Is moving abroad risky? How city choice matters

Many people have thought about moving abroad to start a new life, but a lot of those people ultimately didn’t follow this dream. Asking yourself ‘Is moving abroad risky?’ is a legitimate question. You will leave behind family and friends, and dive into an entire new environment and culture. With something like that, there’s always the risk that you don’t like it, or even fail. And what to think about financial uncertainty or your own safety? 

We agree that there are certain risks to moving abroad, but we have also seen a lot of young people who have taken this step and later saw it as the best move they ever made in their life. The benefits of this life are big, especially if you come prepared. One of the most important parts of preparing for moving abroad is picking the city where you want to go. We tell you why this is so important, and tell you if moving abroad is really risky.

What are the real risks of moving abroad?

There are multiple things that you could see as risks when you consider moving abroad. We’ve divided these risks into four different categories:

Financial risks

Of course money is one of the most important things. You have to have enough of it to enjoy your days, and you don’t want to get into financial trouble. To tackle these scary thoughts about money problems abroad, make sure to research the following things about the city you want to start living and working in: 

• Cost of living; make sure to know about the difference between the costs in your current city and the one you are moving to
• Housing and rent; this will be one of the highest costs abroad, so it’s worth looking into the average costs of this in your ‘new’ city
• Salary vs. real purchasing power; knowing your salary is important, but you also need to find out what you can really purchase monthly with that salary

Career risks

Living and working abroad sounds amazing, but some people also worry about their professional career. Before taking the leap, answer these questions about your destination:

• Is the job market strong in your field?
• Is English widely spoken?
• Is there room for career progression?
• Is the local economy stable?

Social and emotional risks

There are risks when it comes to your social life. You leave behind family and friends and have to build up a new social circle. It is important to research the social culture of the city you are moving to. So answer the following questions:

• Is it easy to make friends there?
• Is there a strong expat community?
• Is the culture more reserved or open?
• What are the work-life balance norms?

Lifestyle mismatch risks

The average lifestyle is different for every city. It is smart to move to a place where life matches your lifestyle. So research the following parts:

• Climate
• Pace of life
• Safety
• Nightlife vs. quiet living

Why city choice matters more than country

Now you know what things to research if you want to live abroad. We recommend you to research these things about specific cities, and not about the country. You might think: I want to move to Spain. But if you do your research about Spain in general, you know nothing about life in Spanish cities. There are party cities, digital nomad hubs, quiet coastal towns and business-focused cities. 

If you zoom in, you’ll find out that Madrid is a fast-paced, career orientated city. But if you start living and working in Valencia, you’ll move into a more relaxed place with a balanced lifestyle. If you want to make sure that moving abroad feels less risky, make sure to zoom in on the life of the city itself, next to researching the country. To do this, you could use the personal pages we wrote about the cities that we offer jobs in.

How to reduce the risk of moving abroad

Moving abroad can feel risky when you don’t have enough information about your destination, or when it feels like you have to do it alone. But both of these things can be fixed. We give you three important tips that can help you reduce the risk of moving abroad:

1. Research beyond social media

Pictures and videos about life abroad on social media can be convincing. But as we told you before in this blog, doing a deep research about the city you are considering moving to, is very important. So yes, enjoy the pictures on social media. But also do your research beyond that.

2. Talk to people already living there

Who’s more experienced about living abroad in a specific city than the people that already live there? Go to LinkedIn and message people that have made the same move you are planning on making. Or contact expat communities in the city. You can also ask your recruiter to get you in contact with others. Be curious, ask questions and share concerns.

3. Work with relocation experts

If you work with a recruitment agency like Job Squad, you will get a lot of help with relocating and reducing the risks of moving abroad. We help you with finding the job and location that suits you best, support you in relocating and your recruiter stays in contact with you after you’ve moved abroad, to help you with all the questions and problems you face after moving abroad.

Why moving abroad actually is worth the risk

Moving abroad might feel risky, but we think the benefits make it really worth it. There are many reasons why living and working abroad is good for you. One of the things is that you gain independence. It could be the first time in your life that you have to deal with every problem on your own, which leads to you growing up very quickly. Another benefit is that you show future employers that you are willing to take a risk, so make sure to put this experience in your CV. This makes you stand out in the crowd when looking for a job.

There are many more reasons why you should work abroad after graduating. At Job Squad we can give you these experiences, by finding you the perfect job in the location where you want to go to. Check out our latest vacancies and apply today!