Many of us dream that instead of being stuck behind a desk in a dingy office, we could work on a sun lounger on the beach or by the pool instead. However, deciding to go overseas to work is massive decisions, and it's me that shouldn't be taken lightly. Luckily, you can find some advice on this in the post below.
Location
The first thing that you need to consider when it comes to taking your career overseas is the location that you will choose. Of course, many people think of the place that they want to live first, such as a tropical island, a busy capital city, or even a shack in the middle of nowhere. The problem with this is that they only worry about how viable it will be after, but this can actually be a terrible way to go about things when trying to take your career or business overseas.
In fact, whether you are an entrepreneur, or you have a salaried job, you really need to make sure that there is going to be enough work to sustain you in the location that you choose. Otherwise, you will be heading for disaster.
Of course, those looking for a salaried position do have things a little easier. This is because they can search for terms that relate to their profession like 'Mechanic Jobs' in the country in which they want to stay. Something that can not only provide them with a good idea of how in need their skills are, but can actually bring up some direct links to employment agencies and businesses as well.
Entrepreneurs that run their own business, on the other hand, have a bit more of a challenge ahead of them. This is because, unless they can work remotely in the style of a digital nomad and continue to do what they have done in the UK, they will need to ensure there is a viable market to tap before they even consider going abroad. Luckily, this is something that through market research can help you establish.
Language barrier
Next, a critical consideration that needs to be made when taking your career overseas is the language barrier. After all, it can be hard enough to make yourself understood in your own language, let alone in one that you have not grown up speaking.
In fact, solopreneurs may have the biggest issue with language barriers. This is because they don't have anyone else around them that can help with translation, or explain the nuances of things, something that can be particularly helpful in business situations.
To that end, if you plan on working in a country where their first language isn't your own, it can be really beneficial to take a lesson before you go.
Additionally, some smart translation apps can help when you find yourself in a fix, but remember that many of these are focused on conversational language, and may not be able to handle specific professional or technical terms.
Social and family
Another important aspect of taking your career abroad to consider is how it will affect you personally. This is because being away from your friends, family, support system, and even familiar places can actually be a lot more stressful than you think.
Add to that the stress of a new job, or trying to start up or expand a business in foreign climes, and things can very quickly become overwhelming.
Of course, that isn't to say that you shouldn't consider taking your career overseas. However, it is essential to come up with a solution to theses issue such as making regular Skype calls home, and even scheduling visits so you know you will only have a certain amount of time until you can see you nearest and dearest again. After all, taking care of your personal well being is something that shouldn't suffer, for your career.
Legal implications
A significant mistake that many people make when they go overseas is to assume that their rule and laws are exactly the same as ours. Sadly, this is rarely ever the case, and not being aware of the legal implications of working or expanding a business in a country with which you are not familiar can cause you serious problems.
Of course, the rules and laws relating to your job or business will differ depending on what it is that you do, but one example of this in practice is that real estate agents in France do things in a completely different way to the ones in the UK. In fact, there are all sort of laws about inheritance that a UK agent hoping to move their career to France would need to become familiar with if they were to avoid disaster, let alone make a success of what they're doing.
Additionally, your ability to work in some countries may be restricted if you do not have the correct paperwork and visas. In fact, while it is relatively easy to get a visa waiver for a holiday in many locations, getting permission to work and do business while reading in the country can be much more complicated. Something you can find out more about in the video below.
With that in mind, reading up and testing the industry law of your field in the country you are choosing to go to is crucial.
Networking
Lastly, when it comes to either taking your business or your career abroad, you won't want to be at a disadvantage because you are without your professional network. The reason being that it is often your network that can help you get your product or your CV, in front of the right people.
To that end, it well worth putting in some work before you leave and get in touch with key contacts in your field. Something that should provide you with further motivation to work on those language skills as well.
Luckily, international networking is reasonably easy now we have social media site like Linkedin. Just be sure to update yours regularly if you want the most effective network for your overseas career adventure!
