If you are considering working abroad for a year or more and taking your family with you, then you will be well aware that it’s a major life decision. As the North Sea oil&gas supply chain increasingly internationalises, postings abroad are likely to become more prevalent than in years past.
You will need to make an informed choice and should find out as much as you can about the country where you’ll be working, including living conditions, education for your children and health provision, as well as social and cultural issues.
Once you have made the decision to become an expat, the key to a successful transition is preparation. Many companies in the oil&gas industry will likely have considerable experience in placing employees in expat situations and will be able to provide you with information regarding the package and support they have available to you.
You can speak to colleagues who have spent time in the part of the world you will be going to and ask them about how they adjusted to the lifestyle and environmental changes.
As well as the practicalities involved in working and living abroad, you should consider whether you and your family will find the experience an exciting and fascinating new chapter in your lives or whether you doubt that they will settle easily and will find adapting to a new lifestyle too difficult.
Your company will go to considerable lengths to make the transition go smoothly for you and your family, but without the necessary thought and preparation, these company resources will have been wasted if you find yourself having to return home prematurely.
Modern electronic communications make it easy to keep in touch with friends and family at home, and even though some homesickness comes with the territory, it can be eased. Living and working abroad will offer you the opportunity to learn another language, which can make your stay all the more rewarding.
Your company will usually help you make arrangements for your accommodation, and the type of housing will naturally depend on which country you will be living in. For example, in some countries, you will need to live in a compound area, but in others, you will have more choice about where to stay.
Years ago, expats would often need to send their school-age children home for boarding-school education, but now there are many international schools available and, in some instances, such as in the US, you could enrol your children in a local school.
Health needs are so important and, once again, preparation will be key to your success. You should visit your travel-health adviser at least six to eight weeks before you travel. They will be able to give you expert advice, not only on what vaccinations you will need, but on possible health risks where you will be living.
Your travel-health adviser will prepare an immunisation schedule for you so that you can attain full immunisation to diseases that may be prevalent in the area where you will be staying. Your travel-health adviser has the experience and knowledge regarding which vaccinations can be administered to children according to their age, and a consultation session should put your mind at rest regarding your family’s immunisation programme.
In various tropical and subtropical areas of the world, malaria is a significant health problem and needs to be taken very seriously. If you are travelling to a malarial region, you may well decide that it is not suitable to take very young children with you.
Some antimalarial prophylaxis are not recommended for use by young infants, which means that they would need to be kept extra well covered to protect them from mosquito bites. Older children can have antimalarial prophylaxis administered in correspondingly lower doses, and there are paediatric versions of well known antimalarials such as Malarone. Again, your travel health adviser will be able to give you all the information you need.
Make sure your family’s routine childhood immunisation shots are up to date and that you have a record of them.
If you or a member of your family have a pre-existing medical condition, you will need to establish what provisions will be available at your destination, and also, if you are taking medication, whether it will be readily available.
You may find yourself living in a very different climate than you are used to, and you and your family might need to adjust to heat conditions as well as the native insect life. Consideration should be given to ensuring that your drinking water is safe, and to food-hygiene issues when eating out.
If you wear glasses, it is a good idea to take a spare pair with you, along with a copy of your prescription.
In many countries, there are excellent healthcare facilities available, and your company and other expats can give you useful facts and figures.
On arrival at your destination, you will find that expats and local people can often offer excellent advice regarding all manner of health issues, from avoiding local insect life to washing fruit with purified water.
There are many things to be considered before contemplating working abroad, but despite the occasional difficulties, many families find it a really exciting chapter in their lives and their children gain confidence from time spent living in a different environment, coming into contact with people of other cultures and all the new experiences involved in living abroad. Friends that you make while in another country, along with happy memories, can be a source of lifelong pleasure.
Pauline Ganley is lead travel-health nurse at occupational-health specialist Abermed
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