Should i stay or should I go?

Should i stay or should I go?

You’re overworked and underpaid, the sun never shines and you’ve had enough of delayed trains and gridlocked roads. You really enjoyed that month travelling around the Caribbean islands and, as a construction professional, you’ve got universal skills. So working abroad has got to be better than what you’re doing now, right?

Each year, a small diaspora of construction professionals leaves Britain to seek a better life around the world. This year there will be construction booms in European Union’s most recent members, such as Poland, and the whichever lucky city wins the 2012 Olympic Games. British quantity surveyors are particularly in demand, according to international recruitment company Hays Construction & Property – as are project and construction managers.

But what is working abroad really like? How well does reality match expectations? And, of course, there’s the small question of how much can you expect to earn …

G’DAY ALL AUSTRALIA and NEW ZEALAND

Quantity surveyor, 10 years’ experience: £53,500-67,000
Project manager, 15 years’ experience: £57,000-63,500
Engineer, five years’ experience: £27,000-37,000

Gaps in the market In Australia, civil engineers are in high demand because of a boom in infrastructure. A skills shortage in New Zealand means jobs across all sectors, but particularly in construction management and carpentry.

Hottest destinations Adelaide is experiencing a development boom thanks to a mixture of private and public funding and Queensland is beating the housing slump with a wave of new developments. In New Zealand, the highest demand is in the cities, such as Auckland, Wellington and Christchurch.

What people expect That there is an abundance of jobs and people will fall over themselves to welcome you.

The reality “Returning Kiwis and Australians will be first on the list,” says Phil Rowe, Hays’ consultant in New Zealand. “But there is also a strong liking of the British and Irish as there are cultural and language connections.”

Go if you have a working visa, enjoy cheap travel and want a better place to bring up the kids.

Stay at home if you think you’ll be financially better off in New Zealand. “Too many Brits work their current UK salary into New Zealand dollars and think how well off they would be,” Rowe says. “But salaries and other costs such as rental and food equate more to a two-to-one ratio.” QQQQQ - catch next flight

GOOD FOR POLAR BEARS CANADA

Quantity surveyor, 10 years’ experience: £30,500-44,000
Project manager, 15 years’ experience: £30,500-52,500
Engineer, five years’ experience: £22,000-26,000

Gaps in the market Positions throughout the housing and infrastructure sectors.

Hottest destinations Vancouver is already gearing up to host the 2010 Winter Olympics, with more than £250m dedicated to infrastructure, including an athletes’ village and new roads.

What people expect “A common mistake is that people think they will find work here quicker than they sometimes do,” says Gerard Ezinwoke, a recruitment manager with Hays Construction & Property in Toronto.

The reality “It’s not unusual for candidates to take a few months to find the right job,” Ezinwoke says. “It took six months before I found one candidate work. I usually advise people to come out on a working visa, look for work for a couple of months and then assess the situation.”

Go if you enjoy the great outdoors. Ezinwoke says: “We have a very open land with lots of natural beauty spots. Canadians can be quite adventurous.”

Stay at home if you don’t like the cold. Temperatures in some parts of the country can reach –30°C in winter – although Vancouver has a fairly temperate climate. QQQ - well, it’s a change

MULTILINGUAL MASTERY CZECH REPUBLIC

Quantity surveyor, 10 years’ experience: £12,000-15,000
Project manager, 15 years’ experience: £20,000-25,000
Engineer, five years’ experience: £8000-12,000

Gaps in the market Project managers, cost managers and asset managers. Most work is in retail, office and residential refurbishment.

Hottest destinations Prague is by far the busiest location but cities such as Brno are developing quickly.

What people expect Good qualifications and experience will guarantee you a job.

The reality Lots of international companies value languages over further qualifications and charterships. “They want their employees to speak two, even three languages,” says Julian Panter of Hays Construction & Property’s Prague office. “And unlike 10 years ago, there are not a huge number of vacancies for expats in the construction industry here. Now the locals have more experience there is less need to bring over foreign expertise.”

Go if you want a slower pace of life, shorter office hours and less pressure at work.

Stay at home if you are not willing to take a substantial drop in salary. The average Czech worker earns one-third or less then the EU average. Q - a hardship posting

HOT FLUSH DUBAI

Quantity surveyor, 10 years’ experience: £46,000-59,500 (net)
Project manager, 15 years’ experience: £44,000-51,000
Engineer, five years’ experience: £19,000-28,500

Gaps in the market Project managers in the leisure, retail and hotel sectors.

Hottest destinations As more people come to Dubai, the town is spreading outwards.

What people expect Housing in Dubai is cheap and easy to find.

The reality The neverending construction programme is bringing an increasing number of people to Dubai, but it is not providing houses for them, so rents are high. Expect to pay £1000 a month for a two or three-bedroom apartment.

Go if you enjoy retail and leisure therapy. Dubai boasts 15 huge shopping plazas, a plethora of Multiplex cinemas and an impressive array of watersports facilities.

Stay at home if you want to further your career. The top jobs always go to local candidates and an expat can only climb a certain distance up the corporate ladder. QQQ - well, it’s a change

PERFORMANCE BONUS FAR EAST

Quantity surveyor, 10 years’ experience: £49,500-59,500 (net)
Project manager, 15 years’ experience: £65,000-74,000
Engineer, five years’ experience: £19,000-28,500

Gaps in the market Jobs across the board for people in high-rise construction, specifically 25 storeys or above.

Hottest destinations Hong Kong, Thailand, Korea.

What people expect That you are better trained than local people and can therefore sit back and not work as hard.

The reality “In Thailand, the demand for expatriate staff is minimal,” says Raj Sharma, a business director at Hays International. “But if you do get a job in the Far East, the spotlight will be very much on you. If the company has gone to the pains of employing a UK candidate, they are expected to deliver a higher level of performance.”

Go if you want a cheaper, more luxurious lifestyle.

Stay at home if you want your pay to increase year-on-year. Salaries have remained stagnant for the past five years. QQQQQ - catch next flight

NO EASY LIFE FRANCE

Quantity surveyor, 10 years’ experience: £27,000-40,000
Project manager, 15 years’ experience: £43,500-57,000
Engineer, five years’ experience: £27,500-37,000

Gaps in the market Skilled M&E staff, property developers, project managers and technical managers are particularly needed in the housing, retail and hospitals sectors.

Hottest destinations If Paris wins its bid for the 2012 Olympic Games, a huge construction programme will be rolled out. There is also lots of housebuilding in the south-east.

What people expect A slower pace of work, long lunches and early finishes.

The reality “Construction is a particularly tough industry in France,” says Frédéric Beziers from Hays’ Paris office. “The hours are long and high levels of bureaucracy means a lot of inspections.” Noise reduction regulations in France mean that work cannot be carried out during the night. If you are working on site, you will start later in the day – about nine in the morning – but you could find yourself working until eight in the evening. They do, however, have “recuperation days” to make up the time.

Go if you are a quantity surveyor. “The French appreciate the British quantity surveying industry because no company offers this type of service here.”

Stay at home if you want your union to defend you. France’s reputation for having strong unions does not extend to the construction industry, Beziers says. At times, he adds, it does not seem to have its members’ best interests at heart. QQQQ - rather attractive

GOING DUTCH HOLLAND

Quantity surveyor, 10 years’ experience: £30,000-37,000
Project manager, 15 years’ experience: £35,500-41,500
Engineer, five years’ experience: £18,500-24,000

Gaps in the market Project leaders and quantity surveyors across all sectors.

Hottest destinations The Eindhoven area, where multinationals Philips, ASML and DAF are based, is developing quickly after a recent economic downturn.

What people expect That everyone in Holland speaks perfect English and you won’t have to learn the language.

The reality “Without speaking good Dutch it is very hard to get a job,” says Marinka Potters at Hay’s Tilburg office. “The Dutch building process is very different to the English one and job roles are not at all the same.”

Go if you want to maintain a healthy work–life balance and dislike your boss yelling at you. The Dutch work a maximum 45-hour week and management is based on consensus.

Stay at home if you have less than three years’ experience. There are no jobs in Holland for beginners. QQQQQ - catch next flight

HIGH PAY, HIGHER COSTS IRELAND

Quantity surveyor, 10 years’ experience: £53,500-67,000
Project manager, 15 years’ experience: £57,000-63,500
Engineer, five years’ experience: £27,000-37,000

Gaps in the market Quantity surveyors, project managers, contracts managers and intermediate site engineers for Docklands redevelopments.

Hottest destinations Dublin and Cork are the biggest growth areas. Two of the biggest developments ever in Ireland have just been granted planning permission: Spencer Dock in Dublin and Adamstown, a new town on the outskirts of Dublin.

What people expect Cheaper cost of living, a more relaxed life.

The reality “Salaries may be high,” says Aoife Dungan at Hays’ Dublin office, “but so are costs. Housing, particularly in Dublin, but increasingly everywhere, is at London price levels. Also, a five-mile journey can take up to an hour in Dublin’s rush hour, which is very frustrating.”

Go if your attitude is more “work to live” than “live to work”.

Stay at home if you want free healthcare or your child to get into a good school easily. Ireland operates a private health insurance system, but some managerial positions do include this as a perk. Also, Ireland has a young, and growing, population and children are registered from birth for good schools, making it more difficult for newcomers to secure places. QQQQ - rather attractive

WARMER THAN YOU’D THINK POLAND

Quantity surveyor, 10 years’ experience: £11,000-15,000
Project manager, 15 years’ experience: £13,000-39,000
Engineer, five years’ experience: £9500-12,000

Gaps in the market The whole of the construction sector is booming thanks to foreign investment linked to Poland’s entry into the EU, but roadbuilding is particularly high on the agenda. Experienced senior project managers are in demand, as well as quantity surveyors, technical directors and foremen.

Hottest destinations Warsaw is experiencing most of the current expansion, especially in new office buildings, but secondary cities like Gdansk have emerging construction and property industries.

What people expect Poles don’t speak foreign languages, making it difficult to communicate in the workplace. Poles don’t smile and complain a lot.

The reality Although it’s true that only 8% of Poles speak another language, language schools and university courses are becoming increasingly fashionable. Poles have been known to be cold towards foreigners but Ewa Slawinska from Hays’ Warsaw office says: “Working with younger people is not a problem at all – they are very open and friendly. The older generation, who grew up and lived in the communist system, tend to complain a lot, but they can’t help it – it is the only way they know.”

Go if you are prepared for a challenge, have a good knowledge of new technology and would like a senior position. “Poland’s entry into the EU has opened up enormous opportunities for the country, but the Poles are still catching up on new technologies and techniques,” says Slawinska.

Stay at home if you don’t like bureaucracy and interference. Government departments outside Warsaw are still run by the older, communist-influenced generation, some of whom are resistant to Poland’s modern way of doing things. QQQ - well, it’s a change

TOUGH ON THE POCKET SPAIN and PORTUGAL

Quantity surveyor, 10 years’ experience: £28,000-36,000 (Portugal: £25,000-32,000)
Project manager, 15 years’ experience £48,000-54,000 (Portugal: £40,000-47,000)
Engineer, five years’ experience £22,000-25,000 (Portugal: £20,000-23,000)

Gaps in the market In Spain, large capital projects need more construction and project managers as the government continues to plough money into airport facilities, hospitals and government buildings. However, in Portugal, cutbacks in government spending mean less jobs. Design engineers are particularly affected.

Hottest destinations Madrid’s bid for 2012 Olympics could provide a huge construction programme, and the new Lisbon airport is still waiting to get the go-ahead. There is also a wait-and-see attitude to the impact of high-speed rail links running from north to south in Portugal and from Lisbon to Madrid .

What people expect A laid-back working style, sun and sangria.

The reality Generally the same pressures and working hours as Britain, but management style is often master and servant. Expect to earn 30-40% less than in the UK even though the cost of living is the same.

Go if you will occupy a senior position, as your colleagues will be more likely to speak English.

Stay at home if You like to play by the rules. “Health and safety regulations do exist over here,” says Mark Bowden in Hays’ Lisbon office, “but they are definitely not implemented in the same way. There is a fair amount of bribery and it often comes down to who you know and how well you can dodge the system.” Q - a hardship posting

PARADISE PLUS TAX WEST INDIES

Quantity surveyor, 10 years’ experience: £30,500-37,000 (net)
Project manager, 15 years’ experience: £49,500-56,000
Engineer, five years’ experience: £19,000-28,500

Gaps in the market Quantity surveyors, project managers and jobs in planning in the tourism and leisure industries. Demand for expatriate work is high because of last summer’s Hurricane Ivan, which caused a lot of damage in an area reliant on expatriate skills.

Hottest destinations Head for Bermuda, Grand Cayman, Barbados or Trinidad.

What people expect “Candidates often expect salaries to be higher than they are,” says Raj Sharma, a business director with Hays International. “They are also under the illusion that the Caribbean is tax-free – it’s not!”

The reality A European-hours week combined with a relaxed, laid-back lifestyle. A large proportion of managers are British or American so culture clashes are rare.

Go if you’ve already got three to four years’ experience and are looking for a change and some sun. The climate is like a hot British summer all year round.

Stay at home if you have lots of children. Employers don’t pay for their education and schools are expensive in the West Indies. QQQQQ - catch next flight