Making an International Move - What our Team Think

Are you considering an overseas move but a little uncertain? Do you want to make a move but you’re not sure where to go?

To celebrate the return of our Accountancy Worldwide Forum in South Africa, October 2014, I have started digging through our files and tracing down candidates that we have assisted in their international move to find out their thoughts on the process, the locations and what they are up to now.

While I’m doing this, I thought it would be interesting to look at the people that sit next to me every day – what are their thoughts on moving overseas? Where have they lived? What makes them interesting? And finally, what advice would they give to someone who is considering an international move?

From Austria to India, New York to Bermuda, Thailand to Australia, Germany to South Africa, our team have all lived overseas and that’s what makes us experts! Before I begin, I will give you a brief overview of the team members that I have spoken to, where they went and how long for.

Abigail Stevens, Managing Director, Sydney

While backpacking through Australia, Abigail fell in love with Sydney so she got sponsorship and decided to live and work there for three years. 

Alistair Mills, Recruitment Manager, Melbourne

Alistair was made redundant during the recession and wanted to try something new. He had a friend who traveled to Australia and loved it so it seemed like a good place to go. Alistair worked in Melbourne for 1 year.

Calum Smith, Recruitment Consultant, New York

Calum had always wanted to work in New York and got the opportunity straight after university, he had no plans at the time and thought that there was no better time than then to experience the city! Calum lived in New York for 4 months.

Daniel Scott, Recruitment Consultant, Austria & Spain

Daniel lived in Austria and Spain for 7 months each. Though it was compulsory for his university course, he fell in love with both and stayed a little bit longer. He really didn't want to return home after his time was up!

Kevin Dillon, Recruitment Consultant, Thailand & South Carolina

Kevin lived in South Carolina for 6 months due to his university course, he had always wanted to experience life in the USA and enjoyed living and working on the beach while he was there! After finishing university he said that he always wanted to travel and so he moved to Thailand to teach English and stayed there for 1 year before returning to the UK to begin his career with Think Global Recruitment.

Lara Caswell, Administrator and PA to Directors, Mozambique & South Africa

Lara decided that she was fed up of living in the UK, she wanted to encounter something new and begin an adventure. So, she moved to southern Africa where she ended up living and working in various locations for seven years!

Michael Black, Recruitment Consultant, Colorado

Michael lived in Colorado for 6 months during the skiing season, his cousin lived in Denver and so he had a connection there. He had always wanted to work and live abroad so this was his opportunity.

Roger Edwardson, Recruitment Consultant, Belgium & Austria

Roger lived in both Belgium and Austria for six months each as part of his university course. Because he was studying languages, he was really keen to get involved with this aspect of his degree, it was a chance to live in his target area and immerse himself in a different culture. 

Emma Maloy, Marketing Assistant, Germany

I lived in Germany for nearly five years in two different locations. The reason I moved was due to family commitments. I feel very lucky that I had the opportunity to experience a similar, yet very different, way of life and given the chance to go back - I would take it in a heartbeat! 

The general consensus when I asked why everyone moved over seas came down to:

‘I wanted to try something new’

And why shouldn't you? One of our newest recruiters, Kevin Dillon, commented on his time in Thailand stating,

‘I wanted to travel before starting my career and especially somewhere that I didn't speak the language, I wanted to challenge myself.’

Referring back to my last blog, I stated the importance of stepping out of your comfort zone and this is exactly what he did. I guess this is what we all did...

Of course if you’re moving away from home, no matter how long your stay, you will always have concerns niggling at the back of your mind. I know that my biggest concern when I moved to Germany was the fact that I was leaving all of my friends behind, not knowing if I would get the chance to see them again and knowing that I would have to make new friends and adapt to a new, very strange environment. It was truly terrifying but incredibly exciting. Here’s what some of our team members had to say about their concerns:

Alistair Mills, Melbourne –‘I went on my own so I was nervous about meeting new people and settling in. I arrived in Melbourne with just a back pack so it was a little overwhelming however I had a new place to live and a group of friends in no time. It forces you out of your comfort zone and really gets the best out of you. It’s a big decision and of course it’s a little daunting but ultimately really rewarding.’

Abigail Stevens, Sydney –‘Before going I knew nothing about Australia at all, except for what I learnt from Home and Away! I didn't realise there would be big modern cities and it would be a great place to take my career forward. I therefore only had Australia on my itinerary for a three month stop over – I ended up staying three years!’

Michael Black, Colorado –‘I was worried about the altitude (9,000 feet) and being away from the folks, but I fell in with a great group of guys and settled in very quickly.'

Calum Smith, New York –‘No concerns whatsoever – just a lot of excitement at the thought of it!’

We all have our concerns when making such a dramatic, life changing decision, we are only human after all (except maybe Calum – who didn't seem to be nervous at all). At Think Global Recruitment we go out of our way to help anyone who is worried or concerned about their move, we want them to feel safe in the fact that they are making one of the best decisions they will ever make.

Moving on to my next question for the group, did their move meet their expectations? Every single person said no. It exceeded them. It’s hard to envision what it will be like when you are literally stepping into the unknown, you know it’s going to be scary, you know it’s going to be exciting and you know that if it all goes wrong – you can come home but when it comes down to the nitty gritty, you have no idea. 

When I asked the team what disappointed them about their move, Kevin mentioned that the size of beer cans in America are considerably smaller than the UK and Alistair noted that Australian TV is rubbish. Both huge deciding factors when moving overseas! On a serious note, nothing was really disappointing. It's such a fantastic experience that the highs most definitely exceed the lows.

So what advice would our experts offer to those considering a move…

Alistair Mills, Melbourne -‘Go for it! It’s an amazing experience and something that you will look back on with great memories for years to come! From a practical sense, make sure you research the location and find a role that you will be able to do comfortably! Use a recruiter to make sure you have some help with each stage of the way and to secure you the best deal!’

Abigail Stevens, Sydney -‘Do it! It will give you amazing life experiences and friends for life. You will become a more rounded individual with increased knowledge and confidence.’

prolonged her visit) –

Calum Smith, New York – ‘Embrace it – go with a completely open mind and just take every experience in, good or bad! I would also recommend immersing yourself in the local culture wherever you go!’

Daniel Scott, Austria & Spain – ‘My one piece of advice is if you get the opportunity to travel and experience a new culture or new environment, DO IT!’

Kevin Dillon, Thailand & South Carolina – 'Buy the ticket and take the ride! Go head first into each and every situation and do things out with your comfort zone on a regular basis. Try and integrate into the local community and culture as much as you can, you’re not going to like everything but at least you can say that you tried. If there’s anything that you couldn't or wouldn't do at home that you've wanted to do then this is your opportunity!’

Lara Caswell, Mozambique & South Africa - ‘Throw yourself into it wholeheartedly, to this date it is the most exciting, rewarding thing I have ever done!’

Michael Black, Colorado – ‘Do it! It’s a great thing to do, build your confidence and experience; I wish I had made the move sooner as I did so much growing up when I was there.’

Roger Edwardson, Austria & Belgium – ‘Make sure you do research on the location and try and visit there beforehand to get a taste of the culture. Also make sure you talk to locals and don’t be afraid to ask for help.’

Everyone was so enthusiastic about living overseas that when I asked if they could open a Think Global Recruitment office in another country, would they? Everyone said yes.

Obviously our moves have given us the experience needed to be able to advise others on living overseas but how else has it enhanced our careers? I believe that it gives you edge, makes you stand out from the crowd, people are instantly interested in you because you have done something different.

Daniel Scott, Austria & Spain - 'You learn a lot about yourself and also a lot about how to handle situations and interact with people on a different level to what you would at home'

Roger Edwardson, Belgium & Austria - 'My time overseas improved my language skills and gave me a great sense of independence'.

Abigail Stevens, Sydney - 'I know about living and working overseas first hand and now help others to Improve their Lives by doing the same. I believe I gained the confidence to run my own business through the overseas move. I am used to being out with my comfort zone and meeting new people and this really helped.'

I must admit, when I initially typed the questions into an email, I expected that everyone would have vastly different answers, how could they be the same when we all traveled to opposite ends of the globe? We all returned home, not one of us wanted to come back and every single person has had the best time that they could have imagined. I would personally advise every single person to take the plunge and live in another country, experience the culture, the beauty and the excitement. Whether it’s for three months or three years, you will not regret it.

So, there’s a little bit more about our team, if you have been placed by us (or would like to be) and would love to share your story, get in touch!

By Emma Maloy, Marketing Assistant

Stop Being Comfortable

The other day I was having coffee with one of my closest friends. We talked about how we met when he first moved to Scotland a few years previous and how little English he spoke.

As ignorant as it sounds, I've never really taken into consideration how difficult that must have been for him. He was in a strange country, miles away from home, knowing no one and unable to speak the language. It sounds like a nightmare. There must have been many times he considered returning home to his safety net – where he speaks the language, knows the people and is familiar with his surroundings. He was literally miles out of his comfort zone.

As humans we are naturally trepidatious of the unknown. We are content living in our metaphorical bubbles of what we know, whether that is staying in the job we hate because we’re good at it, living in a location we’re bored of because it’s easier than moving, or eating the same dish off the menu from the same restaurant we go to every Friday because we’re worried that if we choose something else it might not measure up. Why?

Because we’re comfortable.

Going back to my friend, words probably can’t describe how uncomfortable he was when he moved to the UK. However, he persevered and I would like to add that he has now been here for five years, he’s fluent in English, he has a lovely Scottish girlfriend who he has been with for coming up to three years and he is working in his dream job.

How did he get to this point? He stepped out of his comfort zone, he made himself interesting, valuable and overall he gained confidence.

In honour of my friend, I think everyone should do something they wouldn't normally do. Ask a stranger how their day is. Take a different route home from work. Move to the other side of the world. The chances are great that you will feel better within yourself for doing so, even if the initial step is testing.

At Think Global Recruitment we specialise in placing Chartered Accountants in jobs all over the globe – maybe it’s time to look at your possibilities. Check out our vast list of locations and pack your bags, our incredibly experienced consultants work closely with candidates to ensure they have the best possible chance of getting the job offer they desire.

Working overseas is hugely beneficial to your career, it gives you confidence and experience, it makes you interesting. It will change your life.

By Emma Maloy, Marketing Assistant