Planning for your first expat posting

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As well as being a really exciting adventure, moving abroad can be a great opportunity to develop your career and add another string to your bow. However, it can be quite difficult to know where to start with making that great leap into the unknown. That’s why we’ve decided to create a quick list of things to consider when making the move.

Do your research

Before you decide to move abroad, it’s essential that you get as much information as possible. You should find out how your employers feel about expat postings, as well as working out which of their offices you’d be able to move to. When you find somewhere you’d like to live, make sure to find out the essentials; where to live; how long you can stay; what vaccinations you might need; health and education provisions; etc.

Speak to your boss

That’s right – as with most things at work, your boss will need to okay your move to another office. It’s worth putting the idea in their head early so your request won’t come as a total shock. When you do sit down and talk about it, highlight the positive benefits a new experience could bring you and how you could use this to help the business as a whole.

Talk with your spouse

Distance can really put a strain on a relationship. If you do decide to move, you and your partner will need to answer some pretty fundamental questions. Will you both move together? If your partner stays behind, will you stay together? How often will you visit each other? It’s best to have all of these questions answered before you go.

Make an advance visit

One of the tips on our new Hints & Tips Tool suggests staying in the country for a while before deciding whether or not to make the move permanent. Taking the plunge into an entirely new environment can be quite a shock to the system and unless you’re really adventurous it’s best to take some time to acclimatise first, and to make sure it’s the right place for you.