Don's Story: Old MacDonald has a farm- one man's life-changing move to Zambia

 

Don MacDonald, a man we assisted to move over 15 years ago, initially set out to live and work in Zambia on a two year contract, but after six months of living and working in Lusaka, his family decided that they were enjoying it so much that they wanted to stay. Recently we caught up with him to see how he has been getting on. Don thanks our Managing Director, Abigail, and Think Global Recruitment, (who he jokes are entirely to blame!). He says his experience exceeded his expectations far more than he could ever have expected.  He has lived in Lusaka ever since, working and running his charity 'Old MacDonald’s Farm'  with his wife Christine. 

So how exactly did Don discover the opportunity to work in Zambia?

“I was working in the Scottish government’s finance department when I came across a Think Global Recruitment advert for opportunities in Africa that would end up changing my life forever"

“During my lunch hour one day I rang up Abigail. In a quick turnaround between meeting Abigail at Christmas and by the first week of January, I had  been offered an interview in London with Deloitte where was offered a role in Lusaka”.

What is Don doing now?

Don is now working as the Managing Director of the airline service company, Zega Limited. Before working for Zega he discovered first hand just how many opportunities there are whilst working abroad.

“About eighteen months into my two year contract I was doing an insolvency review on Zambian Airways and found it had some problems. Three months later the chairman of the airline joked with me and said 'why don’t you try running it?' and that’s how I became the chief executive of a national airline!”

 

 Don grew the airline over the next four years, turning it around from making a loss to making a profit, which was a particular standout moment in his fascinating career.

“Having visited and being exposed to Africa before allowed us to settle in pretty quickly, especially due to it being an English speaking country with a lot of English people”. Don had no concerns before making his international move. “Everything that you might need could be found in the capital city and with great international schools for both of my daughters we had no problems”.

So what does Don think are the advantages of moving overseas?

“The opportunity to advance your career quickly. Within a short space of time, I became the CEO of an airline and you can move faster up the ladder than back home. And of course, the weather is so much better over here”.

What advice would Don give to accountants that are thinking about working overseas?

“Go for it! I’m glad every day I did it. You only live once and it is definitely worth going for. There are huge benefits to the experience and it's important to remember you don't have to commit life where ever you go."

During his fifteen years in Zambia, Don and his wife looked to give back to the community which embraced them so warmly, which is when they decided to start up Old MacDonald's Farm.

Old MacDonald’s Farm

 

One day back in 2001, Don and Christine began helping street kids, inviting them in every Sunday for a shower, a home cooked meal and to get some clean clothes. Noticing that there we so many street kids in the local community, they felt something needed to be done to help. Little did they know that their family would extend when an ill young boy became a permanent part of their family and soon enrolled in the nearby school. Old MacDonald’s Farm was born and has since combined several projects on the same site, allowing the opportunity to house more kids in Old MacDonald’s Children’s Home; educating them on lots of matters from conservation farming methods to providing schooling from the on-site school. Over the years their family has been growing and growing with the addition of more young boys staying with them and at one point they had 40 extra children!

After listening to Don's story it's hard not to be impressed by all that he has achieved. All of us here at Think Global Recruitment would like to wish him the very best for future and that the next 15 years are just as interesting!

 If you would like to find out more about the work of Old MacDonald’s Farm you can visit their website here: http://www.omfzambia.com

 

Amy & Adam's Story: A couple's new life abroad

 

Hearing about couples making their dream move abroad to start an exciting new life together is always fantastic for us to hear about. We helped Amy and Adam, two accountants, move from Leeds to Darwin a year ago. Our Managing Director recently caught up with them to find out how they’ve been settling in.

Trying new things

Both have fully embraced their new home soaking up the sporty culture by joining the local ‘soccer’ (as they call it!) team.  Amy only starting to play after moving there having been instantly attracted to the chilled out Australian way of life spending time playing a few games of soccer and having a few beers. They’ve both taken full advantage of the great sporting scene by learning to play basketball too. 

What about social circles?

Arriving together to a new country as a couple means you’re not going to be alone, but it’s easier to get by with a little help from friends so how did Amy and Adam find it? “It was really easy due to the huge numbers of expats, you’re all in the same boat, settling in to a new culture”. As well as meeting people through work and making use of the wide range of activities and extracurriculars on offer, they have also been indulging in the world renowned social Ozzy BBQ.

On the path to success

"Australia’s transient society, allows more opportunities for career progression which is great and being given TOIL (time off in lieu) means you have time to explore the country. The firm is very generous especially when you hit your targets and that extra cash comes in handy for planning visits home". 

How does the future look?

Both are happily based in their company and in the next two years will be able to get permanent residency. Before too long they can become fully integrated into their new found home. 

Surely there must there must be some downsides...

“Accommodation might cost a bit more but people in general are less materialistic so you can adjust to make those changes”. They miss the traditional English pubs and log fires. Christmas being warm doesn’t go down too well either, but they can always take full use of the time off in lieu and bonuses to jet back home for a white Christmas. 

Amy and Adam seem to have found their feet in Darwin. It definitely sounds like they have made a great decision by moving. 

If this story has inspired you then share it and help those who may be considering making the move abroad. To hear more case studies and find out about job opportunities please email pmcloughlin@thinkgr.com

Moving Country - 15 Ways to Leave Your Mother

Are you thinking about moving abroad? We know that planning a move overseas is exciting and here at Think Global Recruitment our team has visited, lived and worked in many countries across the globe - so we know there's a lot to think about! With that in mind here are our top considerations on how to ‘leave your mother’.

Choosing your location

• Planning a move is a great opportunity to work out what your long term career aspirations are, and how your next step can help you reach them. Every overseas location will offer a different type of work experience. Talking to people who have lived and worked abroad can help. They might just suggest somewhere you wouldn't have considered ordinarily!
• Ask yourself if location or career progression is more important to you. While you might be attracted to one location for the career growth opportunities available there, the culture in another location might have a greater value for you.
• Pinpoint what is important to you in a location: Do you want to discover a different culture? What do you want to do outside of work? Are you keen to develop a second language – or is it important that at work your colleagues speak in your native tongue?
• How do you feel about being away from family and friends? There might be a location with direct and cheap flights home that will allow you to relocate without feeling disconnected.
  
  

Getting a job

• 
  Help your CV to stand out in the local job market. It's likely you will need to tailor your CV for the country you are applying to, as well as to specific roles. The information that prospective employers look for in a CV varies from country to country. For example Australian employers look for lots of details of previous jobs and certificates of achievement in a CV whereas the in USA employers tends to like a brief, to the point CV. Doing some research on how your target country (or countries) like a CV is a good start.

• Be mindful - it isn't all about the money, money, money! A prospective salary will always be important but consider everything on offer, the whole package. In this day and age remember that you are unlikely to make vast savings on your cost of living unless you are in a developing location. Keep in mind too that there will always be 'distractions' to spend your money on, wherever you are!

Taking care of the practicalities

• Usually your new employer will arrange your visa for you but you'll have to gather the accompanying paperwork and fill in forms yourself.
• 
  If you have financial ties at home consider how you will continue to meet these. It can be hard to rely on sending money home with exchange rates and other issues. Understanding the implications for your pension is smart too!
• Tell your current bank that you're moving, organise your direct debits and understand how much access you'll have to your accounts when you move. Having accessible savings and a credit card for emergencies will offer you peace of mind. It's a good idea to find out before you go what you will need in order to set up a bank account, including any fees you might have to pay.
• Some locations do offer tax benefits such as tax free salaries or low tax rates. Wherever you are moving to it's important to understand how much tax you will be required to pay and what the implications are back 'home'.
• Your health is vital so find out about healthcare and dentistry. It may be that your new employer offers these as part of your package – however it's organised make sure that you have a contact number and know where it is!

Making your new location Home

• Many of our accountants find that when they get into a role they quickly build relationships with colleagues and making new friends is a big part of building your new life. That said, it can really help to have a friendly face on the ground when you arrive. When Irish CA, Aisling, moved we put her in touch with an English girl who we had also assisted in moving to Hobart, Australia . She told us “she was so helpful, she helped me out with loads of stuff.”
  

• Reach out - if you can find a fellow country man or woman working in a similar field to you on LinkedIn get in touch. Leah, who we have helped to move twice, relocated in 2014 to the Isle of Man. She told us “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.” However independent you are having a link to home can be great.
• 
  Keep in touch – while your new job will keep you busy the folks back home will want to hear how things are going. Set up Skype and make sure you have the contacts for the important people in your life, as well as in your business network.
• Once upon a time getting on a boat and taking to the high seas was the only way to really find out anything about another country. In today's super connected world even if you can't visit there's so much you can find out. When we helped Leroi, CA move from South Africa to Abu Dhabi initially he admitted that the different culture was 'quite difficult'. Since then he's come to see the cultural difference as a highlight of his stay! His advice to anyone considering an international move is 'Do your research so that you have a bit of an idea of what to expect. Whilst seeing your new location on screen is no substitute for the real thing, Instagram, Twitter and Lonely Planet will all help you to find out what's going on at your destination - it's a good way to make some local connections too.

Wherever you choose to move there is a whole team at Think Global Recruitment who can support you every step of the way, and we're only ever a phone call away.