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I've been in talks with a tech company who are interested in hiring me, they've expressed that they're focusing on their Manchester(U.K) office, and want to know if I would be interested in a role / relocating(I live in another EU country).

Relocating for me isn't a major issue, I'm young(23) and don't have anything tying me down so to speak, but, this is my first time ever considering this.

During initial talks I was going to be based in the HQ in the country I live in, and they were hinting at a salary in and around 50,000 Euros, but their direction shifted from higher up and they're no longer looking to employee in that HQ for the next two quarters.

My first question is, what would you consider before accepting an offer to relocate, I've already said I would need relocation support along with the right offer Salary wise, but is there anything else I should be asking?

And secondly, with BREXIT looming around the horizon, would I be mad to leave a European Union country to work in the UK? I'm far from an expert on it but I imagine it could have complications further down the line (Last in first out scenario) it seems like a lot of Banks and big tech companies are leaving the U.K rather than focusing on it at the moment.

I would love to work for this company, I'm hoping to get some opinions on it though so I can cover all bases before going into the final offer stages and don't overlook anything.

I should be speaking to the Company again sometime next week.

Apologies if this has been asked before but I think m situation is slightly unique considering BREXIT is in the equation and that is concerning for me.

Any answers are appreciated, Cheers!

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    Given the uncertainty of Brexit, I'd ensure you have solid contract terms in place that protect you, and the job should Brexit be unfavorable for you or the company.
    – Stese
    Jan 7, 2019 at 14:06
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    Have you asked your interviewers what complications there would be, if any, from Brexit? They might assume you are already clued up on what they could be if you were open to considering the role.
    – user34587
    Jan 7, 2019 at 14:10
  • @Kozaky not yet, i'm hoping to meet them next week to discuss everything, it's still somewhat early on in the process and since the talks of relocation came up I haven't gotten in to speak to them regarding the whole process. I just want to be sure I cover all bases before this conversation so i can weigh everything up once I have all the information.
    – Ryan
    Jan 7, 2019 at 14:13
  • @Stese this is something I've considered but would have no idea on what that would involve, I'd plan for a lawyer to review any contracts first but didn't want to include that in the post as I know legal advice isn't given here.
    – Ryan
    Jan 7, 2019 at 14:14
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    Your plan would be 100% recommended I feel! Advise to seek legal advice comes up rather often here! :)
    – Stese
    Jan 7, 2019 at 14:16

2 Answers 2

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There's no point talking about Brexit yet because whatever is said today will be moot tomorrow. Worst case scenario, you are transferred to your home country's branch if Brexit makes your stay untenable. Maybe this is something you want to discuss with them before signing on. No, it's not crazy to leave one EU country for the UK; I've done it myself :)

The first thing to consider is salary and living expenses. Do your research on salary, there are sites like Glassdoor or Payscale that give you a decent estimate. As far as cost of living goes I used Mumbeo here to compare Manchester to London. You can try your local city to get an idea. I suggest doing rent comparison separately cause it's the biggest expense.

Next up, and this is really important, is to consider yourself a person. Do you make friends easily? Moving to a foreign country is no joke, and you'll be abandoning your entire support network. For example if you suffer from depression, pay a call to a psychiatrist as soon as you settle in, or it'll absolutely wreck you.

To sum up:

  1. Brexit: Don't bother
  2. Salary and living expenses: Does it make sense for you?
  3. Social support: Only you know this

Good luck

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    thanks for the answer, it seems this is the answer I'm getting from most people I speak to about it when it comes to Brexit, not to consider it for the time being. Socially I would be fine, making friends has never been a major issue for me thankfully. I also have some family / friends already living around England i could link in with. I'll definitely check out that Mumbeo site haven't see it before, thanks for the answer!
    – Ryan
    Jan 8, 2019 at 9:17
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Larger UK Tech companies are generally familiar with relocation and visa requirements, so should be able to explain their intentions for handling any problems with your right to work in the UK over the next 5 years. You might be OK with the risk of failing to be approved by the government and needing to move yourself back, or you might ask the company to provide some commitment to cover the costs. You should also ask them if they plan to cover your costs for registration (and potentially naturalisation). You also need to check carefully if there is any significance to your start date in terms of the rights you acquire.

One specific issue to check into is pensions. If you have no EU contributions so far, that is one less thing to worry about, but you'll be expected to start a UK pension (and likely find that the company makes a good contribution). If you end up retiring in the EU, there are potentially fees which would eat into the UK pot if it turns out to be fairly small. Again, the company should be able to give information (and will refuse to give 'advise').

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