I would be interested in working internationally especially if it was a good career move in the short term and potentially long term.
Some factors I would be considering if I was offered this after working in the U.S. in several professional positions would be what my moving package would be. I wouldn’t want the move to be too hard on my family or myself. Because of this I’d look at not just my compensation, but the type of expatriate compensation I’d be receiving to compensate for the move and the change. I’d consider how long of a term they’d be moving me there for. If it’s just potentially a good option in the long term, how long is it guaranteed a good option? I’d be certainly considering where they’d want to move me to, as my compensation would depend on this. I’m interested in moving abroad, but in this scenario it would be slightly different because I would have been working for several years. Because of this difference, I think I’d care more about being compensated well to move my life somewhere else. I’d be very curious about the cost of living difference in the country I’d potentially move to.
Some other considerations I’d have regarding moving abroad are cultural differences and how much of a change it would be. I’d be concerned about compensation, taxes and benefits of course. But if I have children at this time or plan on having them what does education look like there there? Would my spouse be able to find similar employment as he has here? What will it look like when I eventually return to the U.S.? Will I return to the U.S.? Some of these things really matter because they would impact what I’d expect to be compensated.
I would be persuaded to take the opportunity if my ability to live in the place I move to is similar or better. I’d want to be compensated enough to feel comfortable moving and not to feel a loss from moving. I’d want to be sure I’m not subject to double taxation, or unemployment. I’d want to solidify what my return or lack there of would look like. I would also want to find out what it would look like if a family member back home got sick, as that would be a different situation than if I was just in the U.S. with them. Essentially, if I felt that I would be able to live a similar life to the one I live in the U.S. in terms of compensation, and if the impact wouldn’t be too great on myself or my family I would gladly take the opportunity.
Martocchio, Joseph J. Strategic Compensation: A Human Resource Management Approach. Pearson Education, 2020.
