Your Overseas Adventure Won't Make or Break Your Career (But It Might Change Your Life)

The logistics are daunting, the finances feel overwhelming, and you're wondering if working overseas will actually boost your design career or just drain your bank account. It's a question that keeps many creatives awake at night, weighing dreams against practicalities.

This question was answered by Jeremy Willmott – Creative Director at Paper Moose – who has lived and worked across multiple countries including Bermuda, London, and Australia, alongside Andy Wright – Founder of Never Not Creative and CEO of Streamtime – who hosts the discussion and shares his own international experience.

The Honest Truth About Career Impact

Let's address the elephant in the room: will overseas experience make a huge difference to your career prospects? Jeremy's answer might surprise you. When he moved from the UK to Australia, "everybody was like, oh, Australia is like 6 or 7 years behind the UK in advertising. It just isn't true."

The reality is that the creative industry is "way more connected" nowadays, and "lots of people have worked all over the world." Jeremy doesn't think "it would be damaging to your career to not have travelled and worked in New York or London or anywhere else."

However, there's a subtle advantage. Jeremy admits he does see "somebody that has travelled as having a richer life experience and more inputs into their creativity, which is always interesting." It's not about being better at your job, it's about bringing different perspectives to your work.

The Real Challenges (And Why They're Worth It)

Jeremy doesn't sugarcoat the difficulties: "I just want to acknowledge that it is very hard to move country. It is a logistical challenge. It is a financial challenge." He speaks from experience, having moved animals internationally, noting that "moving 2 cats over to Australia was possibly 1 of the hardest things I've done."

But here's the key insight: the question isn't really about career advancement. As Jeremy puts it, "I think the question really is around why you want to do this in the first place." If it's purely for career reasons, "maybe that is a question, you know, could you still fulfil your career here? I'm sure you could."

The Life Experience Factor

The magic happens when you shift your focus from career benefits to life experience. Jeremy is emphatic about this: "if for that person, that's the most valuable part of it, is the life experience, then 100% focus in on that. Manifest it to make that part of your life."

He promises you'll "look back on those years or however long you're there with such a good memory, they'll shape you, they'll shape your, they'll be part of your inspiration for life through your career as well."

The Window of Opportunity

Timing matters more than you might think. Jeremy points out that "it gets a bit harder as you get older as well, potentially. It's harder, more roots down. Just you can do it when you're younger and you've got the ability. I think it's good to do it when you can."

For Australians considering the UK, there's a practical deadline: "doesn't the visa run out when you're 32 anyway?" This creates a natural window that shouldn't be ignored.

Why Creative Careers Make It Easier

Andy highlights a crucial advantage for creatives: "this industry is such a transferable industry, right?" Unlike other professions, creative skills translate across borders. "You can go somewhere else and you've got the skill set to be able to work wherever you want." It's "a nice kind of privilege to have in a way to be able to do it with this career."

The Mindset Shift That Changes Everything

Andy shares a powerful perspective shift: "everyone else has done it, like how hard, like I'm not stupid, I'm not like, you know, not very good at stuff or life management, whatever it is, and all these other people have done it, like why couldn't I do it?"

Once you get past that initial hurdle, "the stuff piles up, yeah, and you've got to do this, and you got to fill out forms, and you go over visas and all that kind of stuff, but it's doable, and people have done it."

The truth is, working overseas probably won't make a huge difference to your career trajectory, but it might make all the difference to who you become as a person. The logistics are challenging but manageable, the finances require planning but aren't insurmountable, and the experience will enrich your creativity in ways you can't predict. If you're drawn to the adventure, trust that instinct. Your future self will thank you for taking the leap while you still can.

‍