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Danger Pay: Making More Money
By Working In Unsafe Countries
By Dennis Cole
Does the idea of taking a bulletproof convoy to work seem more appealing than driving your Honda? Would you rather a hostile takeover of your company be headed by rebel militias than Microsoft? And would you like to experience this exotic lifestyle while making a lot more money than you do now?
If this description matches your career ambitions, you're in luck because globalization has seen more international companies open offices in danger hotspots in recent years than at any other point in history. And in order to lure executive-level talent to unstable regions, businesses have developed lucrative benefit packages, including housing subsidies, travel allowances and massive pay increases.
Intrigued?
I have done your homework for you and researched which dangerous countries are the most profitable to risk your butt in. Each country listed has employment opportunities for international workers, but features work environments in which you should be weary of involuntary death.
So if you want to stay in your current job but ratchet up the excitement level in your lifestyle, take note of the countries below and speak to management about broadening your horizons.
Oil reserves = Big returns
Countries: Saudi Arabia, Iraq, Nigeria, Sudan, and Democratic Republic of Congo.
Danger pay increase: 25%
Additional benefits: Complete coverage of housing, travel and education costs; little or no income tax.
Primary drawbacks: Potential revolution/overthrowing of government; little freedom for Westerners.
It's common knowledge that some of the world's most generous pay scales are in the oil industry, so it should be no surprise that unstable countries with significant natural resources, most prominently oil, tend to provide the highest salaries for foreign workers.
Countries like Saudi Arabia, Nigeria and Sudan are all characterized by rigid governments, a potentially dangerous populace and some of the largest oil reserves in the world. Companies working in these undesirable locales use fat paychecks to make sure they have qualified people pumping liquid gold out of the ground and into their pockets.
Although foreigners who work directly with oil may see the highest pay increase, other sectors such as education, technology and trade raise the salary of prospective employees by approximately 25% to lure in international talent. Add this substantial pay increase to the generous housing and travel allowances issued by employers and it's no surprise that many educators who spend time in dangerous countries return home millionaires.
Working in a possible war zone
Countries: Algeria, Central African Republic, Israel, and Lebanon.
Danger pay increase: 20%
Additional benefits: Complete or partial coverage of housing, travel and education costs; freedoms comparable to Western standards.
Primary drawbacks: Potential civil war.
Following resource-rich states as the most generous dispensers of danger pay are countries with established and vibrant commercial markets. The only problem is that these countries are emerging from conflicts that could reignite.
The pay and benefits provided in countries like Lebanon may be a little less than in oil-rich nations -- 20% vs. 25% according to US government surveys -- but many Western expatriates prefer these work environments because of the freedom and liberties they afford their citizens (whereas cocktail hour is a feature of daily life in Beirut, grabbing a cold beer after work in Riyadh may land you in prison).
One part poor, one part dangerous
Countries: Colombia, Haiti and Yemen.
Danger pay increase: 15%
Additional benefits: Free housing within your government or company compound.
Primary drawbacks: Civil unrest and lawlessness.
This last group of countries features a combination of rotten security conditions and defective economies. The pairing of danger and poverty has led to a small or nonexistent private sector in these countries, and has relegated the only viable employment opportunities to positions in government, development and NGOs.
Haiti, the recent recipient of a brand new president courtesy of an opposition coup; Yemen, one of the last countries in the world to ban slavery in 1962; and Colombia, the inventor of the modern cocaine economy -- all have foreigners living within their borders and earning 15% more than they would at home.
how to get down and dangerous
So you've decided to begin living more like Jason Bourne and less like Chandler Bing? The only problem now is figuring out how to get yourself across the ocean to rake in paychecks and risk death as soon as possible.
The best way of gaining employment in dangerous countries is via a transfer from your current employer. If you like your job and don't want to jump the company ship, do some research and assess the possibilities of a switch to an overseas office. Even if you move to a foreign branch where only periodic travel to danger spots is required, your employer will make sure that at least some danger money makes its way into your pay slip.
If you see no possibility of getting overseas with your current job, you can always turn to headhunters who specialize in overseas appointments or, better yet, you can always apply to postings directly.
Just like the job market in North America and Europe, companies operating out of dangerous regions employ HR firms to publicize potential openings. Moreover, because people currently in these positions tend to make big bucks for a couple of years and then split, you'll be surprised at the number of high-level opportunities available.
If all these options fail, your last resort is teaching. Ever since the global economy adopted English as its official language, the entire population of North America has become a specialized workforce simply by growing up with English as their native tongue. The necessity for English in international markets has created a wealth of teaching opportunities in dangerous countries for anyone fluent in English and who can stumble their way through teaching math, science, or, well, English.
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