5 things you should know if you’re thinking about working abroad

This article was written by Mary Walton, editor at CV Writing Service and Essayroo, writing consulting website. Also, she blogs at Simple Grad, her educational blog, where she enjoys covering educational trends, college life and online education. Mary tutors at BoomEssays, academic service.

Have you’ve already graduated, or you’re rapidly approaching your graduation day and you’re starting to think about what you’re going to do next? Maybe you want to take a holiday, find yourself the first rung of your career ladder or maybe you’ve got an idea for a new business that you want to try and invest your time in?

One of the most popular ways to combine two of those activities is to start working abroad, giving yourself the opportunity to earn money using your degree while having the chance to explore a whole new country, culture and way of life.

While the idea sounds appealing to you, there are still some key elements you’re going to want to think about to ensure that you’re making the right decision. To help you get started, here are several things to think about.

#1 – Cultural differences

The most noticeable difference you’ll want to consider is the fact that cultures around the world can be incredibly different, especially if it’s somewhere you haven’t been before. Of course, living in the UK means that you could travel to other European countries or even the US, and the way of life will be very similar.

However, if you choose to move to somewhere in the Western side of the world, parts of Asia or even Africa, prepare yourself for a very different kind of culture, from driving on the other side of the road in France to the eating street food surrounded by dozens of stray cats in Morocco, the world is an exciting and unique place.

Make sure this kind of cultural differences is something you’re prepared to face.

A signpost on a blue sky background, with arrows indicating different countries
Signpost

#2 – Starting afresh

“While most of the considerations are here to make you remember what you’re leaving behind, starting a new job and living abroad does have a tonne of benefits. If you feel like you’re in a rut, or even just bored of the way UK life work, moving to a new country could be the fresh start you need,” explains Jennifer Dawson, a career coach working at Academadvisor.

If you think it’s time to start pushing out of your shell, this could be the ideal first step to take.

#3 – Writing a suitable CV

When it comes to actually applying for a job role, the chances are that you’re going to need to send your future employer a CV. To ensure you maximise your chances of securing the job role, you’ll want to make sure it is perfect in every way. Here are some online tools that can help throughout every step of the process.

1 – Easy Word Count & Grammar Checker

Two free online tools for tracking the word count of your resume, and for accurately checking the grammar.

2 – Cite It In & Via Writing

Two free online tools for adding references to your resume, or for improving your general writing abilities.

3 – State of Writing & My Writing Way

These are two blogs full of writing guides to help teach you essential CV writing techniques.

4 – Lets Go an Learn & Writing Populist

Two free blogs that will improve your CV writing skills.

Remember to get in touch with your team of Careers Consultants at the University of Reading. They run CV Clinics where they check your CV and covering letters.

#4 – Consider Your Loved Ones

Whether you’ve lived in the UK your entire life or you’re a foreign student at the University, choosing a job abroad means you won’t be close to your family in the future. Living away from them can be hard, but with all the instant messaging apps and the video calling platforms such as Skype, staying in touch is pretty easy.

#5 – Think About Your Finances

Perhaps one of the most important considerations to think about when moving abroad is the cost of living versus how much you’re going to be earning. Now you’re going to be paying for everything while trying to earn.

In many cases, it’s a good idea to save up money before you move to ensure you’ve got enough on a rainy day. However, using the internet, you can easily find out the cost of living in another country which you can then compare to how much your salary is.

#6 – Consider Your Long-Term Goals

While the idea of moving to another country and starting a new life may sound appealing, sometimes even overwhelming, stop and think for a second how this move is going to impact the rest of your life.

Is the job you’re applying for and moving out for a step in the right direction when it comes to where you want to be in 5 or 10 years’ time? While all experience is good experience and you never really know where you’re going to be in years to come, you can take steps now to influence your future.

So, are you doing what’s best for you, or running on an impulse?

This article was written by Mary Walton, editor at CV Writing Service and Essayroo, writing consulting website. Also, she blogs at Simple Grad, her educational blog, where she enjoys covering educational trends, college life and online education. Mary tutors at BoomEssays, academic service.