May 2007
Think Global Recruitment assisted Josh Boston to move from Wellington, New Zealand to Bermuda in September 2006.

Why did you decide to move overseas?
I decided to move overseas for career development, higher compensation and to have a base for further travel.

Has your move met your original expectations? How?
Yes and no. Bermuda is what I expected with warm weather, friendly people, no tax yet high cost of living. My job’s not exactly what I was expecting – much easier than I anticipated.

What has been the biggest benefit of moving?
The biggest benefit of moving overseas is being able to pursue a career in funds management, which isn’t really possible in New Zealand.

Has your standard of living/quality of life improved? How?
About the same – the weather a little nicer than in New Zealand, so I’m able to be outside a little more than I otherwise would be able to. It’s probably a little more restrictive here in some respects – car ownership depends on where you live, the Island is quite densely populated and you can’t really settle down here because of restrictions of how long you can stay.

Everything's fairly expensive here, which is understandable given that everything is imported to the Island. People don't seem to mind too much as the lack of tax clearly outweighs the higher prices.

Several cruise ships pass through here each week during summer, so town really livens up at these times as street carnivals take place with bands, traditional dancing and souvenir shops open everywhere. Of course, the pubs and night clubs get pretty good too.

What job are you currently doing in Bermuda?
My job is as an account manager for Butterfield Fund Services. We basically look after 100 or so hedge funds so the job is mainly pricing and trading for these funds. There are about 80 staff and luckily for me there are only a couple of us who also have law degrees which means that I’ll also be working part-time in the legal team once I’ve found my feet a bit.

Have you taken up any new activities/sports?
No new sports yet, but I’m continuing to play cricket, golf and squash. I intend to take a diving course in the summer.

What has been the most difficult part of moving abroad?
For Bermuda, the most difficult part has been the waiting period. I knew I had the job but had to wait for my visa to be approved by Immigration – everything runs on “Bermuda time” here!

What advice would you give to other Accountants who are considering relocating abroad? 
Make sure you know how much living costs will be, especially in a place like Bermuda where you need to be on a much larger salary than at home to have the same standard of living. You’ll hear hundreds of stories both positive and negative, but if you are friendly and keep an open mind to different experiences then you’ll be fine no matter where you are.

What are the main work culture differences you have noticed between your home country and overseas?
Working with people from literally all over the world – US, Canada, UK, Europe, South America, Africa, Asia.
Bermuda shorts! One in six guys here still wears them at this time of year and I’m loving being one of them! There’s actually quite a lot of thought in deciding colours. Apparently you’re supposed to match either socks with shorts, socks with shirt or shorts with tie. I found it pretty confusing at first, but after seeing people wearing bright red, pink and yellow I’ve decided not to take it too seriously. Unfortunately I have to wait ‘til next season for more of the bright colours!

Transport! After a couple of days of getting the bus to work, I had to hire a scooter. The bus trip (from door to door) took over 45 minutes in rush hour traffic (!!) while the scooter takes 20.

What have been the highlights so far about life abroad?
The highlights so far have been meeting and becoming friends with people from all around the world and being close to the US and UK for holidays.

What, in your opinion, are the advantages of working overseas in terms of gaining future employment?
It depends on the job rather than what country it’s in.

What were the advantages of applying for a job through Think Global Recruitment?
Think Global Recruitment is the only firm that I could find that could help me get a job in a less travelled to destination.

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