Returning to work as an expatriate is both exciting and challenging. In her second post, Claire d’Aboville explores how expatriates can work independently, adapt to different markets, make the most of their differences and turn them into competitive advantages.
You have put your career on hold,
possibly in order to raise children. During that time, the family has moved to
another country, where it currently resides. You feel now is the right time to get
back to a professional activity. Amongst the various routes, creating your own
business is an attractive option, offering flexibility and independence. What do
you need to consider? Let’s focus on specifics related to your expatriate
situation.
possibly in order to raise children. During that time, the family has moved to
another country, where it currently resides. You feel now is the right time to get
back to a professional activity. Amongst the various routes, creating your own
business is an attractive option, offering flexibility and independence. What do
you need to consider? Let’s focus on specifics related to your expatriate
situation.
Retain
same field of work, or not?
same field of work, or not?
First you need to think about the field
of work you want to get into. A few questions are worth investigating.
of work you want to get into. A few questions are worth investigating.
- Are
your skills recognised locally and what does it take to get local recognition? I
once worked with a dentist from the Middle East who decided to go into
headhunting because she did not feel like going through retraining as a dentist
in the UK. You need to do a bit of research to find out whether your diploma
and experience are accepted in the country you are in. - Do
you speak the local language to a level that allows you to do a good job? My
initial field of work was human resources. As a French person working in
England and Germany, I felt it was easier to focus on the remuneration side of
my profession than on the leadership development side. It felt less challenging
to talk numbers than to talk emotions in a foreign language. - Are
your skills up to date? Chances are that the world has moved on since you last worked. Also
you may need to boost your confidence with some refresher course. Or you may
want to learn something new. In any case, it might be wise to take a local
course, as opposed to relying on e-learning, because a local course will also
help you with your local network. I retrained as a coach in the UK. - Lastly,
how portable do you want your activity to be? And how portable will your client
base need to be? This is a wide topic. The two main aspects to consider are
your personal plans and practicalities. Are you settled in this new country for
many years or not? How quickly can you build a new client base if you move
again? My current clients are UK based, but I could stay in touch remotely with
many of them if I moved again.
In a nutshell, your field of work has to
fit two criteria: you feel passionate enough about it and it is practically
possible.
What
does it take?
does it take?
In addition to thinking about the field
of work you want to engage in, you need to be aware of the specifics of
“going it alone” and how they impact you as an expatriate.
of work you want to engage in, you need to be aware of the specifics of
“going it alone” and how they impact you as an expatriate.
- Every
independent professional has to work on his/her marketing and to make sure he/she has enough clients to work with. It takes time to build a client base.
Being from a different country, you may not have any initial network to press
the “word-of-mouth” key. And you may not have ready-to-buy clients who know you
from a previous role. Therefore your efforts and patience might be needed. - Depending
on when you have moved to the new country, you might still be busy adjusting to
the new environment. You are less in your comfort zone than if you were at
home. You have more uncertainty to deal with. These adjustments take your attention and
energy away from starting your business. - It
is quite useful to think about how your business (and you in it!) can cope with
moving country again. I know a French financial auditor who retrained as an
artist in the UK and established a good client base there. After her husband
took a new role in Dubai, she had to start her marketing all over again, but
she was able to apply lessons learned in the UK. - Lastly,
you need to learn about the local legal, fiscal and business practices. This
requires research and probably expert advice, depending on the country. Not all
countries are equally welcoming to very small independent businesses. My friend
in France found it much more challenging to register her business there than I
did to register mine in the UK.
What
market to serve, what ideal client?
market to serve, what ideal client?
Last but not least, who is your ideal
client and whom do you want to serve?
client and whom do you want to serve?
- As
an expatriate, the community you are likely to know best is the expatriate
community. According to my observations, the bigger the culture gap and the
more remote the host country, the stronger and more supportive the expatriate
community is. That can create an ideal market for you. - Modern
technology broadens your world and your potential client base. As a teacher or
a coach, you can work via skype and phone. As a journalist or writer you can
deliver your work over Internet. In those cases, it does not matter so much
where your clients are, provided you are able to keep in contact with them and
keep marketing yourself, i.e. be visible and in a position to get work. - Lastly,
you may consider bringing to local clients precisely what local people do not
have / have less of: i.e. language, technical skills or products specific to
your culture. I know a French person who offers her perspective and interior design
skills to the expatriate community in Hong-Kong.
Working independently offers
incomparable advantages with regards to flexibility and control of your time. As
an expatriate, you face specific challenges but you also can build on your
differences and turn them into competitive advantages.
an expatriate, you face specific challenges but you also can build on your
differences and turn them into competitive advantages.
For more information on issues facing expatriates, read Claire’s first post on returning to work after international relocation.
Post by Claire d’Aboville, a Women Returners associate, a multi-lingual and multi-cultural Executive Coach and founder of Partners in Coaching http://partnersincoaching.com/Welcome.html