I’ve always wanted to live abroad and there are several cities around the world I’d love to try living in, but my number one has always been London. I’ve visited several times and also travelled around the UK extensively, I even did a semester abroad in the UK during my studies, yet I still want to go back.
But I’ve come to realize that after brexit it’s become nearly impossible to move there. Currently I live in New York and it was easier for me (as a European) to get a job here than in London. I think the only possible route for me at this point is applying for a permanent position at the foreign ministry of my country after which I would be able to apply for a posting at the London embassy at some point. But it would be a big career decision cause the pay is shit compared to the private sector and it would probably take me years to even have a chance to get sent there.
First I’d have to apply and get accepted for the program and I know for a fact that many people apply for years without getting in. Then I’d have to go through a year of training and after that work in my home country for 3-4 years to build experience or take a posting in some small mission in a developing and/or war-torn country because it’s virtually impossible to get sent to a European destination unless you first work in a “less-desireable” place for a few years. And even then it’s pretty much up to luck. I’m in my late 20s now which would mean I’d be well into my 30s before even getting a chance and I’m just wondering is it worth the risk when there’s possibly not even a reward at the end? But then again the only other way of getting there with my educational background and skillset would be to marry a British guy and the chances of that happening are pretty much non-existent so…
My guestion is, do you have a dream destination where you’d like to move? And how much work and time would you be willing to put into getting there? Or if you’ve managed to move to your dream country/city how long did it take you to get there?
I think it’s always better to chase your dreams rather than be left with the what-ifs in life. Time passes anyway so you might as well spend it working toward your London goal.
But I also think its important to remember that realistically, dreams sometimes end up being just that: a dream. So we have to find ways to carve a life path that allows us to chase our dreams but find sustainability and happiness regardless of if we ever achieve it.
Some of the most important questions to ask yourself are these:
If you get the embassy position but never get the transfer to London approved, would you still be ok with working at the embassy longer term? If not, would the skills you gained be easily transferrable to a better career?
What would a reasonable timeline look like to chase the dream - for instance, if you get the job with the embassy, how long are you willing/able to wait for a transfer?
In the years before even being able to apply for your transfer, would the embassy job pay enough to be sustainable? What will daily life look like for you and how will it change?
Is it more likely for you to simply apply weekly for London jobs and find one that will sponsor your visa, versus the probability of the embassy job+transfer working out?