Working and Living Abroad: What You Need to Know

As we grow up we go through phases of our lives where we want to get away from home, spending some time experiencing other walks of life and finding out how we’d cope on our own and away from the comfort zone we’ve grown so attached to.

For many that opportunity never actually presents itself – education, careers and family life often prove to be the main factors preventing this chance to explore – and the dreams remains just that. Living and working abroad can be a truly eye-opening and unique experience; whether it’s the first time you leave your home country, or just the first time you’ve visited that particular one.
If you’re in the fortunate position where you can just up and leave, either for pastures new in the form of career opportunities, maybe you’ve been searching around online for Israel Study Abroad Programs to go and do an overseas degree or Masters, or perhaps you’ve just had enough of cold, boring Britain and you want something more exciting, then you’ll need to bare a few important factors in mind to ensure that everything goes without a hitch!

• Visas. Many countries will need you to obtain a visa, whether you intend to work or not. The likes of Australia require travellers to have permission to enter the country under certain laws – such as to travel, or to work – unless you have an Australian passport already of course.

• Vacancies. If you’re planning to work abroad, it’s often a good idea to line up a position before you go. The country might be more expensive to live in on a daily basis than your own nation, and money will soon dry up if you can’t find work. While it might sound like an easy option to find some bar work once you arrive, for example, you can’t beat having something concrete in place to help with your plans – and the bank account!

• Accommodation. Of course, you need somewhere to stay! You might choose to backpack your way around a country, staying in a different location for a couple of nights at a time before moving on, but whether you’re in a tent, a bed and breakfast or a five-star luxury hotel, it gives you piece of mind to at least know where you’re sleeping that night, (and your mum!)

If you’re looking to study overseas, bear in mind that things will be a little different to your usual way of studying. You might be used to a timetable telling you where to be and when, meeting with tutors at regular intervals and using state-of-the-art equipment. If you’re choosing to do a Masters overseas, for instance, you might have kit that isn’t up to the standards you’re used to and classrooms that aren’t exactly the same as your well-maintained lecture theatre, so acclimatizing early is key to your success at your new University.