Is it worth looking for jobs abroad?
I’ve always been interested in living abroad, especially in Europe. Maybe it’s the allure of the European culture or the just wanting to experience something new, but there has always been something that’s made me want to go and live there.
From what I’ve read, the biggest tech hubs in Europe are in London, Berlin, and Dublin. Other places I’d love to live in one day are Amsterdam, Paris, Barcelona, or Stockholm. While these cities sound like great places to live on paper and beautiful tourist destinations, what is it like to work in tech there and what are the pros and cons of living abroad? Here are some of my subjective thoughts.
What are the pros of living abroad?
Great opportunities in a different environment – What does this mean you ask? When people think of the tech industry many think of Silicon Valley and the FAANG companies here in the United States. However, these opportunities exist outside of the Silicon Valley (or for that matter, the United States bubble). Dublin bosts offices for Google, Microsoft, Amazon and Facebook with a growing tech scene. London is one of the biggest financial hubs in the world and to accompany that, a huge tech hub as well. Spotify headquarters are in Stockholm and many more.
Work-life balance – The unfortunate reality of working in the United States for many (and in this case, I am speaking generally about the job environment) is that many places don’t offer the greatest work-life balance. This is especially true in the tech industry where long hours are routine and the benefits offered by the company don’t match the long hours put in. Many companies in Europe routinely offer 30 days of vacation per year in a much more relaxed environment that doesn’t stress constant work.
Social welfare/security – This might be a divisive topic (even though unfortunately shouldn’t be) but the social warfare systems of the many European countries are miles (or should I say kilometers?) ahead of the United States. Healthcare is free and provided for by the government (yes I understand the taxes are higher, but at least the taxes are used on something useful). Many countries have mandated paid parental leave for both new mothers and fathers. University education is free or low-cost. Public transportation is well developed. All these factors lead to a better standard of living even though the starting salaries are lower in Europe.
What are some of the difficulties of working in tech abroad?
The barrier to entry – What do I mean by that? As solely a US citizen, working in European countries require work visa sponsorships, which some companies would prefer not to go through the hassle of. Additionally, EU countries have a pool of EU applicants that don’t require work sponsorships.
Culture shock and the language barrier – Even though I do find the prospect of having to learn a new language exciting, it nevertheless will make life a bit more difficult. Everyday tasks will be a bit more tedious since first and foremost, you don’t understand the language. Even though most big cities in Europe now have a sizable population that can speak English, without learning the local language it might feel like you are an outsider.
Lower wages – Here in the United States, salaries for the same positions are usually much higher than in Europe. The average software developer salary in the United States is $110,638 while the average salary in the UK is $68,462, $54,025 in the Netherlands, and $60,162 in Germany1. Of course, many countries in Europe come with better social welfare as mentioned in the pros section that makes up for the difference in pay, the difference in pay is noticeable.
So, do I still want to work in Europe? Someday, I hope so. Getting a job here in the United States hasn’t been easy so I don’t have hopes that I’ll be landing my first job in tech outside of the United States – I don’t foresee a company going through the process of hiring an entry-level developer that requires visa sponsorship. But I do hold hope that maybe in the future I might make the move across the Atlantic.
1. https://www.daxx.com/blog/development-trends/it-salaries-software-developer-trends