Analysis: Careers today are not linear progressions through organisations, but dynamic, multi-layered journeys spanning countries and cultures
What does it take to sustain a career – and a life – when you’ve left one EU country for another? There are three indicators of a sustainable career: maintaining happiness, health and productivity over time; acknowledging how work and non-work elements influence one’s career decisions and outcomes. Ireland’s acute housing crisis is a structural “push” factor, generating a new wave of economically motivated emigration.
This matters because when housing costs consume a prohibitive share of income, the “happiness” and “health” pillars of sustainable careers are fundamentally compromised. EU freedom of movement then becomes not merely an opportunity for career development, but a rational response to attain and maintain a sustainable career.
Work today is more unpredictable and self-directed than in the past, with decisions driven increasingly by wellbeing, identity and life balance. Our study followed 42 Europeans from Ireland, Germany, and Spain who had moved to another EU country for long-term work and life. Every participant sustained strong ties to their home country despite settling abroad.
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From RTÉ Radio 1’s Morning Ireland, three-in-five under-25s considering emigration – survey
Their careers are not simply “Irish” or “German” or “Spanish” careers; they are transnational careers, maintained across borders. Their experiences reveal that sustainable careers are not made in just one country: they are built in the space between home and host, shaped by shifting life stages, personal choices, and national systems.
‘Work-life balance varied markedly’
Most participants saw their move as an opportunity for growth. 25 of the 42 arrived with little or no knowledge of the host-country language, often starting at the bottom – one Spanish architect in Germany drew instructions for construction workers during his first months. Over time, language became a gateway to more fulfilling work and deeper social integration, contributing significantly to subjective career satisfaction.
16 participants undertook further study in their host country – strategic decisions that opened networks and addressed qualification-recognition issues. Work-life balance varied markedly: Spain’s long working days posed challenges to family life, while Germany’s parental leave policies and Ireland’s flatter organisational cultures were widely appreciated. For Irish participants, housing affordability abroad – more accessible rents in cities such as Barcelona or Berlin – directly contributed to their financial security and wellbeing.
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From RTÉ Radio 1’s Drivetime, is it possible it is to have a work/life balance in a stressful job?
For this group, health was a two-country affair. Spain’s universal tax-funded system was praised for fairness; Germany’s insurance model seen as thorough but costly; Ireland’s long waiting times described as a drawback. Several participants crafted “transnational healthcare solutions,” flying home annually for check-ups – reducing anxiety in ways central to career sustainability. Emotional wellbeing was equally significant: loneliness and guilt at being far from elderly parents were common, tempered by the psychological comfort of short European flights.
International mobility is a powerful source of career capital: adaptability, resilience, cultural agility, language skills, and broader professional networks. Younger participants were driven by ambition; midcareer movers used the transition to redirect their careers; older participants prioritised meaning and balance. Self-employment was particularly notable in Spain – eight of the 14 Spanish-based participants were self-employed, often to bypass hierarchical cultures and low wages, reflecting the “expat-preneur” phenomenon.
Where housing and childcare costs at home constrain financial flexibility (crèches in Mallorca were cited as costing around €400-500 per month, a fraction of Irish equivalents; entrepreneurship abroad can restore the conditions necessary for sustainable productivity. Across all contexts, a “learning mode” – openness to new opportunities and willingness to adapt – was a key ingredient in sustaining employability.
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From RTÉ Radio 1’s Today with David McCullagh, why is it becoming harder for young people to get on the career ladder
A new way to think about European careers
What emerges is a portrait of people whose lives are shaped by both home and host country, blending the strengths of each – Spanish healthcare, German work protections, Irish workplace culture – to support different aspects of their lives at different stages.
Careers today are not linear progressions through organisations, but dynamic, multi-layered journeys spanning countries and cultures. The question is no longer which country offers the “best” opportunities, but how people can blend the advantages of both home and host to craft a life that works over time.
Where basic conditions for a sustainable life – affordable housing, accessible healthcare, quality childcare – are absent at home, intra-EU mobility offers a rational, necessary response for people to attain their best equilibrium and support their happiness, health and productivity – the hallmarks of a sustainable career.
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This article was based in large part from data that originated during Dr Blanca Suarez Bilbao’s PhD research, supervised by the author and Dr Edward P. O’Connor at Maynooth University
The views expressed here are those of the author and do not represent or reflect the views of RTÉ
