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after months of arctic chills, your summer was put on hold thanks to Britain's wettest May since 1773. Then June's heatwave hits, so the nation's ugliest people don skimpy swimsuits, lounge around on traffic islands and slowly turn sunburned scarlet. It's not hard to see why you'd want to leave.

If you're looking to jet off for a new life abroad, you're not alone. Figures from the Office of National Statistics show that more than 350,000 people leave the UK every year. That's 30% more than left 12 years ago.

So why go? Well, apart from the higher salary, the better quality of life and lower cost of living, you will have a better chance of returning to a better job: international experience looks great on the CV. But before you make the momentous decision, you'll need to do a lot of research: ideally, you should visit the country, learn the local market and the local language, and think through what the move will mean for your family, if you have one.

On the other hand, as international markets open up, finding work has never been easier. So, to help you on your way, here are the opportunities and salaries in 15 countries. If none of them suit, you could consider Africa, India, Turkey and the EU accession states …

UNITED KINGDOM

For the sake of comparison …

Quantity surveyor, 10 years' experience
Salary range: £35,000-45,000 (typical: £37,000)

Project manager, 15 years' experience
Salary range: £45,000-65,000 (typical: £50,000)

Engineer, 5 years' experience
Salary range: £27,000-32,000 (typical: £29,000)

CANADA

The best place to work if … you have residential experience

Quantity surveyor, 10 years' experience
Salary range: £33,000-47,000 (typical: £38,000)

Project manager, 15 years' experience
Salary range: £38,000-57,000 (typical: £43,000)

Engineer, 5 years' experience
Salary range: £19,000-29,000 (typical: £24,000)

There has been a great deal of migration to Canada recently, so if you're thinking of contributing to it, you'll find that there are jobs going in the housebuilding and high-rise residential sectors, particularly if you've got more than five years' experience. Failing that, M&E engineers are in short supply.

Salaries don't match the Australian or British averages, but there are other considerations. Although most work is in the major cities - Toronto, Vancouver, Ottawa - the Canada's real selling point is its fabulous Countryside. As Gerard Ezinwoke, Hays' Canada manager, puts it: "There are vast advantages to living in Canada. There are great outdoor lifestyle opportunities and summer and winter sports."

CZECH REPUBLIC

The best place to work if … you want cheap beer

Quantity surveyor, 10 years' experience
Salary range: £10,000-20,000 (typical: £14,000)

Project manager, 15 years' experience
Salary range: £14,000-29,000 (typical: £20,000)

Engineer, 5 years' experience
Salary range: £9000-13,000 (Typical: £10,000)

Beer in the Czech Republic is 50p a pint but that's just as well: the country comes bottom in all three pay tables. A typical salary for a project manager with 15 years' experience is one-third of that in Australia or Egypt. Still, according to Slater, things are improving. "The skills shortage means that salaries are increasing in countries such as the Czech Republic," he says. QSs are in particularly short supply. He adds that lower salaries are offset by the low cost of living - a three-course meal in a good restaurant costs about £25.

Although 60% of business comes from UK clients, you will find yourself at a disadvantage if you don't speak Czech or know the local market; fortunately, many firms offer language training.

CARIBBEAN

The best place to work if … you work well with others

Quantity surveyor, 10 years' experience
Salary range: £34,000-40,000 (typical: £36,000)

Project manager, 15 years' experience
Salary range: £37,500-50,000 (typical: £42,000)

Engineer, 5 years' experience
Salary range: £27,000-34,000 (typical: £30,000)

You have to be hands-on but relaxed to work in the Caribbean: there's no point winding up a subcontractor when it's the only one on that island. Kevin Flynn, Hays senior manager, says: "I'd liken it to working in a provincial marketplace in the UK: you're going to bump into the same people on a fairly regular basis." The working week is 5.5 days, but the relaxed attitude means hours won't be as strict as you're probably used to.

FRANCE

The best place to work if … you've got public sector experience

Quantity surveyor, 10 years' experience
Salary range: £24,000-31,000 (typical: £29,000)

Project manager, 15 years' experience
Salary range: £37,000-44,000 (typical: £41,000)

Engineer, 5 years' experience
Salary range: £24,000-31,000 (typical: £27,000)

A boom in PFI projects means those with knowledge of the French public sector are in great demand, particularly QSs and project managers.

However, even without that experience, British qualifications and good command of both spoken and written French will stand you in good stead. According to Hays, this is highlighted by an increasing number of requests for French nationals from UK firms based out there.

"It is crucial to learn the language," says Nicholas Ling-Lloyd, Hays manager in France. And also, the country is notoriously bureaucratic: "We recommend that you have all the legal paperwork organised before arrival," he adds.

Illustration by Lizzie Collcutt/NB Illustration

EGYPT

The best place to work if … you're hard as nails

Quantity surveyor, 10 years' experience
Salary range: £38,000-45,000 (typical: £41,000)

Project manager, 15 years' experience
Salary range: £50,000-60,000 (typical: £53,000)

Engineer, 5 years' experience
Salary range: £30,000-40,000 (typical: £35,000)

Terrorist attacks have made recruitment in Egypt difficult, but if you've got an Andy McNab streak, your bravery would reap rewards: salaries in all areas are near the highest in the survey.

Mike Lloyd, Hays' senior business manager, says: "People will go anywhere for money. A lot of [terrorist activity] is in the tourist areas, but the work you get isn't necessarily going to be there."

QSs are in high demand, with oil and gas the busiest sectors. English is the business language but the hours are long: a six-day week with the weekend falling on Thursday afternoon and Friday.

HONG KONG

The best place to work if … you're sporty

Quantity surveyor, 10 years' experience
Salary range: £35-£50,000 (Typical: £40,000)

Want to put your feet up after a long day? Then Hong Kong isn't for you. Working hours are long, the sociable atmosphere means it's rare to get home until late and almost everyone has a hobby, usually sporting: horse-racing and golf are two favourites.

"It's important to do sport," says Abigail Tannis, Hays' manager in Hong Kong. "Sport is very big out here, and for business, it's key to network."

"Bring your sports shoes with you," she says. "If you are a big shoe size, it can take a while to find shoes that fit."

Contracts include few benefits but the £40,000 typical QS salary is about 8% higher than the UK. Employees fluent in English and Cantonese are highly sought-after.

IRELAND

The best place to work if … you like infrastructure projects

Quantity surveyor, 10 years' experience
Salary range: £41,000-58,000 (typical: £48,000)

Project manager, 15 years' experience
Salary range: £51,000-58,000 (typical: £54,000)

Engineer, 5 years' experience
Salary range: £21,000-32,000 (typical: £27,000)

Ireland's shortage of engineers is set to get worse as the recent Transportation Bill means road, bridge and rail projects are being jammed into the pipeline. "There's a dearth of candidates in the industry," says Alison Little, Hays' business manager in Ireland. "It's also architecture, civil engineering … everything. It's across the spectrum. Ireland's certainly a good place to come to."

This is good news for QSs, who can earn nearly 30% more than in the UK, and a typical £54,000 Irish project manager's wage is 8% higher. Little adds that the marked difference in salaries that existed between Dublin and areas such as Cork and Galway is narrowing.

ITALY

The best place to work if … you're keen on long lunches

Project manager, 15 years' experience
Salary range: £41,000-55,000 (typical: £48,000)

Engineer, 5 years' experience
Salary range: £20,000-31,000 (typical: £24,000)

If you want a longer lunch then move to Italy. The only problem is that they work until 8pm to make up for it. "Make sure you slim down before you go because the food out there is fantastic," says Hays director Elisabetta Bayliss. She adds that there's no point job-hunting in July or August because everything winds down.

Opportunities are best for project managers and engineers, and busy sectors include oil and gas. But this isn't the place for you if you're a QS - they don't exist - or if you don't like a direct management style: Bayliss says Italians can be "highly strung".

NEW ZEALAND

The best place to work if … you want an easy life

Quantity surveyor, 10 years' experience
Salary range: £28,000-35,000 (typical: £30,000)

Project manager, 15 years' experience
Salary range: £30,000-49,000 (typical: £36,000)

Engineer, 5 years' experience
Salary range: £21,000-28,000 (typical: £25,000)

"You don't come to New Zealand to further your career; it's more for the lifestyle," says a very relaxed Jonathan Greening, Hays' manager out there. The attitude is far more laid back than in the UK and they take a more practical approach to projects.

Employers are looking for good communication skills in particular. Don't expect to get paid masses - go to Australia if it's money you're after - and contracts don't come with that many benefits either.

There are acute shortages of estimators, and QSs, intermediate property managers, building services designers and civil, structural and project architects. It's not the place to go if you're engineer, however, as few Kiwi contractors employ them.

Illustration by Lizzie Collcutt/NB Illustration

AUSTRALIA

The best place to work if … you're a project manager

Quantity surveyor, 10 years' experience
Salary range: £40,000-60,000 (typical: £48,000)

Project manager, 15 years' experience
Salary range: £56,000-72,000 (typical: £64,000)

Engineer, 5 years' experience
Salary range: £32,000-48,000 (typical: £40,000)

As a project manager in Australia you'd have no cause to play the whinging pom: good staff are in short supply, Sydney, Melbourne, Perth are bustling with activity and salaries are probably the highest anywhere. If you've got a track record of building £30m-plus projects, you'll be quickly snapped up.

"Whereas once Australia was chosen for an improved lifestyle, salaries are now competing on an international level," says Craig Slater, director of Hays Construction & Property.

QSs should bear in mind that working for a contractor Down Under is more lucrative than a private firm. But don't pack your bags just yet, warns Louise Clinton, Hays' director in Australia: "Investigate visa requirements before you even start considering applying."

POLAND

The best place to work if … you're adaptable

Quantity surveyor, 10 years' experience
Salary range: £16,000-40,000 (typical: £18,000)

Project manager, 15 years' experience
Salary range: £25,000-45,000 (typical: £28,000)

Engineer, 5 years' experience
Salary range: £13,000-30,000 (typical: £15,000)

Poland is growing rapidly since it was accepted into the EU, with most work happening in Warsaw. The pay isn't great - salaries are the second lowest after the Czech Republic - but professionals often enjoy a benefits package that includes accommodation, pension, medical insurance, a mobile and a laptop.

Employers are looking for people with international experience, degree-level qualifications and memberships in professional institutions. "We've shortages across a wide range of roles. In particular, design engineers, resident engineers, QSs, project managers and business development managers," says Hays consultant Agnieszka Bocianowska. Even though the largest E

E employers tend to be subsidiaries of multinational companies, all but the most senior positions require a knowledge of Polish.

NETHERLANDS

The best place to work if … you've got social housing expertise

Quantity surveyor, 10 years' experience
Salary range: £27,000-41,000 (typical: £31,000)

Project manager, 15 years' experience
Salary range: £34,000-48,000 (typical: £37,000)

Engineer, 5 years' experience
Salary range: £25,000-31,000 (typical: £25,000)

The Dutch government is investing heavily in social housing after four years of low spending in this area. And with skills shortages in all areas, if you've got social housing expertise, you could be what they're looking for. Philippe Drabbe, Hays director in the Netherlands, says the best bits about the country are the tolerant atmosphere, a renewed focus on maintaining a good work-life balance, and its position in the heart of Europe. The other side of the coin is that you could be paying up to 52% your income in tax …

But the Dutch reputation for speaking many languages shouldn't stop you making the effort. "By far the most important thing is understanding and speaking the Dutch language," says Drabbe.

Illustration by Lizzie Collcutt/NB Illustration

PORTUGAL

The best place to work if … you love being on the move

Quantity surveyor, 10 years' experience
Salary range: £38,000-48,000 (typical: £44,000)

Project manager, 15 years' experience
Salary range: £48,000-54,000 (typical: £52,000)

Engineer, 5 years' experience
Salary range: £19,000-22,000 (typical: £20,000)

If you get itchy feet then Portugal could be for you: you could expect to travel, whether it's around the country or to Portuguese-speaking Brazil, Angola and Mozambique. Internally there are large projects in the pipeline, including an international airport.

Duarte Ramos, Hays' manager in Portugal, says you should think carefully where to go: "Lisbon is good for forging a career in the services sector, whereas other cities may be best for leisure and tourism and offer lower living costs."

SPAIN

The best place to work if … you want to become respected quickly

Quantity surveyor, 10 years' experience
Salary range: £31,000-35,000 (typical: £31,000)

Project manager, 15 years' experience
Salary range: £41,000-49,000 (typical: £45,000)

Engineer, 5 years' experience
Salary range: £18,000-24,000 (typical: £22,000)

With an underdeveloped QS sector, a growing project management sector and a shortage of good engineers, Spain could be good if you want to become respected quickly. What's more, large projects are spreading to smaller cities - Murcia, Valencia, Zaragoza - so there's a bigger choice of destinations than ever.

And there's the sunny weather for most of the year. Chris Dottie, Hays' director in Spain, says: "When you have been away from the UK for a while you realise what a difference it makes."

But make sure you learn Spanish before moving, says Dottie: "Vacancies for English speaker with no Spanish language skills do occur, but they are few and far between."

UNITED ARAB EMIRATES

The best place to work if … you're proven on big projects

Quantity surveyor, 10 years' experience
Salary range: £48,000-61,000 (typical: £52,000)

Project manager, 15 years' experience
Salary range: £56,000-73,000 (typical: £59,000)

Engineer, 5 years' experience
Salary range: £31,000-42,000 (typical: £35,000)

Projects in the UAE's hotspots of Dubai and Abu Dhabi precede at a furious pace - the Burj Dubai, soon to be the tallest building in the world, is growing by a floor every nine days. As you might guess, 24/7 working weeks are not unusual.

The pay's great in the UAE, although entering the market can be quite difficult - many roles require regional experience and at least 10 years experience of large projects. Decision-making is closely controlled and managerial autonomy for expatriates is rare. "The working environment could not be more different and is a considerable culture shock to new entrants," warns Hays manager Jason Armes. But he adds that the lifestyle benefits are worth it: "The climate is excellent for nine months of the year. My windscreen wipers fell off yesterday and I just don't care!"