As a recruitment consultant based in the Cayman Islands, I’m fortunate to speak to a multitude of candidates every day and explain to them about life offshore. It’s satisfying to be a source of information and advice for candidates who make initial and speculative enquiries in to a move overseas. Candidates who often know nothing or very little about a location or the opportunity in question. As I’m frantically typing this blog to escape to weekly happy hour drinks at Camana Bay, I forget and have to remind myself that not everybody wants to be an expat or appreciates the benefits of being an expat. Why wouldn’t you want to be an expat? The majority of people secure a new opportunity overseas because of the financial benefits. Certainly being based in Cayman and on the ground to assist and advise candidates who are exploring the move, it helps that the majority of consultants at CML have made the move over here ourselves and can use our first hand knowledge. We can empathise with you, we know you will miss family and friends and the normality of life back home, but it’s satisfying for me to talk to people about the rewards of being an expat – this could be financial rewards or the lifestyle benefits of being here. When you are considering a move offshore, you should definitely have more disposable income. Here in Cayman, we are still very much aware of the global economic crisis, but at least we can ‘escape’ it a little or at least be just a little bit further away from the doom and gloom and ongoing talks of economic constraints and Europe’s ongoing austerity measures.

When you move offshore, you can finally explore and indulge your inner child and need for adventure! You can explore and immerse yourself in a new culture and a different way of life. If you love your 2 week holidays, you can have a holiday lifestyle every weekend. I feel privileged that the work I do 5 days a week, means that I can be on holiday every weekend, go diving with turtles and stingrays, enjoy boat trips in the sunshine and drink cocktails at Sunset. Gone are the days of wishing away the monotony of UK working life and counting down the weeks to my next holiday. I am here and being paid to be here! (I will stop gloating now!). My parents lived in Singapore when they were younger and I loved to hear their stories of their time there. Just think of the stories for the children and Grandchildren of the adventures you could be having here…not to mention the comments you get on facebook when you post yet another picture of a stunning sunset over Seven Mile Beach (gloating again I know).

So in conclusion, if you have an expat hiding inside you, here are a few questions to ask yourself:

1. Are you currently working but wish to make more money and gain greater career satisfaction?

2. Do you yearn for a fresh challenge and exciting new surroundings?

If either of the above 2 questions are making you think, then give the CML team a call and we can talk it through with you. We have first hand knowledge of taking that leap and moving overseas. We look forward to speaking to you…

To find out if there is an opportunity for you, consult our current list of vacancies at www.cmlor.com