Ogrim wrote:It is hard for me to recommend anyone to move there, as I decided to leave Norway 20 years ago, so I rather list som pros and cons and you will have to judge for yourself.
Cons: As mentioned, everything is expensive. Winter is long, cold and dark. (I guess that is OK if you are really into wintersports though.) There is not really any vibrant international community in Norway - maybe with the exception of the capital Oslo - so it may be perceived as a homogeneous, somewhat monotone place to live. This is a very personal opinion, but I find Norwegian society very conformist. Norwegians are not the easiest to make friends with - people are often reserved and not inclined to small-talk. You mentioned somewhere the issue of paying taxes. Yes, Norway has a progressive tax system: the more you earn the more you pay. I won't really say if that is good or bad though, as that would be entering into politics.
Thank you for your points: I appreciate it.
I confess that the dark winters worry me, as does the conformist attitude. After doing some research, I'm not convinced that I'm a good fit for Norway; even though I'm an introvert, but I don't think I would fit well in conventional societies. I also watched some Youtube videos about moving to Norway, and the comments are very telling. I would also prefer a place that is more multicultural.
Cavesa wrote:
Ask locals what are the work conditions like, ask about the pay (the real pay, not the official tables), ask about the real world application of job related laws, ask about the necessary certification. I know people who lost their opportunity to work as doctors in France just because they found out about the ECN a bit too late. And it would be very stupid to trust the official Ministry issued tables, come to the Czech Republic, and trully expect to get a hospital contract with the official money for the official work time
There is nothing better than to ask people and to observe. That is one of the main points of Erasmus for me. Other good sources are foreign forums on the internet. Not just expats. But look up forums of people working in your field, and of local students (those are asking similar questions). And read their newspapers well and critically, read the comment sections, read the medical newspapers and such stuff. When it comes to medicine, never trust a single one source, always compare more as healthcare is a hot issue in most european countries right now.
Thank you for your input; it's very useful, as you know first-hand what the medical system is like in Germany and France. And very good points: how do you know you want to move somewhere unless you visit? When I graduate and and earn some $, I should make plans to visit countries of interest to see if I have options.
Cavesa wrote:As we are both young women and students (and we are not the only ones on this forum by far of course): it is scary, but we must take into consideration our plans concerning the private life and founding a family. You should know the answer to questions like: Do I want kids? How many? Do I already have a man to found family with (will he come with me?) or will I be looking in the country? Could the cultural difference make relationships and raising a family extremely difficult? What are the conditions of maternity leave in the country and my field? What do families in the country look like? How is the care usually handled, are there mostly aupairs or grannies? At what age do children go to kindergarten? Would I like the future children to be raised and educated in the country? As it is foolish to think migrating and immediately having kids would be possible (the countries usually don't like parasites), am I willing to wait/work a few more years? At what age would I prefer to have children?
This isn't a concern for me: I've been single for eight years, and I don't want kids. I might have been willing to have kids when I was younger, had I met a special someone, but that opportunity never arose, so I'm as free as can be. And realistically, I don't want to be attached: if I have a boyfriend, more likely than not he would be an American who's unwilling the leave the country. Even if there are cultural differences, I'd rather wait to see if I find a special someone where I end up rather than here, where I want to leave.
Cavesa wrote:I am now considering only EU countries and fortunately I have never wanted to live in the UK.
I looked at the point system of Australia and NZ. I would need quite a luck to be taken in right after the university (and that is when I have to leave) and my boyfriend's chances would be extremely thin, even if we were married by then.
Canada is a bit like Australia, I'd say, but perhaps a bit more friendly. Actually, the dreaded French exam could be your advantage! It easily removes your competitors from the race, usually right at the beginning.
I am not considering the asian countries for various reasons. Too big cultural difference, too harsh working conditions in the countries I might think about.
Something I noticed: It is well worth it to look up the information concerning immigration to smaller countries. Smaller competition, different conditions, there might be your possible dream country writen on the world map in tiny letters.
Thank you for these points: I decided I wanted to focus on French for certain, and I was wondering, "where else could I use it? Belgium?" Small countries are worth looking into.
For years I wanted to move to Japan, but realistically, even if I did get fluent in Japanese, I would always be an outsider, and the work conditions are less than ideal.
Cavesa wrote:Yes, there are certifications and such stuff. And that is why we have to inform ourselves early enough. It is a totally different thing to prepare yourself for a foreign certification for two years and to find out its existence a few months before the planned move to the country. I have a great advantage of being an EU citizen, but even non EU ones may have similar conditions + some paperwork, it depends on the country.
Of course it is a nightmare, zenmonkey, but we are used to nightmares. And healthcare is half (or more) bureaucracy everywhere afterall.
The problem is often a certification exam, you need to plan beforehand, to deal with the paperwork on time. You need to prepare yourself, you need to eventually pay for preparatory books and websites and such stuff. This is actually something quite costly. I trully hope the lab assistants have it easier than doctors in this aspect, but I know many healthcare professions don't.
This was my thinking: can't I just study for a certification, rather than go to school? Yeah, the study materials might cost money, but so would getting a degree, especially if I didn't want another one. School
would allow me to explore and make connections, whereas passing the exam and looking for a job would leave me with no connections.
ロータス wrote:To add to Cavesa long post, I'm also a women, student and planning to immigrate right out of college.
I've already picked Australia has my destination. If you don't know already, while Americans have very few options, we can do
work holidays in other counties. AU is also voting on change their laws on the American visa that would allow Americans to do a work holiday for two years, making it easier to get a the permanent residence visa. If I still can't do my second year in time, I'll just do a work holiday in NZ :3 Really have not plan to ever return to the US.
Why Australia?
Even though my future profession is on their demand list, it seems to far away from everywhere else to make it appealing me.