Global Skills for Life and Work
Interesting websites that Inspire
I am back after a month long break traveling to Europe. Looking forward to a new month with cooler weather , energy and enthusiasm. My next blog is coming soon, in the meantime, below are a few interesting websites related to job search that inspire and an advise:
http://www.weddles.com/index.htm
http://www.passportcareer.com/blog/
The Opportunity and Challenge in Moving
One of my workshop participants once said that it feels as she left her best self in her country of origin and that her current version of her self is inferior: less self confident, successful and happy. Professionally she does not feel as accomplished and proud.
Moving to a new country, region or even just a new town or city is both an opportunity and a challenge. I have found it refreshing to move to a new location, even for a short period of time. As an exchange student in France in my mid 20s I felt as if my life was an empty sheet of paper with limitless opportunities for writing a new personal story. Leaving my safe and predictable life in college behind opened new opportunities for me to explore who I am, who I want to be and how to transform. My move to the US from Finland in my late 20s was my ultimate leap of faith. I had another chance to start anew, to explore a new country, new friends and create new goals and dream up new dreams. It has been challenging, but worthwhile. I have learned tremendously.
This is the thrilling aspect of moving and leaving the known and safe behind. It is a wonderful opportunity to create something new, but requires that you remain open to exploring and learning more about yourself and the world.
One key factor to my positive experiences moving across the world is that I was in control. I initiated the move through my own wishes and actions. I was young and single without a family to care for. I was not forced to move because of political, economical or financial reasons or because of my partner’s job. These issues immediately complicate a transition.
Global relocation has been a very different experience for my workshop participant. She followed her spouse to his new job and has children to care for. Her circle of control is much narrower and more people’s well-being depends on how she feels about and adjusts to the new country. Her professional identity is weakened as she has left those who know her accomplishments and career story behind on the other side of the world. In her new city, few know her professional successes and her reputation.
What can we do to facilitate a transition to a new country or city? Research has shown that personality traits such as how you handle uncertainty and change influence the success of the relocation. How much were you involved in the decision making process prior to the move? Have your spouse and his/her employer listened to your needs and attempted to meet them? How do your children feel about the move? How much do you know about the country you are relocating to, it’s history, culture, language, schools and job market?
If you know that change and uncertainty are difficult for you, take time to prepare as much as possible prior to the move. Try to gather information about your new home. Give yourself plenty of time to process your thoughts and feelings related to the upcoming change. Talk to people you trust, your friends, your spouse and your family.
If you are moving with your spouse because of a job assignment, ask the employer to provide assistance finding a home, schools, and career support, if relevant. Demand that your and your family’s needs are taken into account when planning the logistics of relocation. Use the internet and social media to create relationships where you are going and to maintain your relationships with your family, friends and colleagues left behind.
Talk to others who have lived in the same city or region, find a cultural informant. Most of all, try to remain positive and open to new experiences and opportunities to learn. This doesn’t mean ignoring your negative feelings and fears, but it means facing your fears and being open to finding and receiving support to overcome them.
In my next blog I will discuss how to use the internet, social media and networking sites such as LinkedIn and Facebook to nurture your professional and personal relationships, especially if you are a global nomad with your career in your carry-on.
Being in Transition
To be in transition is to be on the way. On the way to something different, something better, something new or perhaps something familiar. Sometimes being in transition is voluntary, other times we are forced into it. Either way what we make of the time “being in transition” is central to what we find at the end. Often “being in transition” between jobs makes us feel anxious, worried and down. We may face an unknown future, filled with unanswered questions. We feel as if our circle of control has shrunk immensely.
In many ways life is “being in transition” . From the moment we are born we are on the way somewhere. Each day as our body matures, we learn to crawl, to walk, to speak, and to read, we are in transition. In transition from infancy to childhood, from childhood to our teenage years and on to adulthood, old age and towards the end of our life. While being in the transition of life, we love, we learn and we create. We experience moments of joy and success, disappointment and failure, boredom and stagnation.
Placing a career transition or relocation transition into the larger context of our lives helps us gain perspective on the moment and its challenges. While it may feel extremely challenging at times, keeping our faith in ourselves and in our possibilities and in the gift of life is the first step towards reaching our goals.
It is important that we remember to respect ourselves, our needs, values, skills and celebrate our successes. But succeeding alone is almost impossible or at least much harder, so sharing our challenges and successes with those close to us is imperative. Talk to you friends and family, start a support group or join one!
The keys to a successful transition can be translated into the word RISE: R for respecting yourself, I for identifying your values and skills, S for sharing with family and friends and E for enjoying the new beginning.
Moving to a new country or region can feel daunting and scary. We leave the familiar behind, our family and friends , a job we like and a culture we know and feel part of. Therefore it is not surprising that relocation can be so stressful. What can we do to ease the stress and help ourselves and our family transition into the new?
Keep a curious and open mind, investigate the new country, region and culture before you decide if you like it or not. Find out as much as you can before you move and keep on learning. Ask questions, look for others who have gone through a similar move, and to the same location. Share your concerns and expectations with family and friends. Join an online or in person support group. And last but not least identify and understand your own assumptions and how your history and origins has influenced you. This will help you understand your new neighbors and coworkers.
RISE can also define your successful relocation: R for recognizing your assumptions, I for investigating the new before you judge, S for soliciting and sharing advise and E for exploring the world with curiosity.
Welcome to KHD Consulting International!
In this blog I will discuss topics dealing with career management, such as “managing change”, job search techniques, interviewing, networking, how to find your “calling” and living a meaningful life; and topics around cross-cultural competence such as cultural differences in work and business, in interviewing, networking, communication, the challenges of relocation, culture shock and stages of acculturation.
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