Employment

Juggling work and family life is a perennial source of stress, especially if you’re a mum! Women traditionally still take on the bulk of household work, child-rearing, and what is sometimes called ‘emotional labour’ – that is, the work women tend to do in maintaining the household, such as keeping track of the kids’ medical appointments, sports days and all the small-but-crucial elements which make up family life.   more ...

There are few things in life more stressful than moving to a new house; packing up everything you own and shifting it to another location. It’s not just the practicalities, but the emotional wrench of severing existing ties and setting off into the unknown.   more ...

Europe and North America have been regarded as the top expat destinations for people from around the world for many decades. However, over the last few years political situations across these continents have caused a number of potential immigrants to look for other places where they can live and work or run their businesses.   more ...

There are a range of reasons for not agreeing to take on an expat assignment, but will disagreeing set you back in your career?

Research points to an alarmingly high turnover of expats once they return to their home workplace. One study says that within a year of returning to their employer, 38% will leave and take their experience to a new firm.   more ...

Stepping out of one’s comfort zone can be a challenge for any professional, including an entrepreneur. However, research shows that moving to a different country for education or work can actually improve your business acumen.

It is a well known fact that professionals with some amount of international experience stand out from their competitors in terms of many functional and behavioral skills. That’s why many people choose to take up training courses, internships, assignments, or job offers in other nations.   more ...

Many people would love to live abroad, often in a specific country or part of the world, but find it difficult to do so because of a lack of suitable job opportunities there. For those who don’t want to wait till they retire to act on these dreams, a great option is to move abroad as an entrepreneur. Of course, both the expat life and the entrepreneur life are full of challenges and neither should be jumped into casually. When you combine the two, you are essentially doubling the risks and challenges, and should therefore be particularly thorough in your research and planning.   more ...

It’s a big decision to say goodbye to your life at home, packing up your possessions, disrupting your routine and leaving behind friends. So it would be a great shame to go through all that turmoil without reaping any of the benefits of living overseas.   more ...

Living expenses may vary dramatically in a new country, which means expats need to understand the costs involved.

For instance, their housing and healthcare needs must be met and if they are travelling around then there will be expenses incurred as well; for those with families, education and schooling costs will also need to be met.   more ...

The majority of expats travel for work. Usually to take on a job that they have applied for, sat through rounds of interviews for, and worked toward for a number of years.

Heading out to a far-flung regional office to run a prestigious project or take control of the high-flying sales team might be the pinnacle of a career. Or it could be the stepping stone that takes an expat from middle management into the boardroom.   more ...

Being asked to undertake an international assignment is an exciting proposition for most people and it can be a hugely rewarding one for them and their employer.

However, an expat assignment can be a risky endeavour as well and, according to one organisation, around 50% of expat assignments will end in failure.   more ...