Is 50 too old to emigrate?

muddled1

Things aren't looking too favourable where I work (in the PS). VRs are probably coming 'round again. I told myself the last time that if/when they come up again, I'd take the money and run.......to the USA. I just can't get my head round the "I don't have a college degree, I'm 50 years old and there's a global recession on." I can legally work in the US (If I can find a job, that is).

I'm a firm believer in not leaving one job unless you have another one lined up, but in this situation, it is virtually impossible.

So I'd appreciate people's opinions, please and thanks.

[Jackass]

Well, college / qualifications aren't everything, and I'd imagine at 50 years old you would have lots of experience in a certain area that no graduate can offer.

There are certain points of interest you should consider.

1. At your age, it would be very tough to get a visa in most countries outside of the E.U. - The usual cut off point is around 35 - so you would be limited to Ireland, UK and USA, unless you have a foreign language for another E.U. country, and also, sounds obvious, but just because you had an American granny, you might want to formally qualify yourself for working in the United States before considering that as your destination of choice.

2. There's no turning back. Sadly, if you take redundency from the civil service, given your age and the state of the country, and given the inflated pay structure in the civil service, it's almost certain that you will ever get a handier number and as well played anywhere else in the world ever again. I don't know how familiar you are with the private sector, but no where on earth are you paid more with such little expectations of productivity than in the Irish civil service. (I'm not sure if "PS" in your post means Public Sector, Private Sector or Postal Service, amongst others, so just throwing out civil service / Public Sector just in case).

3. There's no time like the present - If your current role is non-managerial, than most companies would be looking to employ younger, higher skilled candidates with usually lower wage expectations than someone of your experience, so there's no time like the present to upskill. Either apply to college as a mature student (although applications have closed for this year as of 1st February) or to private colleges (still accepting applications) such as Griffith College or Dublin Business School as some of the main ones if your based in Dublin, and you can do a degree or diploma at night. If you're waiting on redundancy, why not see out a possible 18 month wait getting half way through a degree and spend the next 18 months adjusting to your new life whilst studying and then heading off abroad after that. I'm not sure about private colleges outside of Dublin (as that's where I'm from) but a little research goes a long way. There's also FAS (or whatever it's going to be called) who do some excellent up-skilling courses, up to FETAC Level 6 level - a national higher certificate and one level below a bachelours (non-honours) degree.

4. It's risky. Consider your commitments, financial and otherwise, and realisticly consider if you can afford to make this move and give yourself a generous stress test - could you make it 2 years without employment on savings and redundency amounts alone, and also taking into account moving expenses, existing debts, living expenses, rents wherever you are moving to etc.

In short, of course you can do it, but you need to think long and hard about it and consider many many aspects to it, and formulate a plan, both functional and financial, and only you can decide if it's feesable. Sometimes a decision like this is made already in our minds, and I'm a firm believer in doing what you want in life, as it's too short to waste, but you can't overplan something like this, and if it means something small like committing a couple of year to upskilling before heading off, it's tough to commit to, but you'll be glad when it's done and you can set off better equiped to make it...

Just some points to consider...

Good luck...

dan_d

Jackass gives excellent advise.

Be very,very sure of being able to get something in the USA if you leave.Bear in mind that they do not get anywhere near the holiday days that we get, and that a 6 day week is fairly standard over there - are you ok with that?

Their corporate culture is very different to ours. Again, (I'm not insulting, I'm being practical), if you're coming from the Public Service in Ireland, you'd want to have your homework done.Have you any experience in the private sector? Because it could be a major shock for you to go into the private sector at all, let alone in the States.There's a lot of responsibility and accountability in any private sector company, and from what I know of the US, it can be very pressurised.

Also look into what support structures there are in the States, if you cannot find a job.As far as I'm aware, there's very little there to help those who can't find work.I'm fairly sure they don't have any kind of a dole system in most states (bar maybe California). Do your maths, make sure you'd be able to survive. Consider that you may have to take a job working in a shop/deli/restaurant or something if you can't find anything else - again, would you be ok with that, could you afford it, and would you be physically able for it.

You're perfectly entitled to do it OP, just make sure you do some serious homework first. And if you do decide to go ahead, I would put aside money for a plane fare home, and something to help you survive if you've to come back here, first. Don't cut off all your options unless you're 100% certain it'll work out.

Jim2007

At 50, I'd suggest your biggest concern should be health care and pensions! Remember health care in the US is most often paid by the employer and taking on a 50 year old is going to be more expensive that at 30 year old.

If anything happens to you over there how will you handle medical expense and related costs....

Then there is the pension situation, most employers contribute very little to pension funds, so how well will you be provided for when it comes to 65....

What if any state benefits are you going to be entitled to if things go wrong over there??? Not a lot I'm guessing

I'm 49 myself and there is no way I'd consider moving over there at this stage.... Europe though is a different matter, here you qualify for everything just like the locals, your Irish contributions for pension, social welfare and so on are full taken into account, as are your payments over here on return to Ireland.

It might be worth thinking about moving to another part of the EU, perhaps seek a job in one of the EU or UN organisations.... or perhaps work for a multinational in some kind of admin role....

Jim.

muddled1

Thanks for the points you've raised. Indeed every single one of them (and more) have gone through my mind.

I am a dual national (US and Ireland) so I'd be returning to US, where I left 15 years ago, though I have no family left there to return to. I've worked in the public sector in Ireland for 10 years; I would not miss it for a second if I left. Prior to this I worked in the private sector in the US and Ireland, so I'm fairly well versed in that regard.

If I were fortunate enough to get a job in the US, yes, the decrease in annual leave and medical costs are two if the bigest concerns, along with my age. That and affordable housing. It's scary stuff.

Thanks again.