Working abroad can be an exciting and rewarding experience, but it can also challenge your sense of self and identity. How can you use this opportunity to improve your self-awareness and grow as a person? Here are some tips to help you reflect on your values, beliefs, and goals while living and working in a different culture.
One of the benefits of working abroad is that you can learn about different ways of thinking, behaving, and communicating. However, this also means that you might encounter situations that clash with your own cultural norms and expectations. Instead of judging or avoiding these differences, try to explore them with curiosity and openness. Ask yourself why you think or act in a certain way, and how that relates to your cultural background. What can you learn from other perspectives, and what can you appreciate or adapt to?
Having lived and worked in a single industry and similar role across 4 countries other than my home country, I've learnt that awareness of culture is incredibly important when managing teams and building relationships with colleagues, partners and customers. Spending time with locals where possible and embracing their culture helped me to appreciate their position. It's given me a model to help deal with colleagues from countries that I have no experience with when they come to my current host country. I'd say the value of it is insurmountable. It was also really fun!
Living overseas gave me perspective to appreciate my home country. It’s like how learning a foreign language made me understand my native tongue better.
I had a short visit to Manila. Visiting this country all by myself literally uplifted me by giving me an exposure to a different culture, pushing me out of my comfort zone, helping me to introspect about values. It helped me to accept their culture, food and assess my personal strength and weakness.
As a psychologist and HR professional from Colombia, my time as a Senior Recruiter in Malta has been transformative. Working in a diverse setting has not only expanded my cultural intelligence but has also honed my adaptability and communication skills. Navigating global nuances has fueled self-reflection, enhancing problem-solving and emotional intelligence. Having the opportunity to work abroad is worth it, 100%.
The differences, & sometimes, comparison & conflict, in your local cultural ethos & that of abroad, engender an exquisite learning experience. One gains abundant knowledge about individual attitudes, educational patterns, & organizational setups abroad, & learns the best things from them to imbibe them in one's own life. One develops adaptability to a new environment, resilience to unfamiliar paradigms, & tolerance towards hitherto unobserved behaviors. From learning new languages to ingraining fresh, useful skills, working abroad has it all in store for the explorer, the opportunist, & the hero. At times, working abroad is more facilitative than working locally. Accomplishments come quick there, & often lead to jubilations at home.
Another way to improve your self-awareness is to seek feedback and perspectives from others, especially those who come from different backgrounds or experiences. Working abroad can expose you to diverse teams, clients, and networks, and you can use this opportunity to gain insights into your strengths, weaknesses, and areas for improvement. Ask for constructive and honest feedback from your colleagues, managers, mentors, or friends, and listen with an open mind. How do they perceive you, and how does that match or differ from your self-image? What skills or competencies do you need to develop or enhance?
Working abroad can also help you improve your self-awareness by setting goals and tracking your progress. Whether you are working abroad for a short-term project, a long-term assignment, or a permanent relocation, you can use this experience to advance your career and personal development. Identify what you want to achieve, learn, or change while working abroad, and how that aligns with your values and vision. Write down your goals and action plans, and review them regularly. How are you progressing towards your desired outcomes? What challenges or opportunities have you faced or created?
A key aspect of improving your self-awareness is to practice mindfulness and reflection. Working abroad can be stressful and overwhelming at times, and you might lose touch with your emotions, thoughts, and needs. To avoid this, make time to pause and check in with yourself. You can use various techniques, such as meditation, journaling, or coaching, to cultivate mindfulness and reflection. How are you feeling, and why? What are you thinking, and how does that affect your actions? What do you need, and how can you meet those needs?
Finally, working abroad can help you improve your self-awareness by celebrating your achievements and growth. Working abroad is not easy, and you should acknowledge and appreciate the efforts and results that you have made. Recognize the skills, knowledge, and competencies that you have gained or improved, and how they have contributed to your professional and personal success. Celebrate the relationships, connections, and networks that you have built or strengthened, and how they have enriched your life. How have you grown as a person, and what are you proud of?
Figure out where you fit in. From having worked internationally in many countries and learned multiple languages, you’ll tend to question your own identity. Embrace the discomfort, question the philosophical/cultural differences you experience, and try to see where you fit in.