Current Events > Would you consider a job in another country?

(+) Yeah! (+)

Assume you have a good job and are offered a promotion, but have to move to another country for three years. You have a family with kids in elementary school. You live near family now and like them.
Assuming the company sets you up with housing and schooling (for the kids) in the new country, would you even consider this?

Nah

For sure. My biggest career regret in the military was coming back to the states after Korea.

Depending on location obviously but yes overall. I was in the Navy and travelled all over the world multiple times. There are a lot of great countries and locations all over the world. Been to many. Would easily do it. When I was in the Navy I tried to get a duty location in Italy. Didn't get it but wanted it.

Yeah, I could pretty easily move to Australia. Probably will at some point

That'd have to be a pretty damn hefty promotion.

Which country? Taking your kids overseas for a few years may be beneficial for them when they apply to colleges in the future.

Yes, especially when they're covering the housing.

dummy420 posted...

For sure. My biggest career regret in the military was coming back to the states after Korea.

archizzy posted...

I was in the Navy and travelled all over the world multiple times.

Sounds like you both are more used to the traveling. This would be completely out of character for me and my wife.

Zoks posted...

Which country? Taking your kids overseas for a few years may be beneficial for them when they apply to colleges in the future.

Switzerland, and that's a great point actually.

Depends heavily on what country and the job. Never had a job where that seemed like a possible option

Absolutely.

Any job that'd offer enough to start anew somewhere, I'd take in a heartbeat.

1337toothbrush posted...

That'd have to be a pretty damn hefty promotion.

Not only would it be a promotion now, but typically when people come back after their time there, they come back to another promotion.

I want to say yes, but it's hard to say for certain considering that's such a different life than what I have.

Yes, but I can't imagine a scenario where I have kids or a good job

I moved to another country for my current job.

Depends on the job and depends on the country

Dat_Cracka_Jax posted...

Sounds like you both are more used to the traveling. This would be completely out of character for me and my wife.

Yeah I actually enjoy being slightly out of my element and love other cultures. I also make really great friends with the few Americans there because you all share a common bond overseas.

I don't blame you though because it's super intimidating to do something like that and jumping into the deep end by straight up moving isn't always a good idea.

Consider it? Absolutely. I might not take it depending on the job and the country, but I would at least consider it.

I would consider it, yes, depending on where it was.

I nearly did so a few times.

I didn't move to the US because the salary wasn't worth losing the benefits and freedoms of the UK/EU.

I didn't move to Spain because it wasn't as local as I was promised, I would have been nearer Morocco than London.

I didn't move to France because the terms weren't quite right (I didn't want to work shifts).

I nearly moved to Poland but I was given a better offer to stay in London. Same deal with Germany.

As for the actual question, yes I would love to take my family to live elsewhere in the world. If work pays for accomodation and expat schooling, I can't think of a better way to get my kids to experience the world when the time is best for them.

A few of my colleagues have done so and are now living back in London as their own parents are getting old. They've spent years in Singapore, Dubai, Indonesia, Japan, and other places where English isn't a first language. My best mate at work has a teenage son who fluently speaks 5 languages. In a few years he'll be ready for uni and I think there are very few places in the world you could drop him in where he wouldn't have at least a passing understanding of the language.

I did five years teaching English in South Korea back when it was still worth it. Saved sooooo much money mainly just because my housing was free.

Dat_Cracka_Jax posted...

Sounds like you both are more used to the traveling. This would be completely out of character for me and my wife.

Switzerland, and that's a great point actually.

Switzerland? That'll be very hard to pass up. Especially with kids. You should definitely talk to your wife about the possible benefits, not just career wise but what it can do for your children. If you do go there is a lot of traveling you can do during your off time.

You have a family with kids in elementary school. You live near family now and like them.

No I dont

And while I dont plan to leave the states I have considered immigrating to Peru/Ecuador due to lower col once I retire

I'm already working in another country.
In fact, I've worked in 5 different countries now.

Luigi_and_Tails posted...

As for the actual question, yes I would love to take my family to live elsewhere in the world. If work pays for accomodation and expat schooling, I can't think of a better way to get my kids to experience the world when the time is best for them.

Zoks posted...

You should definitely talk to your wife about the possible benefits, not just career wise but what it can do for your children. If you do go there is a lot of traveling you can do during your off time.

The traveling aspect would be great. I do think the kids would overall benefit, but I could see initially not being happy leaving friends and family behind. It's hard for me to gauge, because I never had to move or change schools ever growing up, so the concept is very foreign to me.

I actively think about it on a daily basis. The longer I live in the U.S. the more I grow to loathe it. Recently graduated with my BS in accounting, if all else fails I could try using that to teach English overseas and hopefully use that as a foothold into citizenship.

I would depending on what country and how much money.

Maybe if it's just over the border in Canada. Otherwise probably not.

Kradek posted...

I actively think about it on a daily basis. The longer I live in the U.S. the more I grow to loathe it. Recently graduated with my BS in accounting, if all else fails I could try using that to teach English overseas and hopefully use that as a foothold into citizenship.

Youd stand to make much, much more money with a proper teaching qualification and a couple of years experience under your belt in many cases.

Teaching English in a language centre with a TEFL certificate can make you a living in some places, but youll make significantly more doing proper teaching. Youll also get much better benefits, like housing, flight allowances, medical cover and school places for kids.

No. I've got no interest in working again.

No, I wouldn't even move out of my area for a job.

Maybe when I was younger, but we have a great thing going here in the north shore suburbs of Chicago, and our kids are pretty tethered to here. Don't feel remotely like uprooting all of that, at least not until the kids are all in college at least and we retire early.

If I have kids in this scenario who are school age, I'm absolutely moving us to the other country so they don't get shot in class.

Glob posted...

Youd stand to make much, much more money with a proper teaching qualification and a couple of years experience under your belt in many cases.

Teaching English in a language centre with a TEFL certificate can make you a living in some places, but youll make significantly more doing proper teaching. Youll also get much better benefits, like housing, flight allowances, medical cover and school places for kids.

Teaching in what regards? Like teaching some sort of financial/accounting class or being a traditional teacher? Because I'm not going to go back to school for 4-6 years to be a teacher in the traditional sense.

And lose my pension? No.

Dat_Cracka_Jax posted...

The traveling aspect would be great. I do think the kids would overall benefit, but I could see initially not being happy leaving friends and family behind. It's hard for me to gauge, because I never had to move or change schools ever growing up, so the concept is very foreign to me.

You did say it's only for a few years, right? The friends thing is a little tough but with modern technology it's much easier to stay in touch with family. You can also open your home in the future to let your family visit in Europe if it's financially an option because your potential home can serve as lodging, saving a lot of money on their part. So depending on your extended family's interests this may be their best opportunity to travel themselves. Just something else to discuss for weighing your pros vs cons.

Kradek posted...

Teaching in what regards? Like teaching some sort of financial/accounting class or being a traditional teacher?

Teaching in primary or secondary school.

Kradek posted...

Because I'm not going to go back to school for 4-6 years to be a teacher in the traditional sense.

You wouldnt need to. A PGCE takes one year and you spend most of it in the classroom. Theyre valid pretty much anywhere.

Dat_Cracka_Jax posted...

Switzerland, and that's a great point actually.

You saying my company would pay to relocate me to a less fucked up country, and I get a pay bump?

Can it be for more than the 3 years?

I actually enjoy my job and the setup I have.

So it would depend on the job being offered in another country, ofc where. Definitely wouldn't settle for what I would consider worse.

MisterPengy posted...

You saying my company would pay to relocate me to a less fucked up country, and I get a pay bump?

Can it be for more than the 3 years?

Lol, I know there are people that re-up for longer once they hit their three years

I'd be willing, but it would be tricky.

Most of my job is based around navigating the state and federal bureaucracy, so I'd need to figure out an entire new system.