Customer Success Across Continents

After celebrating my 5th anniversary living in Ireland, I had a few folks reach out about wanting to learn more about my journey from the USA to Europe so I thought this would be a great topic for my latest newsletter!???

My journey started right around the time I got married in 2017.? After this happened, my wife, Stephanie Zimbler , and I started talking about potentially spending some time in Europe before we became “real adults” with a house and kids.? This sparked the idea, and we then went on a two-year journey to make this a reality when we moved to Dublin in 2019.?

When we made this decision, I started to network around LinkedIn to learn from folks who had done this before and to find out how this process would work. I found out that I would need to find a role that would hire and sponsor me to work in Europe and with only speaking English, I should focus on our Dublin and London offices. I then set out to find a role and hiring manager who would take a chance on hiring me to come over.

During this time, I changed roles to a team that had a more global presence with the hope that I would be able to move within the team. I did continued to network and explore other options so that I didn't put all my eggs in one basket. This ended up being important because due to headcount issues, this team ended up not having open roles in Europe during my time on the team.

At this point I was a bit discouraged as I had now been on this journey for over a year and didn't seem much closer to making this a reality. However, I was determined to make this happen, so I didn't let this stop me.

While this was happening, a number of people I had started with at LinkedIn were joining this new team that was hiring globally. As luck would have it, I was able to attend Talent Connect (LinkedIn's premier customer facing conference) that year and that team was very well represented as this new product was just launching. I ran into one of my amazing coworkers (Hi Shannon (Burke) Stebbins !) who had just joined the team and had amazing things to say. She also mentioned that the hiring manager was at the conference and there was an open role in Europe. After learning this, I moved quickly and set up an in-person chat with that person (Hi Haley Marwell !). During that chat I found that this team could be a great fit and that they were open to relocating people from the USA to Europe.

From there I started doing my interview prep, was able to complete the process, and get hired into this role with the ability to move over to Dublin. In the end it took about two years but was totally worth it!

Since moving over, I have?talked with many other folks who have done this and learned that people have very different experiences when trying to make this type of move. I have seen people have much easier and much harder experiences. Here are five tips and learnings from my experience making the move.?

??For other who have moved abroad, what would you add???

1. Be patient and persistent. You probably won't find a job abroad overnight. If you are driving this forward, it can be a long-term goal that requires hard work and dedication. You'll face challenges and obstacles along the way, so you need to be ready to overcome them and not give up. Think of this as a journey, not a destination. Enjoy the process and learn from your experiences. This way, you'll keep chasing this until you find the right opportunity.?On the flip side, if your company asks you to move abroad, say yes, as this is the easiest way for this to happen!
2. Find out your company's stance on global mobility. From my perspective, the easiest way to make a move like this is with your current company. Some companies are very supportive of global mobility and have programs or policies to help employees relocate. Others are more reluctant or strict about letting people go overseas. Do some research on your company's history and culture regarding international moves. Your manager or HR department can be a good place to start but talking to people who have made these moves may shed more light on what this looks like in practice.?
3. Choose between internal or external options. Based on what you learn about your company's policy, you can weigh your options and decide which one is better for you. Usually, it's easier to move internally if your company has offices around the world, because they already know you and your brand. But if your company is more local or doesn't have any openings in your desired destination, you'll have to look externally and apply for jobs with other companies.?
4. Know the visa and work permit requirements. Moving abroad is not just about finding a job, it's also about getting a visa and a work permit. Different countries have different rules and requirements for foreign workers, and you need to know who can help you navigate them. You need to know who can hire you and sponsor your visa abroad, whether it's your current employer or a new company. This will help you target your networking and job search efforts and know what steps you need to take to get approved.?
5. Connect with people who live or work where you want to go. One of the best ways to prepare for an international move is to connect with people who work or live where you want to go. They can give you insider tips, referrals, or recommendations on how to land a job and settle in. They can also tell you more about the culture, the lifestyle, and the expectations of hiring managers abroad. You can use social media, online forums, or professional networks to find and reach out to these people and start building relationships with them.?

Moving abroad can be challenging, but it's not impossible. With the right mindset, attitude, and strategy, you can make it happen. If you are thinking about this, I’m here to chat!?

5 LinkedIn Posts I found Interesting This Month:

Markus Rentsch shares about how to get CSMs to be the highest-paid role in the company:

Daphne Costa Lopes shares some great advice on making the most out of every customer meeting:

Carly Agar shared some great resources to help your job search:

Marija Skobe-Pilley shared some advice on how to share the great work you are doing with your leadership as a CSM:

I am very sad to not be attending Pulse in St. Louis this week but here is more info from Gainsight if you are attending:

??Hey, I'm Ezra, a Manager of Customer Success at LinkedIn and Customer Success enthusiast!

?? I write about the latest trends?in Customer Success and my life working in the CS department for LinkedIn!

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