anyone worked abroad??

[malks]

i got made redundant about a month ago now and in the market for work!
seeing i work in construction, there's not exactly a huge ammount out there for me. there's still a few jobs about, but theres quite a few people applying for every vancancy as im sure everyone is aware.

but i've been thinking about looking aborad for work. my main advantage is that i have very few commitments in this country, i am single, still living at home with parents, very few commitments, so i'm thinking of using this oppertunity to broaden my horizen and consider working aborad.

has anyone done this before? if so what are the good and bad points? at the moment it seems to be the main construction opertunities seem to be in the middle east, does anyone have experience of living there? what is it like living in a 'dry' state? is it hard being a westerner living in the middle east?

the attraction for the middle east is the fact that my salary would be tax free, so also a big help to hopefully working hard for a couple of years to help get a deposit together for a house or something 'if' i come home!

i just feel my redundancy is a huge opertunity to change my life for the better and dont want to waste this chance! any help much appreciated .org!

[martianskippy]

PM'ed

[BoltonSte]

Do it!, did the states for 3 years. It'll be harder than you think. Depends how close you are to your family, but then they are only a phone call away or a few hours on a plane if needs be.

Biggest issues we had were adapting to a different culture, although a think a significantly different culture would actually be easier to adapt to, and like I said family/friends, you can't just pop down the pub with mates or round the corner for a brew. If there's a significant time difference it's a bit more difficult. But get settled, get mates (you will) and life is much easier.

We went with the intention of treating it like a holiday (within reason) I had a three year contract so we tried to get to see as much as we could. We made friends out there in a similar boat, who didn't do the same, and now they're back home keep spending a fortune going back out on holiday. Best if you don't compare here to there all the time either. It may either depress you when you're out there, or when/if you come back.

So.

Do it
Pick somewhere with different culture
Make sure you get some friends.
Make the most of it when your there - see what you can.
Don't compare it to back home.

Ste (PM if you want to chat over the phone about it)