide to Working Abroad

Nick Clayton

• Publisher: A&C Black Business Information and Development
• Year: 2009
• Print ISBN: 9780713684056
• eBook ISBN: 9781408105528
• Edition: 1

The lure of working and living abroad can be hard to resist, and
improvements in technology mean that you can enjoy the best of both
worlds. Full of practical advice and up-to-date information on the most
popular countries to move to, this book is a must-read for anyone who wants to experience working life in another part of the world. Features include:

• The Basics: the pros and cons of working abroad, budgeting,
  learning other languages, visas, setting up a bank account, finding
  work, building contacts etc.
• Information on the most popular destinations, including the
  USA, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, Spain, Italy and France. This
  includes average wages, traditional and emerging industries and sectors
  that welcome foreign workers, as well as information on the different
  business cultures.
• Advice on 'virtual working'. This applies to many people these days, but is particularly useful for freelancers.
• Information on starting your own business.

The book also offers advice on: relocation and relocation services;
integrating into local communities; coping with homesickness;
acclimatising children to a new culture; and back-up plans if things
don't work out.

INTRODUCTION

This book is different from other books about living and working abroad. The others tend to look at one country or the broader mechanics of emigration. This book is for people who feel, for whatever reason, that a move to a different country is what they need. But is it really?

The first part of the book is a quiz which encourages you to look carefully at whether you are really suited to life overseas. Not everybody is, and there’s nothing to be ashamed of if you are happy and fulfilled where you are. Indeed, given that the mass movement of people is held responsible for global warming, not moving can be seen as a virtue. Equally, if you’re unhappy in Britain you can be miserable overseas. The grass isn’t always greener or (perhaps more desirably for Brits) more parched by the sun.

Once you’ve completed the quiz and decided you are ready for the life of an expat, you need to think which country would best suit both your desires and abilities. To begin with you need to establish priorities. It’s unlikely, for instance, that you’ll find a country which offers you both increased pay and a more relaxed lifestyle. (Let me know if you do.)

Having decided what is most important to you, you can start to ask questions about potential destination countries. To help with your analysis there’s a checklist of some of the key points you need to think about. Most are covered in the second section of the book which looks at the individual countries which are most popular with British expats. The aim of the checklist is for you to eliminate all but two or three potential countries in which to make your new home. The final part of the book looks at the issues that people generally face when moving abroad such as taxation, savings and property.

When going through the expat decision-making process, don’t forget to involve the other people around you who are going be affected by a move overseas. Somebody who is going to a new job or to set up a business has their life mapped out for them, to a large extent. Partners, children and other relatives don’t have that clear focus. They’ve got to create a new life from scratch, sometimes without obvious personal benefits for them. Even if they’re getting to lie by a swimming pool every day in the sunshine, the pleasure may be outweighed by the pain of missing friends from home.

Also, forget looking for the perfect country. Nowhere is free from quirks, foibles and petty bureaucrats whose existence seems designed mainly to make your life difficult. You’ll find them all in the land of your birth, but you’ve probably grown so accustomed to them that you haven’t even noticed they are there. A new country will have its own cultural oddities and customs, multiplied because you are now an immigrant and outsider.

Yes, it’s not always easy living and working abroad, but it can be incredibly rewarding socially, financially and for your career.

DO YOU REALLY WANT TO MOVE ABROAD?

For many of us in Britain, the actual mechanics of moving abroad are not that difficult, particularly if you stay within the European Union. You sell your house, pay off the mortgage, stick the surplus in the bank and head off. That’s really all there is to it, at least to begin with. Most of the problems come later.

The same goes for people who take up the offer of a job overseas or accept a foreign posting from their present employer. There’s a great deal you should think about before you make a move, rather than repenting in a strange country when your bridges back to Britain are already burnt.

At the end of the quiz you won’t receive a score showing whether you are ideally suited to the life of an expat or not. Sorry, but everybody’s personality, skills and motivation is too varied to make that exercise meaningful. The idea is simply to make you think before you leap. Some of the questions will be totally relevant to you, others less so or not at all. As always, do try and involve the other people in your life who’ll be affected by the change.

1 How do you generally feel at the end of a two-week holiday?

a Glad to be back in my own bed.

b Sorry it’s over, but I made the most of it.

c I didn’t ever want it to end.

d I’m looking forward to the next one.

What your answer could mean

a Obviously you’re not going to be that keen on abandoning your present home comforts to move abroad.

b If you want to move abroad, this is probably the right attitude. You would be introducing a large element of uncertainty into your life, which isn’t always fun.

c For most expats, life isn’t one long holiday, unfortunately. In fact, living abroad can be very hard work with long hours and low pay. Often you’re working when everybody else is on holiday.

d Depending on where you move to, life abroad can mean no holidays. When you do get away from your new home, you may find it’s just to go and visit friends and relatives in the UK.

2 How concerned are you about job security?

a Who cares? I’ve got enough in the bank that I’ll never have to work again.

b As long as I’ve got enough to pay for my round it doesn’t really matter.

c I want to be sure I can afford this month’s rent or mortgage.

d I want to be sure I can afford this year’s mortgage.

What your answer could mean:

a Lucky you. There are a few people in this position, but there are risks as well. Countries which were once cheap now match or surpass the UK with their cost of living. Equally, it can get pretty boring doing nothing, even in paradise.

b It must be nice to be so happy-go-lucky. But remember you may be a long way from home without the safety nets of family, friends or social security.

c Striking a happy medium is difficult. In many countries employment is quite seasonal and there’ll be times when it’s not so easy to find work. Things can always go wrong so make sure you have some sort of rainy-day money in case it all does go pear shaped.

d If you want too much security you’ll never leave home. Having a contingency fund that covers your basic living costs for a few months is one thing, guaranteed income is another.

3 How is your health?

a At my last check-up I was told it was very good for my age.

b At my age I can’t grumble.

c Spot on. I’m never ill.

d I’m sure a change of climate would do it good.

What your answer could mean

a Probably the best answer. You’re getting your health checked before you set off on a great adventure.

b Are you sure you’re up to it?

c Everybody’s ill at some point. It’s just a matter of time, so get yourself checked over before you move somewhere where you might have to deal with a health service in a foreign language.

d Unless you’ve got a great deal of money, moving abroad for the sake of your health is a very big risk.

4 How do you feel about your present job?

a I’m good at it and I enjoy the respect it brings.

b It’s crap, the same as every other job I’ve ever had. I can’t wait to move on.

c I’ve got lots of friends at work, but I’ve probably gone as far as I can.

d Job? What job?

What your answer could mean

a If you’re moving or being posted overseas as a career step, this is probably the right attitude. If you’re heading overseas to find work, you may find that as a foreigner all the respect you used to enjoy will disappear.

b Working in a ...

Table of contents

• Cover Page
• Title Page
• Copyright Page
• Table of Contents
• Acknowledgements
• Introduction
• France
• Germany
• Greece
• Italy
• Portugal
• Spain
• Australia
• Canada
• China and Hong Kong
• Japan
• Middle East (Saudi Arabia and United Arab Emirates)
• New Zealand
• Republic of South Africa
• USA
• • Banking
• • Income tax
• • Inheritance tax
• • Insurance
• • International job hunting
• • Working remotely
• • Keeping in touch with networks
• • Education
• • Moving with children
• • What to do with your UK property
• • Reducing the pain of coming home
• • 100 useful websites