Do you think I am ready to RE?

[Dawg52]

Hey baby I'm single. * Kind of set in my ways tho.*

[REWahoo]

Quote:

Originally Posted by DOG51 Hey baby I'm single. Kind of set in my ways tho.

Sounds too good to be true, Dog. Be darned sure you sample the cooking before you commit to anything.

[justin]

rms977,

I'm sort of interested in doing the overseas engineering thing for some big $$. I'm currently a civil engineer most talented in transportation/traffic. Can you expand on where/how you got started (experience you had before starting the overseas work). How much more the pay is relative to the average stateside for the same type of work? Is it a 40 hr/wk job with paid housing/expenses? What field or fields do you work in and is there an international market for civil/transportation engineers from your experience?

[rms977]

Yep, you got me right on the offer. Well, you do have to pay for some of the food and the utilities too and your own car. But I will do all the cooking and cleaning and yardwork. And I am a damn good cook! And I can rebuild a carburetor, too.

To Justin... working overseas. Kind of just fell into it. I work in a very specialized field and I am on a project for the US gov. (I work for a gov contractor). Most work is construction work and I suspect that your skills would be in demand. Just start searching the major construction firms websites, look at all the jobs that could possibly be related and apply, apply, apply..... Americas Job Bank has an overseas section. Typically you will wait around and wait around regarding an opportunity and then all of a sudden they want you there yesterday. So if you are serious about doing this start getting your ducks in a row - set up a POA, set up online banking, make sure your ATM card can be used internationally, check your credit card expiration dates, set up things with your bank so that you can make international wire transfers, start getting Hepatitis A and B shots and some others that I can't think of right now. Get your passport, if you don't already have one - make sure it is still good for a few years. Get any dental work done before you go. Figure out what you will do with your house if you go. Some companies will pay to put your stuff in storage. Or maybe you will want a housesitter.

I can't speak for all overseas positions but mine is as follows: Base pay (that would be your wage in the US) plus 50% hardship uplift (this will vary based on location - my previous location was 25% uplift) plus 15% completion bonus (after one year, on base pay, based on 40 hour week - again based on location and company), housing is typically provided or paid for, I get COLDA - cost of living differential allowance (varies based on location and base pay). You also get some travel allowances and that depends on the company too - so you get to travel and see the world on the company's dime. And the biggie - foreign tax exclusion of $80,000 if you become a bona fide resident of another country or meet the physical presence test, which is to be out of the US 330 out of 365 days in a year. This is a big advantage because if your annual income is say $150k, you exclude $80k and then start from there with your other deductions. And more than likely you will have a 401k available to you. This is a big reduction in taxable income. But I can tell you that a lot of these jobs are in pretty awful places and the isolation can be tough and you may end up working 12 hour days (doesn't bother me because I am doing this to make money). It can be a pretty sweet deal financially but depending on where you go, you can give up a lot of your life. Hope this helps.

Good luck.

[justin]

rms,

Thanks for the response. I think I get the general idea - you can make a lot of money, and you will have to put your "life" on hold till you fulfill the contract. Could one bring their wife and kid along to the overseas job location and live in the provided housing (or do people actually do this)? I think being away from my family would be a deal breaker for me. Otherwise, I think I'd be open to a new experience, at least for a year or two. Kind of like the peace corp, except you get a lot of cash.

What sort of countries/areas have you been in or are there typically jobs in? Just all over the world?

[laurence]

Quote:

Originally Posted by REWahoo! Sounds too good to be true, Dog. Be darned sure you sample the cooking before you commit to anything.

Are you speaking metaphorically there?

[Dawg52]

Quote:

Originally Posted by rms977 Yep, you got me right on the offer.* Well, you do have to pay for some of the food and the utilities too and your own car.* But I will do all the cooking and cleaning and yardwork.* And I am a damn good cook!* And I can rebuild a carburetor, too.

I think I can handle all the above. How do you look in a bathing suit? * So while you are doing the yard work, I can be on the golf course? 8)

[bow-tie]

Quote:

Originally Posted by rms977 ... And I can rebuild a carburetor, too.

Whoa... that kicks ass 8)

Obviously with your family situation this wouldn't be an option.* However, theoretically you could retire after three or four years with a contractor in Iraq.* Your occuption probably would be among the least secure, but the professional salaries over there are in the hundreds of thousands.* If you survive the trip from the airport, the green zone positions are relatively secure.

Quote:

Originally Posted by justin I think I get the general idea - you can make a lot of money, and you will have to put your "life" on hold till you fulfill the contract.* Could one bring their wife and kid along to the overseas job location and live in the provided housing (or do people actually do this)?* I think being away from my family would be a deal breaker for me.*

[AltaRed]

To help rms977 out a bit, I have been an ex-pat and have seen many ex-pat arrangements. Such arrangements vary considerably between companies, but generally fit the mold as rms977 has described.

Most places accept families IF there are many other ex-pats in those places and there is infrastructure for families, meaning such things as housing compounds, british or american schools, etc. These are in more established locations and the jobs are more inclined to be 40-55 hrs a week. These jobs don't have the 50% uplifts - more like 10-25%. Uplifts depend on the challenging living environment and what it takes to get people to take these jobs and these are more typically single status locations.

Many new locations, particularly in the construction industy are single status for good reason - no supporting infrastructure yet (or ever). These jobs tend to be high paced and very long hours (what else is there to do if there is little recreation?). These kinds of jobs can be pretty tough on females since they are typically in a minority and don't have the support networks at work. But I have seen them do well in such environments too. That means "no life" but it is a shorter way to get to FIRE.