Free The Grown-Up's Guide to Running Away from Home, Second Edition: Making a New Life Abroad by Rosanne Knorr Page B

inspiring is created by the individual who can labor in freedom
.
    —Albert Einstein
    You may choose to run away from a traditional job, but finding some meaningful work overseas, whether part-time or full-time, may be part of your plans. It enables you to meet new people through the job and put some extra cash in your pocket.
    Even if you work full-time, you will still find yourself with time to travel from your overseas base, thanks to the long holidays enjoyed in most countries outside the United States. Six weeks annually is common in Europe, for example, with many holidays creating four-day weekends. You can use that time to enjoy travel, hobbies, and social occasions.
    I asked one expat in Switzerland how he managed to work, teach, and volunteer for American Citizens Abroad. His immediate response said it all: “Remember, I’m not still dealing with two-week vacations, like in the States.”

Can You Work as a Foreigner?
    Before you can find work overseas you must first have the right to work. Naturally, countries want to keep jobs for their nationals and legal residents. This can prevent you from taking a formal job in many countries. However, you can work for a United States firm that provides the proper paperwork for a work visa, or a foreign firm requiring a specific set of services that cannot be found among their nationals (for example, knowledge of a computer program none of their people are familiar with).
    In countries with high unemployment, such as France or Germany, you’ll have difficulty finding legal work. Other countries are more lax about enforcing the work laws. Or you can simply work for yourself, supplying a service or handicraft. In Portugal, Bob uses his admirable skills as a master furniture restorer to refinish antiques for many affluent Brits who are moving to the Algarve. Right now he has more work than he wants in retirement.
Irish or Italian? You May Be Eligible for an EU Passport
    Why would you want a European Union passport? Because it will enable you to work legally in any European Union country, and that vastly expands your opportunities, not only to work but to live anywhere within the European Union without dealing with the hassles of long-term visas.
    Some people are eligible for an EU passport and don’t realize it. If your grandparent was born in Ireland and you can prove it via birth records, you can apply for an Irish passport based on your heritage. Since Ireland is part of the European Union, your Irish passport, which you can have in addition to your U.S. passport and without losing your American citizenship, lets you travel and work throughout the European Union.
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    The easiest ways into working in Europe seem to be through a technical specialty, e.g., computers. Some people get dual nationality or working status through ancestry
.
    —Doug, Basel, Switzerland
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    Some other countries, such as Italy, have similar policies on ancestry, so give your family history a close look. Check with a country’s embassy for specific details.

Finding Jobs Overseas
    If you must work overseas, then find a job before you leave the States. If you insist on leaving without a job, at least investigate the opportunities for your destination thoroughly and develop marketable skills so you’re fully prepared to find work once you’re there.
    Depending on your current skills, the country where you’ll be living, and the amount of money you’ll need to survive, you could have countless possibilities for jobs. If you’re in a position to arrange with your company to transfer you overseas, you can begin your adventure under the corporate umbrella.
    Many of us simply want the cross-cultural or travel experience. In that case, the work you choose could be temporary, providing some extras that keep you from spending your retirement stash.
    Full-time or part-time work can be an integral part of your immersion into the local culture. Here are some possible ways to earn money