Do you dream of moving abroad, but don’t know how or where? Or maybe you already have a perfect picture in your head of who you are and where you work, but you’re not sure if you have a chance of finding something there.

It depends on where to look for jobs. Where will you have a better chance of finding a suitable job, adapting quickly, and settling in? Where is it easier to get a visa, legalize your status, and enroll your children in school?

It is impossible to choose “the one” country with 100% certainty. But not choosing at all means leaving the decision to chance. And chance can cost you dearly. A new country may not suit you in terms of climate, mentality, or standard of living. Adaptation will take longer, motivation will decline, and money will run out. We have seen this dozens of times, which is why we offer an approach that reduces risks and provides a basis for a balanced decision.

It seems simple: choose the country that is calling you, or where you have long dreamed of living. But in practice, this is one of the most common mistakes.

Before answering any of these questions, you need to make one important decision that can radically change everything — choosing a country.

The strategy of “I’ll go wherever they take me” doesn’t work well, especially if you’re not traveling alone. Even if your family says, “It’s up to you,” without their involvement, the choice will still be incomplete. Because everyone will have to adapt to a new country. And if one of your loved ones doesn’t have a place of their own — a job, studies, understandable leisure activities — adaptation can be difficult. The partner who has moved will quickly settle into a routine: work, colleagues, income. The rest remain in limbo.
Many people hope that if they think carefully, compare everything, and gather information, they will find a country where everything will definitely work out. But moving is not like traveling along a GPS route, where there is only one correct path. It is more like a map of preferences: somewhere the climate is better, somewhere the job market is better, somewhere the conditions for a family are better. There is no balance across all parameters. But there is an opportunity to determine your priorities and make an informed choice.

The illusion of the perfect choice

Before choosing a country, you need to analyze your situation. Where are you now? What are you good at? Who is around you? What is critical for you? Comfort, climate, language, community, level of healthcare, visa availability? Or maybe the job market and salary levels?

To avoid getting lost in endless comparisons between countries, start with criteria. We use this formula:

• choose 7-10 criteria that are important to all family members;
• Divide them into categories (living conditions, finances, climate, language, prospects, etc.);
• Assign a “weight” to each criterion (for example, salary — 10, climate — 6, proximity to family — 4);

• Give each country a score from 1 to 10.
• Multiply the weighting for each criterion and add up the total for each country.

At this stage, you will be left with 3-5 countries instead of 10.

Important: many criteria are difficult to assess from the outside. For example, taxes in many European countries may seem “high,” but there are tax breaks, and you also need to consider the standard of living in the country and social benefits.

We have guided dozens of candidates through this stage, and we often see how difficult it is to navigate such a large amount of information on your own. We have the expertise of more than 40 recruiters from countries ranging from Latin America, the US, and Europe to Asia. During career consultations, we share not only all this experience, but also useful materials that help you choose the best direction for your job search and relocation.

Define your priorities

• Job market: how many relevant vacancies are there in your field? Which areas in the country are being developed and which are growing?
• Cost of living: rent, transportation, food, average salary for your profession. Is there a gap between income and expenses?
• Taxes: what are the rates, is there a progressive tax, what are the additional fees? Consider both your net income and potential expenses (e.g., insurance or daycare).
• Climate and environment: how important are the changing seasons to you, how do you tolerate humidity and heat?
• Geography: is the country close to your family and friends? Will you be able to make important trips?
• Legal and visa issues: what are the ways to legalize your status in the country? Repatriation/work visa/student visa/visa-free countries/visas for startups/individual entrepreneurship, etc.
• Language and English proficiency: what percentage of the population speaks English? How important is it to learn the local language? How quickly can your family do this?
• Healthcare: how much does insurance cost, how does the healthcare system work, how easy is it to see a doctor?
• Infrastructure for living: kindergartens and schools, transportation, availability of housing with pets, opportunities for leisure and sports.
• Municipal institutions and the current political situation: are you ready for local bureaucracy? Are you comfortable with the situation in the country?

At this stage, people often get stuck: “I don’t know how to evaluate this.” That’s normal. Someone who can help you navigate at least some of the issues, such as the market and the demand for your profession, can be helpful here. We do this during consultations, and this is where people start to narrow down their list of countries to search for.

Here are the main blocks from which you can choose criteria:

What you can and should consider

Talking to people who have already moved can be helpful — but only those who have a lifestyle similar to yours. For example, the same income level, family or lack thereof, similar daily habits. Otherwise, you will get a distorted picture. Of course, you can listen to everyone, but it is better to be critical and verify the information.

Collect personal stories and filter them. At this stage, you may need some help: our client database contains a long list of people who have moved abroad and can share their personal experiences of relocation, life, and adaptation in the country you are interested in.