What to Know Before You Go: How to Choose A Country

So, this whole working abroad thing is starting to sound interesting...... but where do you go? This is one of the most important questions when planning to work internationally; granted, you want that great job opportunity, but you also need to research your destination and make sure that the aspects of the country in question fit your personality and what you want out of your travel experience.

Here are a few questions to ask yourself when trying to pick a country:

What goals and expectations do I have?
Do you want to expand your experience in your chosen career field, are wage rates important for your destination, do you want to work on language skills, immerse yourself in a culture, have a pre-arranged position, or just travel and find work as you go? While many people already have a destination in mind when they consider working abroad, it is really more important to pick a country based on your expectations for your trip. If you are looking to work on your Spanish skills, for example, you may want to go to Mexico, but to truly improve language skills you may be better off going to smaller rural area then a costal resort town where much of the population speaks English (Poelzl, 2006). Likewise, if you want to travel and work as you go, find a country that will grant you a work visa that isn't dependent on you keeping the position you may first be coming into the country for.

Have I considered the political and economic situations of the country?
While you may have dreams of sipping a Margarita on a balmy beach in the place where you work, there is much more to a country then what you see when you go on a week long vacation there. Tourist are generally not affected by the politics or economy of a country on vacation (unless it is to get a great deal on that souvenir you want because of the strength of your dollar) but if you are planning on being even a temporary resident you should do some serious research on your destination. Do you travel plans involve taking a year off and saving money for school back home? Then you may not want to work in a developing country where their dollar is most likely going to weak compared to the Canadian dollar (Poelzl, 2006). Also, make sure your know at least a little of the political structure and all the differences in laws between your home country and your destination. The last thing you want to do is land in the middle of a civil uprising that you know nothing about, or break a local law that we don't have back in Canada (ignorance is NOT an excuse in any country, and in many you will be treated worse for breaking a law as a foreigner then you would as a local). Also ensure that the country you are visiting is open and welcoming to your own nationality, and that you will have the rights (as a minority, woman, etc) that you want.

Do I want the Exotic or the Familiar?
Another important question to ask yourself is how much change are you prepared for in your destination? Are you looking for a country with similar culture, values and society to your own, or are you interested in going completely off the beaten path and living with local indigenous people who still follow a traditional lifestyle? While many people find exotic locations alluring, choosing a destination that is very different then your own can cause more culture shock then anticipated. A great way to travel is to look for something familiar to draw you to a country; you may have vacationed there many times and know a bit about the culture, you may have relatives overseas, or you may already partially know a foreign language (Poelzl, 2006). Whatever the appeal, and despite your desires for adventure, it is proven that the best bet for a first time traveller is to find a country that has a society not too different from your own, and work your way up to extremely foreign destinations as you go (Poelzl, 2006). Not only will this allow you to build your travel experience, but it will also ensure that your trip is a positive experience and keep you interested in pursuing foreign travel.