When you first make the decision to live and work abroad and tell your friends and family, their initial reaction might not be positive.
All types of questions probably pop in their heads such as “where will you live?”, and ”will you be safe?”
What many people don’t realize is that living and working in another country can be great for both your career and your personal development.
But, when making such a huge life-changing decision, there are some things you need to be aware of.
There’s so much more to moving abroad than just packing your suitcases and hopping on a plane. It takes courage and proper planning to completely uproot your life.
And to add to the chaos of relocating, you also have to endure the constant back and forth in your own mind about all the things you’ve heard about living and working abroad. I’m sure you’ve heard so many different things that you might not know what to believe or expect anymore.
Of course you shouldn’t give up on your plan to move abroad just because you’re nervous and scared to do it. In fact, it’s perfectly normal to have those fears. Believe me, I’ve moved abroad various times, to a wide range of countries, and I still get nervous when moving somewhere new!
The Huffington Post states that when you make big decisions such as the decision to live and work abroad, your fears can force you to back out of living a life you’ve always wanted. Don’t let that happen!
Life is about experiences and there’s nothing wrong with wanting new experiences… Even if it takes you to the other side of the world.
To keep your fears of moving abroad at bay, we’re going to look at some of the most common misconceptions about moving abroad. This should give you a better idea of what it’s really like to live and work abroad, versus what you may think it’s like.
4 Misconceptions About Moving Abroad to Work
1. Jobs Are Hard to Come By
This is an absolute untruth. Depending on what your background is, you can work for many large international companies, you can be an English teacher, a web developer, work in tourism, become an au pair, just to name a few.
There are a plethora of jobs you can apply for and the internet and AI have made it easier than ever to find them before you move abroad.
Also Read: How to Find a Job Abroad & Make It Work
Now, a word of caution. Before you move abroad, it’s important that you thoroughly research the position you’re taking on because it has the potential to be a job with responsibilities you didn’t expect. Some jobs aren’t what they seem to be, so just make sure to do your research.
Also, you want to make sure you give yourself enough time to save money before moving abroad to work. Even though you plan to work abroad, the move will cost money, and things might not work out exactly as planned or end up costing more than you thought.
To save money you can temporarily work a second job, sell some of the belongings you won’t need anymore once you move abroad, or even start a business that allows you to travel and make money while doing it!
Also Read: How to Work Remotely From Anywhere in the World and 7 Skills That Will Help You Become a Digital Nomad
2. You Have to Speak the Language
If this is the thing that’s keeping you from living and working abroad then you can take a sigh of relief. You don’t HAVE to speak the language to happily live and work abroad.
Now, of course, I do recommend at least learning the basics of the country’s language because it will help you to connect with the locals more easily. But, if you are bad at learning languages or are moving to a country with a very difficult language, please don’t let that put you off.
I currently live in Valencia (Spain) and even here, in a country with a not too difficult language, I have many expat friends who don’t speak the language and are enjoying living and working here.
If you move abroad and need to find a job, you still don’t necessarily need to know the language. It just depends on what type of job you’ll be doing, but many international companies work in English and are also a great place to meet other expats.
Of course, your chances of finding a local job might increase once you start learning the language. But once you are living in the country you’ll pick up the language quicker than you might have thought.
I like to use Duolingo as a free app to help me learn a new language. But, if you have the time and money taking some classes will be a lot more effective. Italki is one of the largest platforms to find online language teachers and my go-to option when I want to improve my language skills.
And try to hang out with locals as much as you can. Don’t be shy or nervous about making mistakes. Believe me, they will appreciate you making an effort.
Just get out there and immerse yourself in the culture!
3. Moving Abroad is Like Being on Vacation Every Day
A lot of people have it in their minds that just because you’re moving abroad, you’re going to be living like you’re on vacation every day. That, of course, is not the case.
But, it might seem like that initially because you’re in such a different, beautiful location.
And I love that initial phase. Everything is new and exciting. Yes, it may be stressful at times when you can’t find the things you need and don’t have any local friends yet. But enjoy this phase where you get to experience everything for the first time! Soon enough you’ll start to get settled in and life becomes normal.
If you get to visit the location you plan to live and work in before you actually move there, I do recommend checking it out with “non-vacation” eyes. What I mean is that you have to look at your location for what it is… Forget about all the beautiful beaches or pretty palm trees for a moment and ask yourself a few questions:
- What do you like about this destination?
- What might be challenging about this destination?
- Will you be able to comfortably live here?
- Is it financially feasible to live here?
These are all important questions to ask yourself because, in the end, it’s not a vacation; you will be living and working here. This place is what you will be calling home for an extended period of time. So, just make sure you can actually see yourself living here.
4. Your Problems Will All Disappear
Now nobody will actually say they believe all their problems will disappear once they move abroad. But have you heard people saying “I just need a fresh start”? That might mean the same.
Yes, I love the fresh start aspect of moving abroad. I actually wrote about it in this article about my experiences moving to San Diego. I love using a move abroad as the perfect moment to make changes and form new, healthy habits.
But, just because you’ll be moving abroad doesn’t mean that all your problems will go away. No matter how far you travel, the cliché saying that you are still taking yourself with you is true!
And, by moving to another country, you’ll most likely acquire a new set of problems. Don’t let it scare you off, but be aware of it.
Yes, see your move abroad as a great fresh start, but keep in mind that a fresh start is difficult and it will take you time to settle in, to get used to your life abroad, and to make the most of it.
And, the thing about problems in a different country is that you won’t have your friends and family nearby to console you during your difficult times. This can sometimes really hurt. But give it time, and you will meet new friends and build a great network.
Also Read: Things Nobody Tells You About Living Abroad
Living and Working Abroad: Make it Work!
Just remember to look at the big picture.
You’re starting a new life in a new country. Things might be difficult at times but if you are prepared for that you will make it through and will be rewarded with a great experience!
It will show you a different culture, a different lifestyle, and the whole process of moving abroad and building a life abroad will teach you a lot about yourself.
Even if at some point you decide to move home again, living and working abroad is an incredible experience!
Also Read:
- 5 Reasons to Move Abroad
- Important Things to Consider Before You Move Abroad
- How to Find a Job Abroad & Make It Work
- Why Moving Abroad is Such a Valuable Experience
- Reverse Culture Shock: What It Is and What to Do About It
- Interviews With Expats Living and Working Abroad
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Great insights! I always imagined living abroad would be a constant adventure, but your post really highlights the challenges that come with it. Thanks for sharing the real experiences—it’s refreshing to see a more honest perspective!
I completely resonate with this post! I had similar expectations of living and working abroad, but in reality, it was a whole different ball game. The culture shock, language barriers, and adjusting to a new daily routine were way more challenging than I anticipated. Thanks for sharing your honest experience, it’s really helpful to know that we’re not the only ones going through this!
Loved reading this post! I completely related to the ‘romanticized’ expectations before moving abroad. I thought I would effortlessly adapt to the new culture and language, but the reality was much more challenging. Your honesty is refreshing and I’m sure many readers will appreciate your transparent account.
omg this post was so helpful! thanks for sharing this about living and working abroad!!
A good and balanced view. As you make clear, always be sure you have a safety net in place but there are even more plus points as well. To work in a swish London office, a woman I know had to have the right hair style every 3 weeks, wear the right shoes (Louboutin), wear the right suit (Chanel) to be even considered to work in the offices she was employed in. When you move to a new place, you can drop all these “rules” and start working somewhere new with much reduced overheads.