Guide to a Successful Expatriation

In this article, you will find a list of things you should consider before leaving home. Ideally grab a piece of paper and a pen, and write down your project, your goals and study the country. You will be surprised how by preparing properly your expatriation and knowing where the difficulties will be, you will be able to go pass them with more motivation and save precious time on-site.

Evaluate your capacities to adapt

Being able to cope with unusual situations and adapt to another countries culture is an essential quality for an expatriate. If you are too attached to your own cultural value, expatriation can be a complicated experience. But beware: these skills are not definitive. Life abroad also can profoundly change the perceptions of others and open to the world

Define your project

Your expatriation project must answer the question: "what is it that I'm going to win?". It should be much more than just financial reasons. Develop skills, broaden your horizons, extend your network, integrate a company? These are the elements that will make up the expatriation project. It is vital to define beforehand what you want to get from this experience in order to take maximum advantage of it.

Think about the entire family

If you are planning to move abroad with a spouse or a family to support it is essential that it is done as a family experience and each member of the household must have an individual project. Each member of the family must find their own purpose for the expatriation not just follow the other. Otherwise in a couple for example, one might get bored very quickly or refuse to integrate the new life which would ruin the whole experience.

Assess how expatriation will affect your career

Living abroad often constitutes a rewarding personal experience. It might be about learning the country’s language or increasing your capacity to adapt or an obliged step to climb in the hierarchy of your company. 

But we must measure the actual consequences of the expatriation on your CV. Is the practice a foreign language valued in my business? Will the sacrifices made abroad slow down my career? Does working in a foreign subsidiary put me away from the decisions makers? If these issues should not be brakes initially, they must however be asked to avoid disappointments later on.

Understand the local labor market

Depending on whether you're sent abroad by your business or you decide to go by yourself, the approach to the labor market is different. In the first case, on-site job awaits you; in the other, you will need to find a job. You will need to think in advance about the structure of the labor market in the country and the possibility of finding work within your field.  You will also have to set how much time you will give yourself to find a job. Some States ask to go if you're not employed quickly and you will have to be able to fund the time you will be unemployed.

Understanding the job market is assessing your chances of finding a position in your industry, understanding the skills required or even studying the economic situation of the country. For example, to find a job in Hong Kong, it is better to be trader than a French teacher.

Find employment locally

For those on the quest for a job abroad, the job search is a critical time. It is essential to be aware of the recruitment methods used in the destination country. Being aware of the country’s CV and Cover Letter format, having references ready and arranging interviews before leaving will save you precious time. Do not assume that the CV type you have been using in the UK will be valid in Australia or the USA, you might upset employers and lose credibility.

 

Study your employment contracts

Expatriation has various legal forms. Be careful before signing you contract if you beneficiate of your home countries employment laws, a special expatriate contract or if you will be under a local contract. For example, if you come from France, where you were entitled to 5 weeks paid holiday, employment security and high taxation system and move to Australia. On a local contract you would lose 1 week holiday and might find you contract specifies you can be fired overnight.

Be aware of life conditions in the destination country

It is vital to consider the country where you are going, living conditions, weather, safety, and, if possible, find out what your everyday reality will be. Whenever possible, the ideal is to go on holiday or take an unpaid leave or a sabbatical to make sure you actually like your new life before you quit your job to discover the real life on the spot. Some would prefer developing countries when others can only live in capitals cities. You must find the appropriate destination to suit your lifestyle.

Immerse yourself in the host country’s culture

Don’t rush to your community’s suburb as soon as arrived. The key to a successful expatriation isn’t to live in you expat bubble, learn about the country meet the people, learn the language, you will be pleasantly surprised and you will get so much more out of your experience.

Adapt to local methods

The working environment will be different business hours, hierarchical relationships change from a country to another. Don’t be shocked if in Spain they have a good 2h lunch break or if in Australia you are offered a beer on the workplace a Friday afternoon. These differences are what make the country unique, try to adapt and be open.

Keep in touch with your home country

Just because you are away for a few years, don’t forget to keep contact with your home country and keep your network alive to ease your return. Don’t lose a network you have been building for years or good friendships; you will be glad when you come home.

Understand you will go through different stages of mindset

Even if it is not your first expatriation and you are fully prepared, moving home isn't emotionally simple. When you arrive in your new country, you will find yourself going through a range of feeling from overwhelming excitement to stunned shock, from momentary panic and homesickness to a feeling of euphoria as you realize what you have achieved, and all the opportunities in front of you. 

It is actually one of the best feelings in the world when you have planned and prepared for relocation and then you realize it and make it happen!

Enjoy the positive feelings and don’t worry about the negative ones – they are 100% to be expected, everyone goes through the thought process where you encounter a few tough days trying to adjust. The best way to go through it is to remember why you made the move in the first place and what your goals were.