Going abroad
Wouter Zijlstra
Journey Maker leading technical talents to global success at CC.Talent
The Dream!
It starts with a dream.
For me, going abroad is in my veins as long as I can remember. It is running in my veins, in my DNA. I am not the first one of my family, and I will not be the last one that is for sure.
About a year ago my fiancé and I started to talk about what to call home and what does home look like. We both said without any hesitation that the Philippines will be our HOME.
A Dream was set, milestones where create, a blueprint in our minds a process that we both agreed on.
Search and connect.
To be able to make a dream into a reality you have to ask yourself some basic questions;
- Where will I be living?
- What kind of work can I do abroad?
Before you start to connect with people, ask yourself these two simple question!
My fiancé and I first had the idea to avoid Manila. Now when I started to do research and get in contact with people who live and work in the Philippines, we changed both our mindset.
Living, in a major city with great opportunities to find work and collaborate with other expatriates.
The last time I was in Manila I have had to the change to talk in person with several people. This helps a lot to bond for now and the future. When you have the opportunity to go to the location you want to live and work. Take that moment and go.
- Work, know what position(s) you are looking for. Talk with people back home as well as abroad.
Plan your journey wisely!
Write, Schedule and Meet Up
So you found some job advertisements or companies that you want to tell them in an open letter that you are interested to work for them. Make sure you know what are the local words they are using.
Recently I needed some legal documents to be translated into English, the first question was U.K. English or American English. Be aware of the different writing of words with the same meaning. For example ‘organization’ & ‘organisation’, ‘waistcoat’ & ‘vest’ and ‘aeroplane’ & ‘airplane’, they all mean the same, only spelled differently.
You are the chosen one to be interviewed, being abroad gives a challenge called distance. Try setting up a Skype call (or any other video platform), since it will be your first impression make sure your camera is working, your room is tidy and you look fresh.
Color and clothing tip; make sure the background and your clothing are not the same, and avoid plane black or white clothing. Dark clothing on a lighter background works the best.
Remember you might have several hours between, so take the time to be ready.
You have the interview via video call planned, now it is all or nothing. Convince them you are worth it. Besides the usual why you are the best for the job, what are your pros and contras? There is this other thing, you are abroad, why should they hire you?
Mention in the interview you will plan the face-to-face interview as soon as possible. When you know you will travel soon towards the destination, mention this in the interview so you can schedule the personal meeting.
When you have the chance to meet in person, do it! It helped me to introduce myself and to get the conversation started. So don’t hesitate and take the step and do it.
From job hunting abroad, to meet and great in person.
Going abroad and Visa's!
When we travel, we forget how easy it is to travel to 'common' areas that we just can enter without requesting a Visa. That is not the fact when you want to settle down/work or go to area's that you need a Visa.
To avoid issues check on the embassy website of the country you are willing to visit what the exact regulations are. Make sure to request the proper Visa, validate what Visa you need and what the exact procedure is to apply for it.
Be always aware, a tourist Visa is not a working Visa, validate with the embassy what type of Visa you need for your travel plan.
My personal journey is all about the Philippines. For the Philippines, I just need the entry Visa (check this page https://lnkd.in/enPKdTA), when I stay less than 30 days. Everything longer means I will have to visit the department of foreigner affairs in the Philippines to extend my Visa.
So be prepared and find out what paperwork you need for your next trip.
Learning Language & Culture
Knowing the language of the country you are going to live in is definitely a plus, only it is not always that easy to learn the language abroad.
Learning a language opens doors, it helps you to blend in and to understand the people. I have had the challenge in the past when I planned to move to Panama. Learning Spanish in the Netherlands was a challenge, in the end, I have learned Spanish on the streets of Panama City and in taxis and more.
My new language to learn, Tagalog. I try to study several times a week. Even though I know I will learn Tagalog in the Philippines will I keep building my baseline.
Besides the language of your new home, the next thing to get familiar with is culture. When we look at the culture we look at traditions, so make sure you understand the new culture of your work environment. In some countries, it is normal to hang out regularly with your coworkers after work. But also make sure to understand the culture of your new town and country.
What have to avoid, is bringing our ‘old’ habits with us. It is a new start, so let go of the past and let’s go into our new future. It will be challenging, in the end, it will be worth it.
The Move!
The time has come, we are moving abroad.
The dream that became reality, it all started when you made the choice to follow your heart and start the journey to go abroad. Since things won’t happen by itself we have to plan and make a checklist to avoid issues when going abroad. Online you can find several versions of these checklists.
To avoid issues in the future, make sure to close all doors properly behind you. This is my personal shortlist of reminders;
- Cancel and stop all running/active contracts in time;
- Make sure to ship all your personal belongings to your new address. I use the BalikBayan service of Balikbayan-Nederland to send my belongings to the Philippines.
- Secure the papers that are valued for you. When it is required, let them legalize to be valid in your new home country;
- Avoid tax issues, so clear that path also (would be something to get a surprise when you would go back);
- Let people know where you are going towards;
- When you have a pension plan or life-policies check if they are valid abroad or what you need to do;
- When you own a house, sell it, or rent it out (be aware you are abroad, so have a trusty to look after the property);
- And of course, plan your trip to your new home, make sure to add some off time in to explore your place and making sure all is ready for your new life.
For those who are following my posts they know I am getting closer to go abroad. So you might wonder where I am in the process of going abroad.
At this moment still looking/applying for work in the Philippines. The challenge is that I am here in the Netherlands, so wish me luck in the next weeks (since I will be in the Philippines in June, and hopefully are able to have some interviews again).
My personal belongings are shipped towards the Philippines yesterday (April 25th, 2019). It all fits in one shipping suitcase (only books, they come with me by airplane). I love to live simply and humble. So I travel light, very light indeed.
When you are standing at the point of going abroad, I will you all the luck and a bright future.
I say "See you soon in the Philippines, our new Home!"
Your New Home, now what!
You have done it, you are living abroad, you have a job and place to live. The end!
Uhhh not really now the work really starts, you left behind, family, friends, people that surrounded you, that made you who are today. It is time to go out and build your network again in your new home location.
Seek out fellow expats, use platforms as InterNations, they organize events and more. Find meet-ups near you, find the expats, you are not alone, they have been on that same road also.
Besides the social part of getting around and building the new group personal network do you might face challenges with banking and credibility. As an expat, they don’t know you and they might ask for a reference letter from your bank. Also, the organization you are now working for could help you out in setting up a new bank account, ask and you will know what they can do for you. You are not alone!
You have now a place to live, a job, friends. Now you want to get a car and go around, make sure to validate that you have an international driver’s license so you go into the procedure to get a driver’s license in your new country.
And last but not least, give it time. Give yourself time to adopt your new home, the new culture, new habits. Some people will blend in the new living easily as if nothing is changed at all, while others feel lost and abandoned. Give it time, and talk with others, your spouse, your family and friends, colleagues and other expats near you. They are your backbone, your security. Open your eyes and enjoy the new life that is ahead of you.
Remember, You are Not Alone. Tandaan, Hindi Ka Nag-iisa. Recuerda, no estás solo. Weet dat je er niet alleen voorstaat. Denken Sie daran, dass Sie nicht alleine sind.
Overview of the posts and more
To make life easier, here you find all direct links to the posts I have created on LinkedIn, the link to my personal SmartList on FYI.to and the details of the BalikBayan service we are using.
Direct links to all the related posts regarding this aricle:
- Going abroad to live and work
- It starts with a dream.
- Search and connect.
- Write, Schedule and Meet Up
- Going abroad and Visa!
- Learning Language & Culture
- The Move
- Your New Home, now what!
My SmartList on FYI.to:
I am using FYI.to already for some time now, I create SmartList to combine all related items into one single list that I reuse in my posts on LinkedIn and Facebook. This specific SmartList is called "The Dream to go Abroad!", click on the title to go my SmartList.
BalikBayan Nederland:
The Balikbayan service in the Netherlands we are using to ship our items to the Philippines. They have each month a door to door service for your balikbayan boxes to anywhere in the Philippines.
Website BN: https://balikbayan-nederland.eu Facebook Page: https://www.facebook.com/balikbayan.nederland