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The article gave clues to available earnings and employment and there are plenty of Ex-Pat Help Wanted ads available to search for your specific career. *hint... you will only get an expat job if you fit the needed profile / contribution. Expat positions cost the company a lot of dough (beyond wages), first class international airfare (for family), home leave, daily supplements, housing, transportation, taxes, visa paperwork, international schools (we didn't use that perk)...
(I too was a lowly worker / engineer, not a $300k manager (barf)) ...
Beyond $$$$ and resume boost, Expat career was a great opportunity to raise my kids and change their perspective on 'stuff, education, cultures, community', Free Paid Travel (everyday for us, as I was not 'office-based'), Free housing, extra pay,
flexible time off, free car, reimbursed taxes...
I did not give a rip about my USA career being sidelined. I was only employed for FIRE and maximum 'quality' of work / life while working. Achieved both and covered a lot of ground / countries / travel desires / meeting and enabling small businesses around the world to become successful.
USA is probably a good expat location for foreigners whose companies still think the USA is innovative and productive and has decent higher EDU. Those expats probably enhance their careers back home.
I was hiring international STEM, so I don't buy it. Give me a grad from overseas who has NOT been pampered through 16 - 20 yrs of USA coddling. (I was not in the business of 'retraining' $100k + new-hires.)
All good comments Stealth. It is scary the competition and low pay that many overseas workers bring to the table. We (Americans) are quite spoiled....my son started with a 6 figure salary right out of college and is now in the $250K range as a Sr. Engineer. Even European engineers are paid far less. The Chinese are the scary ones that are brilliant and will work themselves silly for peanuts.
All good comments Stealth. It is scary the competition and low pay that many overseas workers bring to the table. We (Americans) are quite spoiled....my son started with a 6 figure salary right out of college and is now in the $250K range as a Sr. Engineer. Even European engineers are paid far less. The Chinese are the scary ones that are brilliant and will work themselves silly for peanuts.
A $250k salary is very elite for a senior engineer in the United States.
Even in Palo Alto, a senior engineer makes on average about $168k.
France is a good place to have a decent life regardless of your professional skills and eagerness to work. Now if you believe in entrepreneurship, hard work and wealth, then France is certainly not the place for you.
The problem with being an expat for the purpose of setting yourself up financially is that you may find yourself spending much of the extra income.
My sister and partner have been expats for about twenty years, the last ten in Dubai. The original intention was to work away for two years and then be set up for the future here. They became used to the lifestyle, having maids, being a member of the elite, flying first class, etc. The thought of retiring back here is daunting them. They have not really accumulated a lot of extra money but have certainly enjoyed the experience. I think they will have a lot of trouble if they retire (where they are is not really a retirement option)
They are not in the mindset to live as ordinary people again. They have kept in good contact with a lot of family and old friends but of course have not made new friends at home. No one here is very impressed that you have been an expat, literally half our population were born overseas or have a parent born overseas, so most people travel and are familiar with other cultures.
I have read that the tipping point is about seven years, after that people are less likely to return home.
The problem with being an expat for the purpose of setting yourself up financially is that you may find yourself spending much of the extra income.
My sister and partner have been expats for about twenty years, the last ten in Dubai. The original intention was to work away for two years and then be set up for the future here. They became used to the lifestyle, having maids, being a member of the elite, flying first class, etc. The thought of retiring back here is daunting them. They have not really accumulated a lot of extra money but have certainly enjoyed the experience. I think they will have a lot of trouble if they retire (where they are is not really a retirement option)
They are not in the mindset to live as ordinary people again. They have kept in good contact with a lot of family and old friends but of course have not made new friends at home. No one here is very impressed that you have been an expat, literally half our population were born overseas or have a parent born overseas, so most people travel and are familiar with other cultures.
I have read that the tipping point is about seven years, after that people are less likely to return home.
Easy to do in Dubai. I never got caught up in the rich lifestyle of the Expat other than Business Class flying and 5 star hotels...so I saved a huge portion of my earnings. But now that I've retired, adjusting to a "normal" lifestyle and expenditures is really hard to do.
Easy to do in Dubai. I never got caught up in the rich lifestyle of the Expat other than Business Class flying and 5 star hotels...so I saved a huge portion of my earnings. But now that I've retired, adjusting to a "normal" lifestyle and expenditures is really hard to do.
Yes, retiring is an adjustment in itself so it is was to be combined with relocating from an expat location I imagine it would indeed be challenging.
My husband was able to work on contract a couple of days a week for several years after he retired at 60, which he really liked. My sister does not have grandkids and so many of her friends are busy either still working or grandparenting that I actually have no idea how she would occupy herself back here.
Medellin is considered the Digital Nomad Capital of the world at present. With cheap flights from the US (from $150 dollars return), the lowest cost of living of the upper middle income countries, top 25 global health system countries by World Health Organization, 4 out of 12 (countrywide) top global 1,000 universities in the city; Nacional, Antioquia, Pontifica Bolivariana, EAFIT; good transport infrastructure and an easy 180 day stay out of a calendar year.
These facts have contributed to make Medelin the no. 1 city for people with transferable online skills that get paid in Dollars/Euros/Pound sterling to save a lot of money either having Medellin as a permenant base or as a second base for half the year.
As for the report there definitely are some red herrings especially when considering income to cost of living ratilo.
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