Anyone who lives abroad or who plans to go overseas to live and work has a very unique set of reasons for so doing. Reasons might include wanting to get out of your own home country and escape its failings, see more of the world, live somewhere where there’s better weather, better prospects and a better quality of life. However, for expatriates of working age, one of the strongest driving forces sending more people overseas is career advancement.
At the present time there are uncertainties in jobs markets all over the world, and for those who are talented and ambitious, it’s unsettling…however, for those who still want to forge ahead, skill up and move up the career ladder, a sojourn living and working overseas can make a great deal of sense.
In recruitment and employment surveys employers regularly cite the fact that they find those who have experience of working in other countries bring more to their company and to a given role. Therefore, if you want to potentially advance your career and certainly see more of the world and even earn a greater salary, where should you think about working abroad if you want to earn more money and advance your skill set?
Well according to extensive research by NatWest International, Asia is the most popular location for those seeking higher salaries, and this is backed up by evidence from an HSBC survey that puts Singapore at the top of the league of best places to live and work abroad for expatriates.
The NatWest International research suggests that over half of all professional expatriates who are working abroad specifically in high-end locations such as Hong Kong regularly see their salaries top the £100,000 mark, and nine out of ten expats surveyed said they are now far better off – in a purely financial sense - than they were before they moved to live and work abroad.
Asia, and more specifically locations such as Singapore, Hong Kong and China, have ongoing demand for professionals from many backgrounds. Finance, management, international business, IT, law and even education are all areas where there are international skills being sought; and if you have the skills that are in demand and you want a challenge then you could join the 78% of professional expats working abroad who earn between £50,000 and £85,000 according to NatWest International’s survey!
Of course, a high salary is not necessarily the be all and end all for an expat – but it helps to know that whilst Asia tops the league in terms of the salaries potentially available to professional expats, Singapore in Asia also tops the league in terms of the quality of life that expats can enjoy – it beats everywhere from Dubai to America, from Canada to Australia and Hong Kong is also up there in the top 5. So, it may well be safe to say that Asia is a great location to focus your sights on if you want to move abroad for a good career boost, an earnings boost and a rise in your quality of life!
