My reflections and tips on relocating from Seattle to London for work.

International relocations are a popular and attractive option for many professionals looking to travel and experience something new whilst growing their careers. There was even a viral HBR article featuring a study that showed how living abroad helps you develop a clearer sense of self. It has been eight years since I relocated with Amazon from Seattle to London in 2016, and I often get asked what it was like, so I thought I’d share my experience as it might be helpful for those considering a similar move.

Why I wanted to relocate to London: My motivation for pursuing an international transfer (aside from seeming like a fun adventure) was based on my positive experience working and living in Budapest, Hungary, from 2012-2013. I loved the multicultural, multilingual, vibrant experience in the office in Budapest and loved being able to travel to new countries over the weekend. Upon returning to Seattle for work, I targeted my application search towards companies with multinational presence with the view of making another move. After 2 years at Amazon in Seattle, an opportunity came up in the UK for a similar role, and I pursued it. Throughout my time in Seattle, I was open with my managers and peers about my long-term interest in relocating, and I think this helped garner support for the move when the time came.?

The process for getting the role: Amazon is a large organisation with a presence in over 30 countries and a robust internal transfer process. There was a job posting for the same role I was already doing (Campus Recruiter) based in London. By coincidence, the EU-based hiring manager was in Seattle at a conference, and we could have a coffee chat where I expressed my interest in the position. We had a great chat, and I'm still in touch with her today! After this, I completed a formal application process and interview (which involved travelling to Luxembourg) and was offered the position. Upon acceptance, the visa process started, which took several months, and once my visa was granted, I could set a start date and coordinate the relocation of my belongings, flight bookings, etc. My top tip is to have patience and flexibility towards yourself and others in this process. International moves take time, and the bureaucratic process of getting a visa can be rife with setbacks. This can be stressful if you are laser-focused on pinning down a start date and knowing all the details. If you have flexibility towards timelines and expectations about how quickly things will happen, the process will be much more enjoyable.

Making the move & settling in: When the day finally came to relocate, I was filled with anticipation, excitement and a natural amount of fear. I was moving independently, which felt exciting and daunting. The first few weeks were filled with work introductions, flat viewings, bank account admin, etc. When I moved into my own place in the new neighbourhood where I would be staying, I started feeling settled and loved exploring the local coffee shops and parks. My tips for anyone making a similar move would be to have patience with the process and find a place that feels like it could be home to you. Your living situation is an integral part of your life, and although it can feel like something needs to be done as quickly as possible, try to enjoy exploring different areas.?

What it was like at work: I was immediately thrust into my new role and stepped into meetings and deadlines whilst settling into my new London life. Despite being in the same type of role, I was surprised by the vast number of differences in processes in the new country. I was also adapting to the work culture in the UK, and these subtle differences took time to spot. I'll never forget the first time someone greeted me with "You all right?" at the coffee bar in the morning. It would have been helpful to work with a career coach or mentor who deals explicitly with international moves during this time. I also would’ve taken things slowly at the start and done a lot more listening and asking questions to get to know the culture and context in more depth.?Despite the initial challenges, I grew to love working in London, and some highlights have included off-sites in the South of France, travelling to Sweden with AWS, and the many festivities that happen in the office around Christmas.

Conclusion: It’s been eight years since I made that move, and I would do it again in a heartbeat. Living and working in London has shaped who I am, and I appreciate the new values I’ve gained and the lessons I’ve learned. I would encourage anyone considering an international move to take that courageous next step because it is enriching, rewarding, and gratifying.?

Additional Resources:

Book recommendation:?

The Culture Map by Erin Meyer. This enjoyable book provides a research-based approach to decoding how people think, lead and get things done across cultures.

Articles & Blogs:

Moving to another country checklist

Living abroad blog