I'm ~4.5 years into my career and I'm thinking about doing something outside of the US for my next job. I'm looking to jump in about half a year, so right now is the time to figure this stuff out.
I've got no responsibilities, no kids or SO at the moment, so now would be the perfect time in my career to do something wild. Where do people recommend for culture, outdoors, tech, and /or ease of visas?
For example I was thinking about New Zealand.
Also, many countries and cultures have completely different work ethics and expectations. You may be used to fairly loose structures in terms of hours and management hierarchies. Many countries still expect tech workers to work like engineers from 20+ years ago. That means all day in your chair, long hours, and reporting to a manager that is not invested in your personal experience. American tech workers are often shocked when they land in these places.
In the opposite direction, if you work with many western Europeans, you'll be surprised at how some of them aren't very work oriented. That may be frustrating to people used to American companies. Also, communication is very different. I worked with an Italian engineer who got very loud very fast in any tech debate. It took me a while to get used to it, but I did when I understood that was just his background. He wasn't angry or confrontational, his previous jobs all communicated like that.
Those these kinds of differences exist around the world and can be very difficult for some folks. But, lots people also thrive in those environments. Your mileage may vary.
A small tip I have offered to people is to search for "relocation + [your main language/framework] + [region]" in LinkedIn job search. It will give you a general sense of the demand for particular skillsets industry directions in those areas. It's not foolproof, but usually leads to some interesting locations.
Perfect opportunity to NOT work for a bit. If you can afford it, go backpacking. Solo or otherwise. You will gain direct insight into where you want to live/work. Of course, when travelling, everything is seen through rose-tinted glasses, so bear in mind that the reality of living somewhere new is always more complicated than what you see when "on holiday".
Perfect opportunity to work international for a bit. :)
Honestly, I wonder where the line is. You want to immerse yourself in another culture, but not flounder/drown either.
Might be better to work at a more similar culture (ie us->england) as a stepping stone to a challenging change (us->asia)
Think about what you want, and narrow it down from there.
- I can speak the language and preferable have some contacts. Contacts don't have to be friends and Internet random people are fine, but they need to be locals to give me some information;
- The government does not have very stringent control over Internet. I don't want to have someone break into my door just because I reposted someone else's Tweet or voiced my concern;
- The city should have good hospitals, reasonably well public transit and other infrastructures. All public service should be of reasonable price to foreigners. They can and probably should be more expensive than the costs charged to the locals, but if it's 10x then it's too much.
- The local people don't dislike strangers;
- Crime rate is reasonable and I should not be afraid to walk after 9 p.m.;
- Living expense is lower than my resident country, otherwise it's just going to be a short vacation;
- It doesn't have large cockroaches;
Optional ones:
- It rains very little;
- It has public computers;
- It has a large electronics retail market;
I know some places that satisfy all mandatories except one, and some optional ones.
Some learnings to consider
1: Fit in a box. Accountants, teachers, nurses, doctors are easy jobs to travel with, once they understand how to get local accreditation. So for tech/engineering jobs it's good to have a very clear definition and track record of what you are and for that to be in demand. (Even better - have your own business and operate from anywhere, and/or study abroad)
2: Be in the right time and place. Cities and countries have a sweetspot for life stages, and also for political and economic cycles. I got to be in the UK doing the 90s, and US during the dot com boom, and Australia in a mining boom. Go where it is easy and fun.
3: Balance work and travel. Work hard, but enjoy the location while you are there. But if work is all consuming then take a lot of time between destinations to travel locally and internationally.
Come to New Zealand! We have a number of ways to get in. At one end is the working holiday visa (1), which is available to a few countries, costs NZ$420 to apply and gets up to 12m work. At the other end is the Active Investor Plus Visa (2) (Our fund is on the eligible list). And there are the usual options in-between (3).
(1) https://www.immigration.govt.nz/new-zealand-visas/visas/visa... (2) https://www.immigration.govt.nz/new-zealand-visas/visas/visa... (3) https://www.immigration.govt.nz/new-zealand-visas
Also, great public transport, biking infrastructure, _very_ walkable, they've made incredible progress here by restricting cars with initiatives like the "super blocks", I lived near where they put the first ones and loved it (I'm quite anti-car in general though).
It does get too busy in the summer with tourists but just avoid the worst areas (like a New Yorker wouldn't spend time in Time Square for example, I almost never went to "Las Ramblas") or spend part of the summer somewhere else in Spain like most Spanish do, at the beach or escape the heat in "the green Spain" (Asturias, Coruña, etc).
Also, Spain has recently released a Digital Nomad Visa, so you could get a remote job in the US and move there.