Picking a new Country for a Long-Term Commitment

China? Brazil? Tanzania?

Where would you decide to settle for the next five to twenty years?

We are going to talk a bit about expatriate thinking this month with a series of posts about living abroad for the longer term.

Life abroad can be pretty addictive and many of us who have spent more than three or four years abroad often end up overseas for twenty or more years.

There is an initial hump of two or three years that sends most people “back home”.  That “hump” will be the topic in a following week.

RULE #1:  Don’t fall too much in love with the first place you land.

Too many people arrive in one country and never leave it.

They arrived in Brazil, fell in love with it and never left.  What they never found out is that they would have loved Japan, China, Costa Rica or some other place even more.

Give a few other countries a try too.

Part of what is happening is that people are falling in love with the experience of living abroad, which is pretty d*mn exciting all by itself.  But in the process they attach that love and excitment to the specific country in which they are presently living.   In other words, the same thing would often likely happen in almost any country in which they first landed.

I was lucky when I started out as I had decided I wanted to see many countries and live in more than a few.  So I spent about two to five years and more living and working in Botswana, Korea, Thailand, Saudi Arabia and South Korea.  That way when I decided to settle down, I had a much broader base of information to call upon for the decision.

Korea was my home twice for three academic years each time, but ten years apart.  It was strange to see so many long termers there that had never left and experienced living and working somewhere else while I have the good fortune to experience two additional countries and cultures in depth during that time.   Don’t misunderstand, Korea is a wonderful place, but don’t limit your options so early in your expatriate experience.

If you intend to work abroad only for a year two, then yes, one country is about right.  The cost of moving and changing jobs is a bit much to do it more often than about every two years.

TED’s Tips™ #1:  Don’t close out your options.  If you are going out to “See the World” – go see it and experience it.  LIVE and WORK in more than one place so you can get a broader sense of the real world out here.

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2 Comments

• 

  By Todd K., January 25, 2012 @ 12:17 AM

  Hi Ted,

  At the end of February, I will have finished my first year of teaching English at a university in northern Thailand. It has been a good experience for me (and my wife, who has taken some art classes at the university). There’s a 50-50 chance I will continue to teach in Thailand when the next school year begins in May, probably at a different Thai university.

  The alternatives to Thailand I’m considering are Japan and South Korea. I’m nearly 59 years old.

  If I focus on a few universities in Busan, Daejeon and Chuncheon, personally handing in my resume and other relevant papers, what is your assessment of my chances of landing a university teaching position in S. Korea?

  Would my job prospects be as good (at my age and with only 1 year of teaching experience) if I went instead to Japan? I’ve visited both countries and I’d love to live and work in either of them.

  Thanks.

• 

  By Ted, January 25, 2012 @ 9:54 AM

  Hi Todd,
  Korea will be tough at age 59. Japan, I am not sure about. Thailand though is one of the more accepting places around when it comes to hiring older teachers. Regarding your question of seeking a job on the scene though, never underestimate the value of being there when they actually need a teacher who can start tomorrow. One year and experience and 59 y/o though, I am not sure. Maybe a 50:50 chance of success? It might largely depend on how well you present yourself and how far out of the way the schools you contact are.
  I wish I could give you a stronger opinion, but I really don’t know in this case.
  Ted

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