When I landed in Italy 20 years ago, I was both excited and scared. I experienced mixed emotions. My thoughts ranged from this being a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to what had I gotten myself into and everything in between. Was this the right move in my mid-30s? What if I fail or can’t hack it? Could I make it overseas without a safety net? These are just a few thoughts that raced through my mind until I got on the plane. Having doubts is normal. That’s when you must tell yourself that nothing significant happens in your comfort zone. I reminded myself that I wanted to live and work abroad. I had studied for it and made the preparations to go, so why not now?

A year from now, you will wish you had started today. — Karen Lamb

Spending time abroad can be a life-changing experience. Here’s how you can benefit and what you can expect from your time away from home.

Take a timeout from the political chaos in the States.

Has the outcome of the election got you down? Even though the future appears bleak, this is a perfect time to escape the stress and uncertainty of the Trump Administration. Depending on your chosen place, you could be looking at everything from a more welcoming and stable government to a lower cost of living, universal healthcare, and, of course, cheaper eggs! If you still believe in it, science has proven that extended exposure to political divisiveness negatively affects your well-being. Psychology Today explains how prolonged divisiveness fuels burnout.

I’m not one for running away from my problems. However, putting some distance between you and the 24-hour news cycle will do wonders for your mental well-being, even if it’s only temporary.

Lastly, you can still participate in the resistance from abroad by joining online movements like BuildTheResistance.org, donating money, participating in virtual protests and phone campaigns, and sharing news and information on social media.

When you go abroad, leave your comfort zone behind.

Every day, you will be put to the test. You’ll have many new experiences to conquer, from minor everyday nuisances to far more complex issues. This can include everything from ordering food, understanding the metro system, meeting new people, asking for help to read the 15-line items on your pay stub, going on vacation by yourself, renting an apartment, filing local taxes, to buying a home – all in a foreign language. A dose of vulnerability can help, along with resilience and the attitude to get up and try again.

Do one thing every day that scares you. — Eleanor Roosevelt

Access learning you won’t get in the classroom.

When you go abroad, you will likely take a language class or two where you will get the basics. There are language apps to support your learning along the way as well. I encourage you to take classes and try the available tech, but the real test will come when you wake up and step outside. I call it street learning. Start the morning at a café or coffee bar. Ordering and having coffee at the corner bar will be helpful in assimilating into your new home. Not only to observe how the locals do it but also to get a sense of what people are talking about and what’s on their minds. You can extend street learning to food and clothing shopping, dining out, and the office.

Experience a new culture firsthand when you live and work abroad.

In Italy, for example, there are more than 230 festivals and events every year related to historical events, food & wine, and local traditions.

Here are just a handful of events that I have experienced: the Epiphany, Jan 6, where the Befana (witch) leaves candy and sweets in the stockings of children; Venice’s Carnevale, the farewell party leading up to Lent, Feb 14-Mar 4; Vinitaly wine festival in Verona, Apr 6-9; The Infiorata di Noto, the Baroque Flower Festival, in Noto, Sicily, May 16-20; the Sagra del Limone, a festival dedicated to lemons, in Monterosso, Cinque Terre, May 17; The Festa della Repubblica, the birthday of the Italian Republic, Jun 2; and The Festa del Redentore which takes place in Venice and celebrates the end of the plague, Jul 19-20. When you live and work abroad, events and holidays can be great fun and provide an opportunity to learn more about a new culture.

Great people do things before they’re ready. They do things before they know they can do it. Doing what you’re afraid of, getting out of your comfort zone, taking risk like that – that is what life is. You might be really good. You might find out something about yourself that’s really special and if you’re not good, who cares? You tried something. Now you know something about yourself. — Amy Poehler

While overseas, open yourself up to new career opportunities.

After a few years of work experience abroad, I built up a resume that opened doors. I was exposed to opportunities that would never have been available to me in the States. A combination of experience and an extended network helped me advance my career and establish myself as an international marketing professional at home and overseas. Thanks to my success in Italy, I have been recruited and interviewed for jobs throughout EMEA.

Alternatively, being abroad can spark entrepreneurial pursuits. Many people I know have leveraged their experiences to start their own businesses in consulting, travel services, food and wine, and other opportunities related to their home overseas.

While a move of any type can be stressful, if you’ve done your research, then why not now? Today, there are more ways to go abroad than ever before. You can study, teach, volunteer, go with your current employer, get recruited internationally, or go on a digital nomad visa. You can do it yourself, or there are companies to help you find the right place and support you on your move.

An experience overseas will expand your horizons and open doors to a new you.

Photo by Lina Kivaka from Pexels

The post Live and work abroad: 5 reasons to encourage you to go now. appeared first on Ciao Lulu!.

Photo by Gustavo Fring from Pexels

March 8th marked International Women’s Day 2021, a day when we, as women, should have celebrated our achievements and brought visibility to the inequalities that still exist. As I reflect on that day and my own life, #ChooseToChallenge is such a fitting theme for so many reasons, including one area that is close to me, multicultural expat assignments.

A successful overseas work experience can accelerate your career advancement.  In Topia’s Adapt or Lose the War for Talent Report, results revealed that 57% of employees agree that international experiences are critical to career growth and mobility, especially for senior roles. And while this is promising news in itself, the presence of women on the expat circuit is low. 

According to Mercer’s Worldwide Survey of International Assignment Policies and Practices, females represent 20% of international assignments.  This number is up compared to 14% in 2017 and 11% in 2015. Even though progress is being made on the number of expat assignments going to women, growth is too slow.

This is where this year’s International Women’s Day theme comes into play. We need to choose to challenge our HR, Training and Development, and Workforce Mobility experts, and, above all, ourselves to develop and demand expat programs that are more inclusive so that more women can take advantage of these opportunities.

As a female working abroad, here are my suggestions for making expat assignments more accessible to women.

Flexible Programs

It’s not enough to offer long or short-term programs. Get creative. Customize expat assignments for women based on the woman’s needs and/or circumstances – single, care taker, single parent, or married with family.  Break up the assignment into modules where the female expat alternates modules between the host and home country.  On longer term assignments, schedule periodic travel back to the home office to review progress, and allow the expat to get face time with colleagues and management, and to take care of personal business.  If the pandemic has taught us anything, it is that we are more than capable of working remotely.  Incorporating remote work options into your expat program will allow candidates to take baby steps toward work abroad. It will also open the doors to more female candidates that may have ruled out an assignment due to personal obligations or fear of making the move. 

Assimilation and Support

On top of relocation, if the female expat is not traveling alone, she may need help with navigating school systems, child care or a traveling spouse.  It is not enough that the expat settles in, the entire family needs to find its place on an overseas move.  Knowing that support exists for the entire family will help alleviate the fear of going abroad.  In the case that family members decide to remain at home, break up the assignment. Allow the female expat to travel back and forth from the host and home country.  Lastly, having a point of contact on the ground throughout the assignment will be critical for a successful expat assignment. 

Defined Start and Finish Dates

Almost everything in life has a start and a finish date.  Expat assignments should too.  Be clear on milestones and deliverables, but most importantly be transparent about what comes next.  The expat shouldn’t fall off the grid. What are the female expat’s options at the end of her assignment – return home, stay or go to a new location?  Knowing that opportunities will be available after the assignment will make the experience that much more attractive.

Mentors and Sponsors

Working abroad is a big decision and shouldn’t be taken lightly.  Female mentors with expat experience can help prepare future expats for what they will face throughout their time abroad – differences in culture, fitting in and creating a network, unconscious biases, sentiment toward the home office or country, healthcare, finances and taxes, hidden costs, etc.  An in-country sponsor is a must.  I can speak from experience about life without one. Just on the work front alone, the experience might be 100% different than what you expected. A sponsor can provide tips on business etiquette, office culture, labor laws, etc.  For life outside the office, a sponsor can introduce you to new experiences and help you build a personal network. This is just as important as success on the job.

Clear Outcomes and Next Steps

Many expats will end up returning home, but some may stay or move onto a new location.  All assignments should have clear, quantifiable metrics with periodic reviews. There should also be a mechanism for feedback.  Before heading overseas, the expat should know her next steps or career choices upon completion of the assignment.

Make Expat Assignments for Women a Reality

It has always been my belief that you get the best out of your employees when you respect, appreciate and reward them, and are transparent.  These behaviors will drive loyalty and will attract top talent.  In these days, everyone has gotten on the inclusion and diversity bandwagon, some mean it and others are just paying lip service.  As women, let’s make a conscious choice to challenge convention and develop programs that are inclusive of women’s needs.

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