Portable Careers

When I gave up my copywriting job in the U.S. to come to Switzerland as a trailing spouse, I tried to look at the situation as an opportunity for myself as well as for my husband. But who are we kidding? In reality, I was so scared to be almost jobless that I threw up the night I made the decision to move abroad. After all, I was an American copywriter. Could I really become a Swiss Hausfrau? Ich glaube nicht!

During my first few weeks abroad, my days were spent dragging my recyclables and groceries around town in a bright orange IKEA cart (yes, that's me...). Instead of lamenting my fall from American Career Woman to The Bag Lady of Baden, I wish I would have realized sooner that as a writer/copywriter, I have one of the most portable jobs around. And sure enough, it wasn't long before I found a job at an ad agency in Zurich, never mind if I didn't speak German (never mind, indeed!) (Alas, that's a story for another day.)

Anyhow, in Paul Allen's soon-to-be-published book, Should I Stay or Should I Go, The Truth About Moving Abroad and Whether it's Right for You, he interviews Megan Fitzgerald, founder of Career By Choice. She provides a lot of helpful tips for considering careers abroad. Her list of portable careers includes:

Accountant

Architect

Artist

Graphic designer

Interior designer

Web designer

Computer programmer

Virtual assistant

Online business manager

IT services

Online storefront owner

Consulting

Coaching

Writer

Copywriter

Journalist

Publisher

Teacher

Online course designer

Translator

Importer/Exporter

Social media strategist

Online community manager

Digital media specialist

PR/marketing specialist

Online event organizer

Trader

Photographer

Online researcher

This list makes me curious how other expats transformed themselves. Did you already have a portable career when you moved abroad? Or did you take one up after not being able to further your former career in your new location? I know a lot of expats who became writers and artists after formerly being lawyers and account executives in their home countries. So if you're a writer, what's your story? Writer Abroad wants to know!