Leah's Story: enjoying the island lifestyle of the Isle of Man

Philippines - St Kitts (2011) - Isle of Man (2014)

In 2011, Leah moved from the Philippines to the romantic, paradise island of St Kitts where she worked a 3 year contract with a Big 4 accountancy firm.  As her contract came to a close, Leah got in touch with Think Global Recruitment for a second time to further her overseas adventures.  Leah is now based in the Isle of Man, just off the coast of England, where she is thoroughly enjoying the new style of island life.  We caught up with Leah to ask her a few questions about her time overseas to hear what she had to say.

What motivated your original move overseas?

I was looking to gain international exposure and the chance for career progression, moving overseas was an experience that I had always wanted to gain.  I really enjoy training and different office cultures and moving overseas provided me with this. 

In the Philippines, the hours are crazy.  Because it is such a big work load, it was sometimes quite difficult to learn everything - it was so fast paced, you do things so quickly so that you can move onto the next task so it can be quite hard to take it all in.  Somehow, I learned to manage my time, but I still yearned for a better work-life balance.

A lot of my friends have left the Philippines and so I only really see them on Facebook!

What were your concerns with making an international move? 

I had no idea what to expect from the culture but I wanted to be adventurous.  When I first moved to St Kitts, I was the only Filipino in my firm.  While I was looking for somewhere to stay, I lived in the Marriott, I made friends with a Filipino chef - it was nice to have another Filipino there.

On the Isle of Man there is a huge Filipino community so it's really nice knowing that your fellow countrymen are there when you are so far away, it's very comforting.

How long has it taken you to settle into the Isle of Man?

I arrived about a week ago but I already feel settled, the estate agents were very quick at helping me find a flat and I'm moving on Friday!

Abigail (Managing Director - Think Global Recruitment) was kind enough to put me in contact with another girl who she has assisted in moving from the Philippines, she was supposed to meet me at the airport but sadly the weather was too bad.  We meet up regularly now and we are friends.

Did anything disappoint you about your locations?

The only disappointment that I've had so far is that my husband is not here yet! He is currently

applying for his visa so he should be here soon.

In the Philippines, there are so many shops but I hardly had enough money to buy all that I really wanted.  It was the opposite in St Kitts - I was able to save as there were very limited shops!  Most of the shopping had to be done online which is quite difficult if you are getting the wrong sizes and have to send things back.

The Isle of Man is so close to London and I will be going there for a training course in a few weeks' time so I am really looking forward to the shops!  I'm not going to eat for the next week so that I can save money!

What are the main benefits of making an international move?

The work life balance on the Isle of Man is amazing!  In the Philippines I used to feel guilty leaving my work on time, even during the not-so-busy season.  I think the longest I stayed there was three days straight, in the client.  On the Isle of Man, the latest I have to stay is 5.30pm so I have a lot of spare time now!  Though I expect that I may have to spend more time when we're really into our busy season.  My officemates here though, assure me that it will not be as crazy as what I had. 

My firm, they're really into people developing, they always set goals and follow up on them to check your progress.  They are very serious about it and it's nice to know that they are always looking out for you.

The work experience I have had has been amazing, things that I have learned have really helped me to understand my profession, the way they do things here are much different to back home.

There is also the added bonus that internet speed is much faster than the Philippines!

What are the benefits of working with Think Global Recruitment?

I worked with Abigail, the managing director, she has a way with words.  She used her knowledge and experience to coach me for my interviews.  She helped and gave loads of details about how many people were in my firm on the Isle of Man and made sure that I would be able to answer all of the questions that they asked me.

Abigail was really nice to me throughout the process, she really listened to what I wanted.  I had no idea she was the founder of Think Global Recruitment, she is very humble.

Do you have any advice for other CAs who are considering the move?

Do your research, see if there is a community there, look for people who have made the move too, they really can help you settle faster. 

Find someone to look after you and tell you all about the local area - the things you can do and the things that you cannot do (like the shops in St Kitts) you also need to know what to pack etc.,

Since speaking with Leah, her husband has arrived on the Isle of Man and they have been busy working and exploring!  It was lovely to chat to her and hear about her experiences.  Please do get in touch if you would like to contribute to our blog!

Things to Consider When Making an International Move

As I’m sure everyone will be telling you, an international move is something everyone must do in their lifetime. This is echoed throughout the office here in Edinburgh and by many of the professionals who have been placed by us. What are you waiting for? The Think Global Recruitment team are experienced and dedicated to helping you secure a new job in an international location. The experience, and achievement, is like no other. Embrace the challenges facing you, celebrate the differences and most of all enjoy the opportunity!

Understandably, you may find an international move to be a slightly nerve-wracking experience. I certainly did but I am so glad I overcame my worries and had the time of my life. Here at Think Global Recruitment, we not only find you a job, but offer support and guidance to make the move as easy and worry-free for you as possible.

What do you find most daunting about making an international move? A question which will fill some with sky-scraping levels of anxiety, and a question which others will never really consider seriously because they’re nothing if not adaptable to any situation.

Is it leaving home, your family and friends and the security which familiarity brings? Is it the new culture, the new people, and not knowing anyone in the country, let alone the city? Or is it the more practical considerations – how much will your accommodation cost, how do you get a mobile phone SIM card, what sort of taxes are you expected to pay and how do you pay? Or perhaps it’s the little things that you’ll never know until you make the move and warning letters, for TV licenses and various other things, drop down through your letter box and you wonder why no one has ever told you. Or what if there is an emergency, what is the telephone number you call? What’s the dialling code for friends and family members who want to call you and catch up whilst you are living it large in new and foreign cultures?

Panic not!! Whilst I can’t provide you with all the answers, I do try to supply you with as much relevant information about living in a new country as I can. What makes me able to do this? By putting myself in your shoes, hypothetically, and calling upon my own experience of making an international move, to Australia, myself a couple of years ago, and travelling extensively to and from.

When choosing which course to study at university, it was a no brainer for me between business studies, and international business studies. Purely because it was compulsory for all international business students to study abroad for at least one semester. However, as the time drew closer to choosing which continent I wanted to spend at least 6 months of my life in, I quickly transitioned from being one of those people who gave the practicalities very little thought, itching to get away to see and experience the world, to a little apprehensive of the unknown, mostly.

As it turned out, I was one of the lucky ones who was awarded my first choice – Australia! Although not too culturally dissimilar to the one I was accustomed to, I was still moving to the other side of the world, never having been there before, not knowing anyone, and having to organise everything myself – flights, visa, application to university, accommodation, health and travel insurance, bank accounts, the list continues!  

Now having returned back to the UK, and graduated from university, I have joined the Think Global Recruitment team as a Marketing Intern. My first project here is to research various cities to make that international move a little bit less daunting for all those lucky professionals who are being placed by the team here at Think Global Recruitment. I aim to put those people making, or thinking of making, an international move’s minds more at ease by providing information on: how to set up a bank account, how much tax one is required to pay, the most common mobile phone networks, information about healthcare and dental treatments, the most common airlines which operate in that country to a few suggestions of tourist attractions, events, bars and restaurants to help one settle in and get familiarised with the new surroundings, all specific to each location.

I hope you find this information useful and you do decide to make an international move. I am already thinking about going again – if only I had an accountancy and finance background, I would 100% leave my fate in the hands of the Think Global Recruitment team. 

By Hazel, Think Global Recruitment's Marketing Intern