Sure, you can stay in your hometown and probably find enough construction jobs to gain the experience you need to qualify you to take a licensing examination, but you don’t have to limit yourself to that. If you have foreign language skills, or simply want to see more of the world, consider moving overseas for a time to gain your work experience.
Most states require proven experience in the field before you qualify for a contractor’s license. There’s no reason you can’t get that experience overseas, but there are a lot of factors to consider before you relocate.
Religious Factors
Your religious preferences are something important to consider. If you find what appears to be the ideal job in a middle eastern country, the traditions and religious restrictions may prove to be more than you bargained for. Are you ready to live in a country where the strict rules of Ramadan, such as not being seen eating, drinking, or smoking from sunup to sunset for an entire month are followed? You might find a more liberal setting, such as Hong Kong, more to your liking.
Legal Factors
Every country has its own Visa requirements. This is something you’ll want to research prior to even applying for a job. Each country has its own legal system, also. Don’t expect to travel to another country and have United States laws applied to you.
The Caribbean has a law against cursing in public. Did you know it’s illegal to bring chewing gum into Singapore? It’s also illegal to feed the pigeons in St. Mark’s Square in Venice. Violating these laws could subject you to criminal charges.
Language Factors
Another thing to consider is language barriers. Say you took four years of Spanish in High School. You may think you’re qualified to go to Mexico and live, but when you get there, you discover you have only a rudimentary understanding of the language. Taking a class in school and experiencing total immersion by living in the country are totally different experiences.
At the same time, you also can’t expect everyone in your chosen country to speak English, although many countries have large numbers of people who speak English. Go with an expectation of immersing yourself in the culture and picking up as much of the local language as you can.
What You Can Gain
All of this being said, there’s no reason relocating to another country to gain work experience cannot be a valuable experience. Ideally, you will come out of it with new friends and new experiences to enrich your life. It’s not everyone who gets to step out of the comfort zone of their hometown and see the world from the perspective of the people who live there.
Housing Considerations
Some foreign companies do offer housing to their workers, but you can’t count on being able to relocate your family along with you. Most of these types of accommodations are only for the workers.
How Much Money Can You Make?
Depending on the rate of exchange, working overseas can help you increase your savings account. If the local economy is strong versus the dollar, you could earn more while working the same hours. Especially if you can live frugally while you’re there. It takes time to put together the funds to qualify for the level of insurance you’ll need to have if you want to establish your own construction company.
Time For Study
Perhaps you’re seeing relocating to a foreign country as an opportunity to immerse yourself in your licensing exam studies. A short period of separation from the distractions of your circle of friends or family may give you the time you need. Many trade schools now offer online test prep courses. Just be sure you can find a living situation where you have regular access to the internet.
Moving is never an easy decision. Moving overseas requires careful consideration. Some of the more adventurous types may be comfortable just going and then “dealing with it” when they get there. But others may prefer to plan ahead.
