Can a move abroad boost your career?

People frustrated by job market disruptions are looking outward, thinking the grass might be greener outside their home country

- Callum Borchers

On a recent weeknight in Cambridge, Mass., about two dozen science and technology professionals munched hors d’oeuvres and digested a PowerPoint presentation.

The topic: how they could restart their careers in Finland.

Americans who already have done this proselytized alongside a contingent from Work in Finland, a recruiting program launched by the Nordic country’s Ministry of Economic Affairs and Employment. They touted subsidized healthand childcare, residence permits issued in just two weeks and Finland's long-running distinction as the happiest country in the world.

Finnish diplomat Jarmo Sareva cut to the core of the pitch in a video address.

"For researchers and scientists who want to build globally impactful technologies and do this in a stable and forward-looking environment, Finland is really a serious option,” he said.

“Stable” was the word of the night, carrying the not-so-subtle implication that the U.S. isn't. It resonated with attendees, some of whom had been to a similar event a few days earlier with representatives from Germany, France, Ireland, Italy, the Netherlands, Sweden and the U.K.

Living and working abroad has always been a popular fantasy. What's striking about the current vision of life abroad is how unsexy it is. Countries eager to poach American talent aren’t so much promoting fine wines and swimsuit-optional beaches as they are selling normalcy.

Of course, for all the tall talk about leaving the U.S., most people never follow through. An international career move can involve accepting a lower salary, learning a new language and losing your professional network—realities that cause most people to balk.