I just received an offer for a dream job in Amsterdam that would pay to relocate me from the US. However, I only found out while reading the offer letter that it is a 1 year contract position…has anyone relocated for a temporary position? Is it worth it?
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@bowbini you should do it, it will open so many doors. There are also a handful of fashion companies out there. CK, Nike, Adidas to name a few. Good luck, don’t look back!
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Yes and Yes it is worth it! The doors will open!
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Yes, I did for a dream job, and I highly recommend it! I took a temporary job offer in Europe that was initially for 14 months, but after my contract ended they renewed it for a permanent contract, so I was able to stay longer. Even if it only lasts 1 year, it’s a great life and work experience. So many people only wish for an opportunity like yours!
The upside to the 1 year contract is if you find 1 year to be enough (for any reason- company, role, Amsterdam not a good fit, feel like it’s time to move back, etc…) then it’s a smooth way to exit gracefully and doesn’t look bad on your CV. There’s no shame in moving back once you’re done 
and on the flip side, at least it’s a 1yr contract, not at will employment!
A few practical words of advice since people in our industry tend to gloss over financial wellness/reality, would be to:
- keep a chunk of savings for your relocation back, whether it’s in 1, 5, 20 years, or never… it was really hard to find an employer in the states that would pay for relocation back. I was lucky to find one that partially paid for my return to the states. Even then I still spent at least $5k, maybe ended up closer to 10k to set up life back in NYC again (apartment deposit and fee, moving boxes from work to my new home, buying furniture and home stuff, etc) maybe looking into long term storage is a good idea, I had sold most of my belongings and kept a few things at friends’ houses.
- Also, I couldn’t sign up for any retirement programs in the country I lived in because I was a US citizen, and I couldn’t contribute to the US retirement funds I had because i was only supposed to contribute US made money. Maybe yours aren’t like that but double check whatever you have.
- Be sure to find a reliable accountant who’s worked with expats for your US taxes. Yes even if you work abroad you have to do your taxes!
Good luck and I wish you the best!
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Agree with everyone else that has said go for it. A 1-2 contract is super common for these types of roles. Also, HoodMonaLisa’s advice, especially about returning to the US is gold.
Go for it, enjoy it- Amsterdam is an amazing city and you will gain so much valuable experience and insights. I’m jealous- and happy for you!!!
Another note on what HoodMonaLisa said:
- make sure you keep up to date about renewing things like your drivers license, etc- even if that means you have to fly back to the states to do it. A close friend was in Germany for 4 years, and when he came back to the US he had to do the whole process over again (written/driving test, etc) even though he had a valid european drivers license.
- also keep in mind that while you may be paying all rent/bills on time overseas, in terms of the US, you’re basically a ghost since you don’t have those credit builders on your record. Things like buying a house when you return can be tricky, because you don’t have anything building your US credit for years. I’d recommend keeping a US credit card to use to keep that going.