What are the biggst dilemmas of working abroad in Europe? It can be a fascinating but also a scary journey to get a job abroad. It is no surprise that choosing to switch up your home location, to meet a completely new set of people, or to start a job that you’ve never done before is no easy matter. But all these difficult choices always bring equally exciting opportunities and journeys. What is even more important to point out is that you are never on this journey alone. We make sure that you find a job abroad that suits you perfectly, create an international CV that stands out, and pass the interviewing process with ease.

Let’s look at some of the amazing and less fun aspects of working abroad in Europe. We hope that reading through them will help you make the final decision of whether or not a job abroad is something you would enjoy.

If you are interested in researching what types of jobs you could do and how to get started working abroad in Europe, check out our “How to find work abroad in 5 steps” post.

Taking a gap year? Go ahead and see the “6 tips to plan your best gap year in Europe”.

#1: New skills and international experience from a job abroad

Pro: Working abroad in Europe will give you a completely new set of skills

It is no surprise that when you make a decision to start a job abroad, the challenges that you’ll encounter and the goals that you’ll have will be very different from what you know from home. But that’s exactly why doing this can be an amazing opportunity to develop new skills, especially soft skills in relation to efficient communication with clients.

Below is a list of 4 assets that you will gain as a person, but also as an employee, if you choose to follow through and get a job abroad in Europe:

Confidence: You’ve just moved to a whole new country, found a place to live, met a whole bunch of new people, and you are making money abroad. If that doesn’t make you an absolute admirable and resilient rockstar, then we don’t know what can.
Adaptability: Moving to a new country also means that a lot of everyday life things will be different from what you’re used to back home. You will have to master the art of adjusting and adapting, and every employer loves a good work chameleon that can transform themselves to fit and excell at whatever new initiative they have to work on. Without compromising who you are, obviously. But as the world continues to change, so do we, if we want to win at life. It’s modern day survival of the fittest.
Communication and language skills: Most of the jobs we offer will require you to, to a certain extent, interact with a people – professionally and privately – and you will encounter so many different types of people. Mastering how to communicate effectively with any type of person is what will make you a great employee for any future company.
Accountability: When you choose to live and work abroad, you also choose to leave behind everyone and everything familiar in your home country – at least for a while. This means that the only person you can hold accountable for getting things done is yourself. Being independent and accountable is crucial to succeed with any relation – personally and professionally.

Con: Getting these new skills will take time and patience

All the amazing things that working abroad in Europe can teach you will be worth the struggle, but this struggle might take a while. Remember that it’s ok – and it’s ok not to feel ok as well. Sometimes, adjusting to a new place equals finding out that situations you thought you knew how to handle, will make you will feel more powerless or confused. This is one of the most common feelings you will encounter in the beginning, when you decide to find a job abroad.

This is also why it’s always a good idea to find your job through an international recruitment agency such as Job Squad. These people have tried all of it firsthand, and your recruiter will be there for you through the entire process. Embrace the journey, even if it’s not the most straightforward one. There may be some issues in communicating with the international environment, having to change your priorities, having to stand up for yourself – as hard as they may seem, when you finally combat them and find your way to navigate around them, there will be nothing that can bring you down.

#2: New and foreign culture while working abroad

Pro: Getting a job abroad equals continuous new cultural experiences

Maybe you’ve grown tired of the mindset of the people in your country, or maybe your social circle and daily activities have become much too boring for your taste – then in that case, there is no better resolution to your stagnation than switching it all for a brand new, beautiful and inspiring location. Where? To see which countries and cities we recommend working abroad in, make sure to have a look at the “Most popular countries to work in Europe in 2025“. Your whole point of view can be turned upside down.

Imagine working in places where most people are only tourists. You’ll be now finally able to try all the regional foods, go to all new types of parties, immerse yourself in a completely new lifestyle and just live a way of life that you have only ever dreamt of. How refreshing and appealing does that sound to you? Learning about and exploring new cultures is also known for facilitating personal growth, and making us wiser, more self-aware, and independent. To put it simple: it makes us the best version of ourselves, truly well-rounded people. And you definitely get some good stories to tell to your grandchildren one day.

Con: Feeling too much like a visitor in your new country

We always wish we could feel completely at home in each place we go to, but the truth is, being in a completely new location will always make you feel like you’re the odd one at first, especially if you don’t know the language of the country you are moving to.

Some people that have decided to find a job abroad in Europe mention how tough it can at first be to feel like you belong in a place you’ve never really learned about or spent time in. But feeling like a complete outcast doesn’t last forever.

There are a number of ways with which you can make yourself feel more like you belong once you move to a different country:

Build a network, starting with other expats: If you are away from your family and friends in a new city, it might feel like it’s you against the whole world. And if that’s the case, no wonder you might feel alienated and anxious. Reach out to different expat groups on social media, make connections at work, go on dating apps, join local initiatives like volunteering – the possibilities are endless. And what’s even better, you will often meet people with similar struggles and journeys. Once you have each other, the new “circle” will make your new home feel much more safe.

Settle all your official affairs: Settling in is a hard challenge that often takes some logistical planning, a lot of pointless appointments, visits and signatures. But try to fight your way through it! It might be a hard month or two at first, but afterwards, once everything is set in place and it’s out of your worries, your sense of belonging will automatically increase – since it will all be set in stone, or paper in this case.

Find your paths and spots: To make the new city feel like truly yours, you have to explore it – not just as a tourist, but as a true local. Find your favourite cafe with a waiter that always gives you an extra shot of espresso, or a corner in a park where you’ll always sit for 10 extra minutes on a bench to finish the chapter of your favourite book, or maybe just a shop where you like to get all your new fancy clothes from. If you make something “yours”, it starts to feel like it is just one of the building blocks of your fulfilling life.

Learn the language: Bored after work? Jump straight to Duolingo or an online course and have fun learning the language of your new country. It is often said that you will never truly understand a culture of a place unless you know how to communicate with people there. And there is no better place to learn a language than the country in which it’s spoken. Once you’ve got the basics, you can improve more and more by talking to the locals, placing orders in restaurants or starting to make friends outside of your expat circle. Learning a new language is also great for your brain, development, and career. Imagine being able to put Spanish or Greek as an extra on your CV. What a flex.

#3: Work/life balance while working abroad

Pro: Travel and explore a new country with a job abroad

We know that when you plan on working abroad in Europe, your first concerns are probably about where you will live, how you will make it happen, what type of job will you do and what kind of people you will meet. An amazing perk that almost every expat will highlight when they move for their job abroad, is the possibility to spend all your time off exploring some of the most beautiful places in the world.

You don’t need a lot of time off and a bottomless wallet to go see all the nearby sightseeing spots from your city, whether that is Limassol, Athens or even Riga! For example, see how a girl from Denmark managed to have fun and enjoy her life while still saving money in Athens in “Greek salary for expats: Best tips to live a fun life“.

Con: Balancing work, life, relationships, and time off

As you have seen, there is a lot that goes into consideration when thinking about getting a job abroad in Europe, and most of it is an exciting adventure. Regardless, that adventure also means you will have to focus on a lot of different aspects of life that you didn’t have to focus on previously. Or prioritising which aspects to focus on at different times in your life.

There will be much more on your schedule – performing well in your new job, managing all the paperwork in your new country, budgetting, new living situation, developing your work and social skills, and learning a new language, building new personal connections, and making the new place feel like home. On top of that you might also have a desire to travel and explore the new country. It’s no surprise that this can seem overwhelming.

But it obviously isn’t impossible. Job Squad has helped almost 5000 people get their new job abroad, and they all have done it and loved it. Here are some tips and advice about time management that might help you solve this worry:

Become a planner: Make a calendar for yourself and make notes of everything that needs to be done now. When everything that you need to do is only in your head and you can’t stop thinking about it, you might get overwhelmed. Make sure all the plans that you have, appointments and deadlines will not get lost in your thoughts. A simple Apple or Google Calendar is your best friend, and they are completely free to use.

Prioritise: Even though it might not seem so, not all things are equally important. You need to realise what is truly your priority at a certain point, and then give it more of your attention and time. For example, if you are looking for a flat, maybe it’s better to postpone Friday night drinks with friends. Or, when you have a tight deadline for an assignment at work, shopping for a new couch might has to wait until next week. But this does not mean that work should always be a number one priority in your life. Moving abroad in Europe is a journey for you to also just enjoy yourself, your new life and new culture – sometimes it is fine to just do what you are required to at work, and plan getting that promotion for another day. And remember, when you put in the effort to master your new job in the beginning, you’ll quickly have more energy and time to prioritise other things.

Separate your activities: Make sure that whatever you do, it has a designated time spot and that you stick to that schedule. Since everything seems so important in your, there might be a chance that the things start to overlap. You think about work while hanging out with friends, you think about the next trip while visiting the town hall to sign some papers, you spend extra hours finishing an important task, but then you sleep only for two? Try to eliminate that as much as you can and do things efficiently. That way you can be sure that your life is in balance, and you have proper amounts of time to enjoy each part of it.

Dilemmas of working abroad: What’s your decision?

When considering working abroad, it is very important to consider all the good but also all the bad that comes with it. That way you can feel much more confident making your choice. We hope that this guide has helped you realise which perks and challenges working abroad in Europe has. There is always a resolution to your problem and a way to work through them – and if it’s out of your hands, accept that you can’t control it, and focus on what is in your power.

If you’ve now decided on taking the next step in this journey, go to our job listings section and find something that will suit you perfectly. Or contact one of our recruiters directly – we’ll be happy to chat to you.

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Top 3 dilemmas of working abroad – is it for you?