It is my belief that in order to make the ex- and also repatriate (returning home after the assignment) experience as enjoyable, and therefore as successful as possible, Expats need support in various areas before, during, and after their international transitions:
- Admin / Organization
- Legal
- Financial
- Emotional / Psychological
If you or your partner are an employee of a multinational organization and have been approached about an expat assignment in one of their subsidiaries, some or all of the above mentioned support might be provided for you.
For example, it is fair to assume that organizations will cover expenses for the move of your household goods, ranging from providing a one-off relocation payment to organizing the actual move in detail, i.e. selecting the movers, having your goods packed, shipped and set up at the host location. Transportation into the host country (where your assignment will take place) will also most likely be organized by the company, i.e. you won’t need to worry about airfare. It is also in the organization’s interest to solve visa, work permit and other legal issues pertaining to your assignment, so they usually appoint a lawyer to sort out the paperwork for you and your dependents.
Around this mark, the negotiation of the relocation package begins, and it does not end with salary and benefits, or whether it is going to be an expat or a local contract. Do you feel you need to go for a reconnaissance-weekend before making a decision? Talk to your boss about it to see if that’s in the budget. Do you need help selling or renting your house and finding new accommodation in the host country? Your company might have some interesting real estate contacts. What about transportation and rental cars, children and schooling, doctors, houses of worship – can you find out about all that yourself, or do you need assistance? In any case, I recommend talking to your HR department about your needs, asking can’t hurt; but make sure your requests are realistic. Of course there are going to be differences between here (home) and there (host), some for better some for worse, but you should be able to maintain the general level of lifestyle (i.e. don’t expect to be treated like royalty unless you are the CEO).
If this is your first international assignment, part or much of the information might overwhelm you. I am the last person to try and talk you out of this experience, it is truly wonderful and in my opinion the best way to learn first-hand about yourself, your culture, and the rest of this great big planet. However, as tempting as the offer may sound, there are going to be emotional and private factors for you to consider. Is this really the right career move at this time? How is your partner/family going to react? What about your life here, friends, extended family, your involvement with your community – are you ready to leave it all behind? How would this move affect your relationship, your marriage, your children, your parents? What culture are you going to move into? Do you even speak their language? Are you and your dependents going to feel safe? Will your partner be able to find work there? What is it going to be like over there?
I wish I had thought these things through when I followed my partner to Mexico. But, always the optimist, I thought “this isn’t my first international move, it’s always worked out before, so what could possibly be the problem now? I mean, hey, I even speak the language!” Well, obviously it did all work out in the end, but only after some very hard and challenging months that truly tested the limits of our relationship and my sanity.
My point is, I would have appreciated someone taking me aside and asking me the above sort of questions, so I’m especially talking to the dependents now, the so-called “trailing spouses”: What are you going to do all day when your partner is away at the office and find yourself in a strange country? What if you are not allowed to work? How are you going to make new friends and meet people if you have no car? How do you feel about putting your career on hold for however long you would be away? Do you realize that your happiness plays a deciding factor in the success of an international assignment?
If you or your partner have been offered an expat position and you would like to talk about and think through your unique situation and the challenges it could bring, please drop me a line at doris@buildingthelifeyouwant.com and I’ll be glad to schedule a no-muss no-fuss appointment. Know that I am here to support you in dealing with and preparing emotionally for the ex- and repatriation changes you will experience.
If you are looking for language classes, culture training or advice on how to organize a move, please check out the available resources on the web. I recommend starting out by reading your home and host countries’ embassies’ information for a political and economic overview (gotta go safe), and then move on to more specific culture, history, education, as well as local housing and job-market data. Thank you.
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