Moving to a new country can be an exhilarating yet daunting experience, especially when your career trajectory is impacted by the move. Whether it's following a spouse who has landed a job in the UK or pursuing the dream of immigrating to Singapore with visa sponsorship hurdles, expats often find themselves facing the dual challenge of adapting to a new country while seeking a new career. This journey requires not only professional agility but also personal resilience.
The Expat Career Change Dilemma: Sacrifices and Compromises
When the country comes first, career compromises often follow. Many expats accept positions that are below their previous job level, driven by the necessity to secure employment and visa sponsorship. For instance, a seasoned marketing director might find themselves in a mid-level marketing role, simply because it offers the quickest route to a visa. This can lead to feelings of being undervalued and out of place in their new roles, compounded by cultural and language barriers. The transition is heavy—not just professionally, but personally, as families, pets, and lifestyles are uprooted and replanted in foreign soil.
Take one of my coachees, Sarah (not her real name), for example, who moved to the US because her husband received a great job offer. Back home in Japan, she was a senior project manager with a leading tech company. In the United States, she struggled to find a position that matched her experience and eventually took a junior role just to get her foot in the door. The professional setback was tough, and she often felt like an outsider, grappling with different workplace norms and communication styles.
The Turkish-American-Irish Experience: A Personal Journey
As a Turkish native married to an American, with two multicultural children we are raising in Ireland, I understand this journey intimately. My career at Google and my husband’s PhD at DCU placed us in the heart of international, multicultural, and diverse communities. Our daughter's school and our neighborhood further reinforce this sense of belonging, mirroring the multicultural environments we sought even in our home countries. This blend of cultures and backgrounds is where we feel most at home.
Ireland, with its welcoming nature and history as an immigrant nation, has been an incredibly accommodating host, for which we are immensely grateful. The openness and understanding of international lifestyles here surpass those of other countries we have lived in. However, unconscious biases and a lack of awareness can still arise in professional settings. Challenges we have faced include breaking into local cliques, encountering foreign name bias during job selection, and dealing with a lack of awareness and connectedness from Human Resources and Recruitment departments regarding visa and immigration processes.
Leadership Styles and Cultural Adaptation in the Context of Career Change
Adapting to a new country often means adapting to new leadership styles. Erin Meyer’s "The Culture Map" provides a valuable framework for understanding how cultural differences impact leadership and communication. For instance, direct communication, which is valued in Northern Europe, can be perceived as rude in more indirect communication cultures like Japan. Conversely, a high-context communication style can seem evasive to those from low-context cultures.
In my professional journey, I've learned to balance direct communication with the indirect styles preferred in certain cultures, fostering a more harmonious and productive workplace. For instance, while working with a team in Ireland, I found that starting meetings with casual conversation and gradually moving to business topics helped build trust and rapport, which is crucial in a more relationship-oriented culture.
Embracing Local Support and Overcoming Biases
The Harvard Business Review article on expat myths highlights the importance of recognizing the role of host-country nationals (HCNs) in supporting expats. Just as HCNs play a crucial role in helping expats settle and succeed, expats must also acknowledge and respect the contributions of their local colleagues. Mutual understanding and appreciation can mitigate the feelings of being out of place and enhance collaborative efforts.
For instance, one of my coachees who started working in a predominantly Irish tech company made a conscious effort to understand the local work culture and actively sought feedback from his Irish colleagues. This approach not only helped him integrate better but also built a foundation of trust and mutual respect. Over time, this effort paid off as he noticed his colleagues becoming more open to his suggestions and more willing to support his initiatives.
Another of my expat coachees enjoys attending local events and learning about French traditions, which helps her connect with colleagues on a personal level. This cultural engagement smooths many of her professional interactions in France, fostering stronger relationships and a more supportive work environment.
The Impact of Career Change on Expat Family and Personal Life
Moving to a new country doesn't just affect the expat professional; it impacts the whole family. Relocating means finding new schools for children, adjusting to different educational systems, and integrating into new social circles. For instance, one of my coachees who moved to the UK faced challenges when his son struggled with the transition to his new school. The curriculum was different, and making new friends was challenging. As parents, they had to be extra supportive, attending school events and arranging playdates to help him adjust.
Pets, too, face their own set of challenges. Moving their dog to the UK involved navigating complex pet relocation regulations and ensuring his comfort during the transition. Such logistical hurdles add layers of stress to the already heavy emotional and professional load of moving countries.
Conclusion: Finding Belonging in Diversity
Navigating a career change in a new country is no small feat, but with the right mindset and support, it can lead to personal and professional growth. Leveraging resources like Erin Meyer’s "The Culture Map" and insights from research on expat dynamics, we can better understand and adapt to our new environments, ultimately thriving in our international careers.
As expats, the search for belonging often leads us to multicultural and diverse communities where we can truly feel at home. This quest for alignment extends to our professional lives, influencing our leadership styles and interactions. By embracing the challenges and opportunities of cultural adaptation, expats can turn what might initially seem like a setback into a transformative experience.
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