When is the Right Time to Move Overseas and Work Abroad?

Working abroad offers is a dream job opportunity for many people but there are constantly pros and cons to starting yourself in a new country says, Westhill Consulting Career and Employment , Australia. This article explores the reasons for and against moving abroad in early or mid career.

Why move at the start of your career? Are you thinking, SE Asia, like KL Malaysia or Jakarta Indonesia? Or in the West maybe, in any state of the US? To acquire a job when the market is highly competitive from where you came from, you should take the risk but the warning is it is a gamble. You may win or lose.

In any part of the world today, the academic job market is very competitive at the moment and you might feel that you got no options but to consider opportunities outside your country of origin. Some may believe that there are many job opportunities are better overseas, with higher salaries and better working conditions.

Improve your employability later. If you want to return to your country of origin later in your career, it may be beneficial to you to have some years of experience working abroad. It shows initiative and also demonstrates an awareness of global academia that might be useful to employers in your own country as they seek to develop their international agenda. It is important to go into a period of work abroad with a clear plan of your goals and how long you want to be abroad.

Fewer family ties. Although it is not always the case that scholars from the start of a career find a change easier, they are less expected to have a mortgage, a young family and other commitments to retain them in their own country. Nevertheless, this is a simplification and every person situation varies. There may be elderly parents to consider or you may have started a family while a PhD student. A move abroad is always a challenge for personal reasons at whatever stage of the career that it’s taken.

More adaptable to new cultures but be cautious of the scams. While it’s not true for everyone, moving to a new country and fitting in with a new culture is easier for some people when they are younger. However, you may have a naturally adventurous spirit and want such a significant challenge at later in life: again it depends on your personality.