Why would anyone want to be an expat?

An expatriate (often shortened to expat) is a person temporarily or permanently residing in a country other than that of their citizenship. The word comes from the Latin terms ex ("out of") and patria ("country, fatherland"). In common usage, the term is often used in the context of professionals or skilled workers sent abroad by their companies.

When most people think of an expat, they imagine someone who is highly paid in a faraway place living in a palatial villa being tended to by house maids; their kids in international schools being looked after by a nannies. These jet setters holiday in exotic locations and enjoy all the trappings of living and working in a safe, social and exciting place. Wow.....what a lifestyle? Who wouldn't want to pursue this dream?

However in reality, very few expats enjoy all or many of the above trappings. With the exception off some locations such as Dubai or Singapore, most expats live and work in remote, unsafe or emerging economies with little or no infrastructure. Expats are generally sent to their employer's overseas operations, or recruited by an overseas company as they have a skill set or a level of knowledge that is lacking from the local workforce. 

A standard expat benefits package will include accommodation (or allowance), a company vehicle or transport, medical insurance, return flight/s home (which can be used as a flight allowance for holidays elsewhere) and utilities. In some sectors such as mining and resources, expats are also fed 3 meals a day. Also, in some instances international schooling may be included for children but the quality of education can be questionable in some countries.

So the salaries available must still be very high?

There are exceptions mainly dependant on sector and how specialised your skills are, but generally I find that most enquiries that I get from candidates considering an expat position have expectations that are greater than what the market is paying. As a recruiter specialising in the expat market, I find that most people have differing personal circumstances and this effects their expectations. Some expect a slight net increase on their current position working in their home country as the premium is in the low cost of living given the benefits that are provided. Others feel that they need to be paid 2 or 3 times what they would be paid at home to even entertain leaving their comfortable lifestyle for the unknown. 

Also, a single person with no personal or financial ties to their home country may see an opportunity as a lot more attractive than someone leaving behind a large family and a mortgage - therefore foregoing the benefit of the low cost of living by still having to run a household in their home country. 

So if you can’t dance and shout ‘Show me the money’, why would anyone consider an expat position?

Many people are attracted to an expat position by the work challenges that it offers. This could be managing or being part of an exciting and large scale project, managing larger teams of people or being able to work more autonomously with less regulations. There could also be a broader range of responsibilities whereby you can obtain greater experience and some people find these environments allow you to be more entrepreneurial in your thinking. 

People with an interest in travel and a sense of adventure find expat opportunities exciting. Having the opportunity to live a different lifestyle and adapt and get to know another culture is attractive to some. There is a saying that expats fit in to one of three categories: Mercenaries, Missionaries or Misfits – maybe not quite being a missionary but having that same sense of community and enjoyment of other cultures will be exciting for some. 

Unfortunately, in this day and age there are also people who may have a personal issue or a crisis in their lives which force them to look at expat opportunities. Due to economic conditions, someone may be out of work and there is a lack of work opportunities or they may need to consolidate financially with a medium to long term plan to get themselves out of a hole. Also, there may just be the need to ‘escape’ family issues or the day to day grind of a boring job or lifestyle. This may not be the greatest of motivators but quite often people do find what they are looking for when making a life changing decision to work abroad. 

There are many factors that can motivate people to look at and consider overseas work opportunities and consider a major change in their lives. If you are an expat or are considering an overseas opportunity, what are your reasons?