6 Benefits To Ask Your Employer For When Working Abroad

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6 Benefits To Ask Your Employer For When Working Abroad

If you enjoy traveling and discovering new cultures, working overseas can be a tremendously rewarding experience. You can not only work and live overseas, but you can also learn about a new culture and develop new abilities that will benefit your career in the long term. But, choosing to work overseas is a big decision that shouldn’t be made hastily.

Before you say yes to an offer and start packing your bags, there are a lot of things to consider and discuss with your employer. Thus, don’t wait to bring up the following subjects with your boss if you’re interested in working somewhere other than your country of origin:

Negotiate your career advancement

If you want to develop your skills and get fresh knowledge, working abroad is a very effective way to advance your career. However, your boss might decide to neglect your promotions just because you’re not in the office so often. What you can do to still stay on top of your career is to discuss possible advancement options. For instance, you can request getting a team to lead or ask to be placed on certain demanding projects. Another thing to ask for is access to training and mentorship–this is a great way to gain new knowledge you can use in your career once you return home. See if you can get a place in an international conference happening at your location or fight for interesting collaborations with skilled people around you.

Ask for financial support

Working and living abroad can cost a lot of money, so make sure to negotiate your pay well. It’s crucial to talk to your employer about covering additional costs like visa costs, housing, transportation, etc. If you’re moving to a different country for work and need to stay for a long time, you can try to request a higher salary to cover your costs and the emotional loss of the home you used to have. All this will ensure your transition to a new country and a new work environment (no matter how long you’re staying) is much smoother and less stressful.

Explore medical security options

When working overseas, it’s crucial to think about medical care, especially if you have certain chronic health issues, pre-existing diseases, or disabilities. Make sure to check the standard of medical treatment in your target nation before you travel, and think about acquiring foreign health insurance that includes emergency medical care and evacuation in case it becomes required. Moreover, you can talk to your employer about your options for medical care, including the local facilities and medical staff that are available as well as the price of care. Before embarking, you can research general surgery services at your location and find the best care to mention to your employer. It’s also useful to have this knowledge anyway, just to be prepared in case something happens.

Ensure you’re learning the language

Today, the world is extremely interconnected, so having broad language knowledge is crucial for your career. And what better way to learn a language than at the destination? Ask your employer to provide you with language classes at your destination so you can learn the basics in your free time and practice the language while working and living abroad. This will greatly help your integration and boost your communication skills. And if you’re chasing a promotion or an important project back home, knowing a foreign language can even give you an advantage over your competition.

Talk about travel opportunities

If you have a great passion for exploring and outdoor activities, you might want to use your time abroad to the fullest by engaging in a lot of travel. See if your employer can provide you with some travel assignments as a part of your job in a foreign country. For instance, you can suggest a business trip to the neighboring country or region–this is something that benefits both you and your employer. Or you can even try to ask for an opportunity to take a few personal vacation days, visit a nearby tourist destination and do some solo exploring and relaxing.

Working away from home can be a fantastic chance for both personal and professional development, but before accepting a job abroad, it’s necessary to consider all of the things we just discussed. Have an open chat with your employer and be sure to express your expectations in detail so that you may make the most of your time abroad and return home with many new professional and personal experiences.

Moving Abroad Checklist

Initial Considerations

Will your partner be travelling with you?

If so, what will they be giving up in your present home and will they be able to continue with their career in your new home? You will need to check whether a separate visa is required for your partner to work or if your visa gives that right. If they are unable to work you will need to decide on the effect on your finances and what alternatives are available to give a fulfilling life (home business, training, voluntary work).

Are you taking family with you?

Moving with family raises many exciting opportunities, but also can create challenges. The HSBC Expat Explorer survey indicates that expat kids can take six months to settle in to their new country (see article). Getting young or even older children to prepare to move and leave their friends and family behind can be a challenge and should be thought through.

The options for education is another area that needs to be thought through.

Moving your child to a new country with a different education system can be a great opportunity to broaden their experience, but if they are close to key exams the timing can make this inadvisable. If you do take your family with you, it is important to decide between joining the local school system or choosing an international school.

Where will you be living?

Whether you will be living in a house or apartment, furnished or unfurnished, these decisions will affect what you need to take with you. The time you are planning to live overseas will also affect whether you should leave your property at home empty, rent it out or sell it. See the article Sell, Store or Ship.