What you need to consider when moving within Europe...

International moves are easy…

For some people. Definitely if you’re one of those lucky people who excels at what you do. You have multiple offers, companies vying for your signature and no ties to home. Berlin to Barcelona, Madrid to Milan or Paris to Prague– the opportunities are endless and you’re one flight away from taking on your next dream job.

However, nomadic life isn’t for everyone. Some people prefer the comfort of watching The Great British Bake Off while the rain pours down the window. If suddenly an international opportunity presents itself and you’re completely lost with regards to what needs to be considered before committing, I hope this saves you a headache.

Early Stages:

The offer is on the table and you’re in panic mode thinking “what’ve I got myself in to?” over and over again. It’s essential to start with the fundamentals. What are the costs of living? Do I need visa sponsorship? Is this a company worth moving for and is the city even a place I’d like to live?

It’s quite obvious but sometimes candidates can do all of their homework about the opportunity- short term vs long term, financial planning and the rest- but they don’t think hard enough about day to day life. You can’t forget that it’s not just work life that changes, your lifestyle does too. Once you’ve answered the above, it’s time to get into the nitty-gritty.

Laying the Foundations:

So you’ve established you want to up sticks. You’ve got a few offers waiting for an answer and the buzz is well and truly real. Now you need to start thinking about the essentials. Here’s an overview of key points to factor when you’re relocating within Europe.

Salary: In our industry, talking numbers can be a bit of a taboo topic as it doesn’t factor the ‘creative challenge’, ‘personal growth opportunities’ or any other intangibles. It does, however, pay the bills and fund your coffee addiction. A great website to see how far your money will go relative to other locations is Numbeo. I always suggest any candidate takes a look at it for perspective so that things like a €10 pint in Paris doesn’t come as too much of a surprise.

Relocation: Most companies cover the cost of flights one way for you and your family (if applicable), the first month’s rent and a budget (usually around €1,000) to help with moving your things. Expectations can depend on the level of seniority of the role and the company itself.

Health Insurance: Do your research on the cost of health insurance as it varies greatly within Europe and for some countries it is mandatory, such as in The Netherlands. Your new employer can contribute, cover or simply assist with the process but it’s a very important consideration and worth asking for more information about.

Taxation: This, once again, depends on location. An impressive gross salary can quickly be cut in half if the tax bracket isn’t ideal or you could end up pocketing more than you ever dreamt possible. Do your research. There are enough country specific net income calculators out there to give you a good idea of what you’ll earn.

Politics: You’re really not the only one fed up of hearing about Brexit but it’s certainly something that will re-shape the landscape of work immigration massively. Analyse the political environment of your next move. Is the country stable, in limbo or even rioting? Being as current and up to date as possible on political developments keeps you in the loop and saves you from committing to the wrong opportunity.

Location: The best thing about Europe is its location. You’re never more than an hour flight away from somewhere completely different. You need to factor in the direction of the country, infrastructure, labour immobility, expat support and quality of life. When you’re considering calling somewhere new ‘home’ – you want to tick as many boxes as possible and location is everything.

Committing:

It’s time to decide… You’ve imagined every hypothetical option and dreamt of the very best and worst scenarios since the offer arrived in your inbox. There’s no set guide to a perfect recruitment process that involves an international move and they’re often long or full of twists and turns. Eventually though, more often than not, at the end you have your dream job.

I appreciate that there will be many considerations and minor details that may be more pertinent to you but I hope that this can be used as a helpful guide. After all, there will always be a leap of faith no matter how small!

If you have read the above and can confidently point a finger at a particular opportunity or at least feel that it has helped you by having a European Recruiters perspective – let us know!

If you’re at the beginning of this process, keen to take the first steps or even just curious to hear what’s out there, feel free to get in touch. I currently have an abundance of Design, Production and Advertising opportunities with great businesses all over Europe.

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Jack recruits into Design, Production & Advertising roles across Europe.