Working abroad suggestions
Discussion
I'm into IT and a manual tester (70% SW and 30% HW) and has worked for both private and govt projects, I'm now thinking of working abroad for a short while as i feel i need a change
any suggestions as to where I could work in my field and also what do I need to factor in like visas, employer relocation sponsorship etc, btw
Europe and Middle East come to mind, but would like to know if a British citizen needs a work visa to work in EU now?, any thoughts welcome
I live and work in Riyadh. Overall, I wouldn't recommend it.
Middle East is good for one (obvious) thing, Saudi you'll likely get more than the UAE because its a much less desirable of a location to live for westerners. Lifestyle wise doesn't come anywhere near Europe (unless you're a Dubai kind of person).
Middle East is good for one (obvious) thing, Saudi you'll likely get more than the UAE because its a much less desirable of a location to live for westerners. Lifestyle wise doesn't come anywhere near Europe (unless you're a Dubai kind of person).
You need a visa to live and work in Europe post Brexit.. not sure if it’s the same everywhere, but here in Spain it’s almost impossible to get a visa that allows you to work here without being sponsored by an employer.
Some countries so have ‘digital’ visas though, that allowing you to live there and work remotely for a company based outside Europe.
Some countries so have ‘digital’ visas though, that allowing you to live there and work remotely for a company based outside Europe.
wyson said:
What is a Dubai kind of person?
As in those that much prefer the lifestlye of Dubai than Europe, which a lot of people do so the OP may like it. Can be viewed as safer, warmer all year round, and more convieniet to a lot of people. But a lot of other people dislike the loudness, summer temperatures and overpriced restaurants etc. Nothing agaisnt those that like Dubai I just mean some love it some hate it, middle east is very different depending on the region you're in.
As already said depends what you are looking for in terms of a change & what you expect to achieve.
Europe these days is hard to get into, unless you have a very unique skill set that a potential employer can demonstrate isn't available in another European country. Middle East tends to be much easier to get into, but you may be competing with those from the subcontinent, who expect a lot less. So even here it still comes down to how unique is your skill set.
I have had the fun of working abroad in the US, West Africa, North Africa, India, Saudi, Qatar, Kuwait, UAE, Oman & kazakhstan. It can be a fun experience with the right mindset..... but also knowing what you are there for
Europe these days is hard to get into, unless you have a very unique skill set that a potential employer can demonstrate isn't available in another European country. Middle East tends to be much easier to get into, but you may be competing with those from the subcontinent, who expect a lot less. So even here it still comes down to how unique is your skill set.
I have had the fun of working abroad in the US, West Africa, North Africa, India, Saudi, Qatar, Kuwait, UAE, Oman & kazakhstan. It can be a fun experience with the right mindset..... but also knowing what you are there for
LimaDelta said:
What are you looking for? More money? Adventure? Interesting work? Complete change of lifestyle?
This is what you need to ask yourself.Working in most of Europe is little different to working in the UK. The scenery and language may be different but you quickly get used to that.
Take a look at developing or transition nations. Not third world Africa but nations that are in the process of positive reform. In Europe, places like Albania, Macedonia, Bosnia and Herzegovina. Further afield, Ethiopia, Mozambique, Vietnam, etc...
Western money is pouring into to these sort of places both as development/investment funding and development aid. This is supporting any number of projects from which many opportunities exist.
Very different to what you'll find in developed nations. Does require a certain boldness to operate in some of these places but exceptionally rewarding for those that do.
Thanks all for replying, well right now my contract is over and I find the market in UK quite dead for manual software testing roles
basically I would say I'm looking for a decent (not exorbitant) pay, bit of adventure and to experience different cultures
Vietnam and Cambodia does come to mind, anyone has any idea as to how jobs for foreigners work there ,or know any agencies who specialize ?
LimaDelta said:
What are you looking for? More money? Adventure? Interesting work? Complete change of lifestyle?
carboy2017 said:
Thanks all for replying, well right now my contract is over and I find the market in UK quite dead for manual software testing roles
basically I would say I'm looking for a decent (not exorbitant) pay, bit of adventure and to experience different cultures
Vietnam and Cambodia does come to mind, anyone has any idea as to how jobs for foreigners work there ,or know any agencies who specialize?
The problem you will have is that unless your skills are pretty specialised you are going to be competing with locals who will work for far less that you will & don't need housing & relocation packages. After all, they are the people we outsource to these days. You need to have something to offer that they can't get locally, which is why teachers can get jobs out there teaching EaaFL.basically I would say I'm looking for a decent (not exorbitant) pay, bit of adventure and to experience different cultures
Vietnam and Cambodia does come to mind, anyone has any idea as to how jobs for foreigners work there ,or know any agencies who specialize?
With your background I would consider an AV/IT or ETO role on a large yacht, especially if you have decent hardware skills. Plenty of opportunities, new challenges, travel, decent pay and (relatively) easy to get into. Oh and very few visa hassles.
PM me if it sounds like something you might be interested in.
PM me if it sounds like something you might be interested in.
Waving from Grand Cayman 
Now in my third year here. Financially the best decision I’ve ever made. Biggest adjustment is having to change my mindset with end users, the island is full of characters and chancers, however, I will be returning to the U.K at some point as island fever is a very real thing.
Now in my third year here. Financially the best decision I’ve ever made. Biggest adjustment is having to change my mindset with end users, the island is full of characters and chancers, however, I will be returning to the U.K at some point as island fever is a very real thing.
If you want to do more software testing then try looking at some of the globally remote job boards out there (e.g. https://weworkremotely.com/). This is a better option if you're considering somewhere like the Middle East because software jobs are either off-shored or they pay off-shore wages to on-shore employees.
Would need to sort a visa to be able to stay long term (in the UAE it's harder to rent a property or open a bank account without an Emirates ID), or you could do the digital nomad thing and just move about when you fancy a change.
Would need to sort a visa to be able to stay long term (in the UAE it's harder to rent a property or open a bank account without an Emirates ID), or you could do the digital nomad thing and just move about when you fancy a change.
Mr Pointy said:
carboy2017 said:
Thanks all for replying, well right now my contract is over and I find the market in UK quite dead for manual software testing roles
basically I would say I'm looking for a decent (not exorbitant) pay, bit of adventure and to experience different cultures
Vietnam and Cambodia does come to mind, anyone has any idea as to how jobs for foreigners work there ,or know any agencies who specialize?
The problem you will have is that unless your skills are pretty specialised you are going to be competing with locals who will work for far less that you will & don't need housing & relocation packages. After all, they are the people we outsource to these days. You need to have something to offer that they can't get locally, which is why teachers can get jobs out there teaching EaaFL.basically I would say I'm looking for a decent (not exorbitant) pay, bit of adventure and to experience different cultures
Vietnam and Cambodia does come to mind, anyone has any idea as to how jobs for foreigners work there ,or know any agencies who specialize?
The trick is to look to western organisations that are working in such places and approach them. These are typically international development organisations that channel aid money into local projects. Some of the bigger players include EBRD (European Bank of Reconstruction and Development), GiZ, GFA, World Bank, UN - but there's many more. They will recruit western experts and workers to work on local projects.
So do a bit of research and see what they're doing, where and what sort of roles they're recruiting for.
RedWhiteMonkey said:
wyson said:
What is a Dubai kind of person?
In my experience, the kind of person that is best avoided.After 4 years on my second stint, I was approaching 40 and with my children we’re getting older, I felt it was time to come back to Britain.
I didn’t want to be a long term expat and certainly didn’t want my children to have their teenage years there. Someone once told me that if you’ve worked abroad for more than 5 years, your in it for the rest of your career.
Rob 131 Sport said:
I didn’t want to be a long term expat and certainly didn’t want my children to have their teenage years there. Someone once told me that if you’ve worked abroad for more than 5 years, your in it for the rest of your career.
Not necessarily true. However there are 2 factors that can influence this. Depending where you go the lifestyle can be hard to get away from. Secondly I've worked for International companies & the independence you get working overseas, together with the lack of corporate politics can make return to the main offices a chore.Gassing Station | Jobs & Employment Matters | Top of Page | What's New | My Stuff