With the UK experiencing a record cold snap, the idea of
moving country to escape from the weather certainly has an appeal, that being
the case, what are the implications for working abroad for a period?
Working in a different country and culture requires you to
adapt your style of communication, for example, in the US, business meetings
are typically very brusque, there is an emphasis of getting to the point which
can be quite jarring for those not familiar to it. Similarly working in a
country where English is not the native language will result in you changing
the language you use. For example, take a simple cricket phrase “playing with a
straight bat.” Now in the UK and most Commonwealth countries, one could come
out of a meeting and state the other person was playing with a straight bat and
peers would understand the point. Go to a country where cricket is not played
and people will look blankly at you. As a thought experiment, think about in a
typical day how many cultural metaphors and similes you use. How many of those
would be understandable outside the UK?
Culturally the country you are in may have different values,
where there may be a desire to express why the values of your country are
better, especially after hours. Resist the urge as it will have a polarising
reaction. Whilst certain people may agree with you, others may find it
patronising or insulting, not the impression you want to make when you are in
another country as a guest!
Depending on the country you move to, it is a golden
opportunity to then throw yourself into learning a new language. For example,
if you learned Spanish at school but forgot most of it, working for a few years
in Latin America where as part of it you become fluent can give you a big
fantastic life skill you otherwise would not develop. Similarly the nature of
the ex-pat society is such that people you mingle with socially will be very
different from your peer group back home. You may well end up in an expat bar
with the General Manager of an Investment Bank, Country Manager of an Oil
Company along with a local Entrepreneur and someone who just arrived who has no
idea what they are doing! That exposure may well in turn give you a network
that would be significantly harder to obtain if staying in the traditional
career path.
Another benefit to reflect on is the advantage of being
based in a low tax economy for a period. For example, work a spell in Dubai
where there is no income tax and after two years, you could easily have saved
sufficient funds to pay for a decent deposit on a property back home without
having compromised your lifestyle. Someone I know just returned from Abu Dhabi
where the savings they made from their stint there enabled them to buy a one bedroom
apartment in full back home.
Factor that distance to home will play a major part. Being
based in Continental Europe where low cost airlines make it feasible to visit
for a weekend for family events is quite different to a intercontinental move to
say North America or Asia/Pac where it may not be possible to visit home any
more than once or twice a year.
If you are thinking about relocation and see it a permanent
change, make sure to examine the process of obtaining permanent residency and
citizenship in the event you end up settling there. For example, there are
certain countries where no matter how long you live there, even if you marry a
local, you may not be able to obtain citizenship. In Singapore famously, men
would be required to do military service in order to gain citizenship as well
as relinquish their other passport.
Finally, if you are thinking of moving country, unless you
plan on exercising the window between now and March 29, 2019, get the job first
and let the hiring company worry about sponsoring your visa. Also if you end up
moving for a smaller business, employ relocation experts to help with
everything from opening bank accounts, getting a local mobile contract, sorting
an apartment etc. You may think you can do it yourself, but trust me, if you
are moving country the first two weeks are going to be so hectic you will
appreciate the extra support.
About the Author: James Chaplin
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