Moving abroad with no job, no friends, no house
my personal advice
Moving abroad began with whizzing through the air on a low-cost flight to Barcelona on a cold and miserable January evening. With no job, no permanent accommodation and no friends waiting for me at my destination point, I was feeling very apprehensive, and very alone. But the next morning I woke up to winter sunshine (a miracle for a Scottish person) and I started to feel better. It was time to get out of bed and make a new life. Here’s how I did that.
Accommodation
Moving abroad number one tip: organise temporary accommodation for when you arrive. For example, I rented a room in an apartment for one month, which provided a little security for my arrival. Plus it gave me time to look around for a permanent place. Remember to do some research about prices and processes. And, above all, never pay any money upfront without seeing the flat first. A friend of mine paid a “deposit” of several hundred euros for a flat he had only seen in photos advertised online. Needless to say, he never saw the flat or his deposit ever again.
“Then the weekend comes and you realise…your social agenda is wide open!”
Bureaucracy
Things like social security, national insurance numbers, health cards and bank accounts are all essential to moving abroad. Moreover, most companies will probably insist that your papers are in order before they hire you, so try to get as much done as possible before moving. There are plenty of resources to help you online, from official government websites to social network groups. For me, the most helpful guides were other people who had gone through a similar experience recently.
Work
Once you can work legally in your new country, you’ll want to start looking for a job. I found that companies basically ignored my applications while I was still living in a different country. However, when I contacted them again to tell them I was now a local resident, I got a lot more interest and calls for job interviews. Try and find a way to communicate your new circumstances when you finally are moving abroad.
Friends
So you’ve got your flat, your paperwork, your new job. Then the weekend comes and you realise…your social agenda is wide open! My advice in this situation is to be proactive. Put yourself forward for opportunities to socialise, such as after-work drinks with colleagues, language classes, or meet-up groups for people with similar interests. Of course, it’s also very possible that you make friends by complete accident. I met my best friend waiting in the queue for the bank, if you can believe it.
Just do it
No, I’m not selling sports gear. My point is that there is never a perfect time to make a life-changing act – I moved to a new country in the middle of winter with just 300 in my bank account! But if you want to make it work, you will make it work. Stop hanging back, and start moving abroad.
Susie Shields
I train people to use English in a professional context. In my one-to-one sessions, online course and social media platforms, you’ll master tools to flourish in your English-speaking workplace. From job interviews to work meetings to presentations and more, you’ll prepare for professional challenges and speak with success.
