5 key tips for a successful work relocation!

If you’ve ever considered moving for work, you’ll be familiar with the mixed bag of excitement and fear that the opportunity can offer. Relocating is a big decision— especially when moving to a new country, where you don’t have a personal or professional network, and may not even speak the local language. And even if you’re simply moving to a different city, how do you choose one life over another?

Having spent the entirety of my career working in different countries far away from my native Canada, I know a thing or two about the relocation game. Here are my tips to making a work move work for you.

Trying something new will always take you outside of your comfort zone. With each move I’ve made—first to Croatia, then to the US, then France, the UK and back to France—I knew everything would be different from what I knew. Go into it with the expectation that you’re going to be challenged. I’ve learned that it takes about a year for a new place to feel like home. Before you achieve that milestone, just take each day as it comes and be patient with yourself. And don’t forget that while you’ll have a lot to learn, your new colleagues will benefit from the fresh perspective that you’ll bring, too.

The culture of your new workplace is likely to have several unfamiliar unspoken rules. I learned the hard way that in the UK and France, people are generally more reserved than what I’m used to, and I’ve been told I can come off as quite direct. I also learned early on that in France, lunch breaks are sacred. In London, my colleagues and I ate at our desks every day but here, you’re expected to switch off and go to the canteen or a restaurant with your team. Sometimes, important information is exchanged at lunchtime and you’ll be left out if you’re not there.

It’s really helped me to be open to additional, new experiences and skills. For example, when I started my marketing career in London, I jumped in to help out in teams outside my own. In Paris, I started out as Content Manager for Euler Hermes’s Claims & Collections department before taking on my current role as Marketing Communications Manager at World Agency. Working close to people who are such experts on a core part of the business—and having an open mind because everything was so new to me anyway— helped me seek out technical knowledge I wouldn’t have gotten anywhere else.

I’m lucky that in the World Agency team, there are a lot of people that share my expat status. Our team culture is very open, so it’s easy to reach out to people for an informal chat. This has enabled me to expand my network and get to know even more people across the company.

As important as it is to make new connections, don’t forget to keep in regular contact with those at home. Being in a new place with new rules can feel isolating, so it’s important to share your experiences with those who know you best. I try to visit London as much as possible, and make sure I always have in my plans the next trip or video call with friends or family.

Relocating for work has helped my career in several ways. If you ask me, the positives far outweigh the challenges. Just make sure that you research your new location well, have an open mind, and find a role in a company that supports employee mobility.