The when of deciding to move overseas does not only apply to the time of year you make your move, though that is an important consideration we will look at in a minute. You must also consider how an international move will affect your career, your personal life and the lives of your spouse and children.
Looking at your career first, you could become an expatriate as we consider it here, at any time from when you leave school to when you retire. Whenever you move there can be advantages and disadvantages, though they will vary as you progress through your career.
Skills and Education
Most expatriates are highly educated and/or skilled in a particular profession and their qualifications are of international standard. If you want to work internationally, or in a specific professional field in a specific country, then sometimes it is worth moving abroad to study. This can have the advantage of giving you the opportunity to learn, or become fluent, in another language, achieve residency in another country, or attend some the world's most prestigious colleges and universities. Of course the cost of studying abroad can be prohibitively expensive, but scholarships are available both from your own country and universities/institutions in other countries.
Ready and Qualified?
Once you have the skills and qualifications to work in your chosen field you can start to look for your expatriate job. But is it necessarily a good idea to move abroad as soon as you have qualified?
Working in a foreign country adds a number of strains over and above what would be part of the job in your home country. Different social etiquette, working practices, professional standards and the whole subject of foreign culture will impinge on your ability to work efficiently. Most firms that recruit expatriate workers look for personnel with at least a few years work experience - often this is because they perceive experienced staff as more likely to be able to cope with working abroad. So it can be advantageous to get a few years work experience under your belt before you try moving abroad.
Another advantage of waiting till you have some experience is that your salary and remuneration package will be better. Expatriate packages often look enticing, but living costs for foreigners can be much higher than expected, even when you move from a so-called developed country to a so-called developing country. Once you have a family the costs will rise much higher, both for you to live and for the employer to hire you. All this can combine to make it even more important for you to gain some work experience before trying to move abroad.
