What I Learned from Working Abroad

“by PETRINA DARRAH — Published September 25, GoAbroad.com

Lesson #1: There Are Always Challenges

Working abroad might be the biggest and best adventure of your life… but it won’t always be perfect. Behind the Instagram filters are many of the same problems we have at home. You can live in the most beautiful place in the world and still have boy problems, friend dramas, and bills to pay. When you have an off day though, you just have to look around to remind at your surroundings to remind yourself that you’re living your dream.

Don’t forget a smile goes a long way!

Working abroad teaches you to appreciate each day more — even the bad days. It’s a great lesson in letting go of expectations, embracing challenges, and making the most of the moment you’re in.

Resilience is not innate — it’s something you can learn.

Lesson #2: You’re Stronger Than You Think

When you’re thrown in the deep end you might be surprised at how much you can cope with. You won’t know the limits of your strength until you test yourself — just one more reason why working abroad is a fantastic experience!

As well as helping you realize how tough you are, working abroad will help you grow your inner strength. Resilience is not innate — it’s something you can learn. Coping with cancelled flights, going several days without showering, having to go apartment hunting in a foreign language: all of these experiences will help you build resilience. Staying calm under pressure is an essential life skill that will carry you with ease through your personal and professional life.

Lesson #3 Deep Breathing Helps

Sometimes, things go wrong. You can’t understand what someone is saying even when they raise their voice and start yelling at you. You get lost. You spend a lot of time alone and missing home. You feel like an outsider.

Working and learning from others will set your skills apart! When you feel overwhelmed, just breathe. One of the things I learned from working abroad is that most problems can be solved by just taking a deep breath and thinking logically about what to do next. You can’t always stop things from going wrong but you can meet challenges rationally. Refusing to give in to panic is a powerful skill gained from working abroad.

The one gesture that seems to have the same meaning no matter where you are is a smile.

Lesson #4: Think On Your Feet

You’ll need to adapt quickly to your new environment, so get used to fast changes and thinking on your feet. Rolling with the punches will soon become second nature and you’ll get better at prioritizing what’s important.

Thinking on your feet is one of the best skills gained from working abroad. Learning to deal with the unexpected and overcome obstacles is great for developing CV-worthy problem solving abilities.

Lesson #5: Smiles are Universal

One of the things I wish I knew before working abroad is that most gestures aren’t universal. Nods can mean “no,” someone holding their hand palm down and flicking their fingers at you can mean “come here”, and a thumbs up — well, in some countries you should avoid this altogether. The one gesture that seems to have the same meaning no matter where you are is a smile.

Work abroad and make lifelong friends and memories.

Everyone understands this simple gesture. Lost and need to ask for directions? Smile. Putting your haggling skills to the test? Smile. At a social meet up and want to make some new friends? Smile.

As an added bonus a smile can help pick you up when you’re feeling down. The act of smiling can boost your mood, a study in Psychological Science revealed. This can be helpful when you’re stressed or feeling down in your new overseas life.

Lesson #6: You Get Out What You Put In

If you make an active effort to learn the local language, respect local customs, and adapt to local life, you’ll have a much more enriching experience than if you stay in a safe English-speaking and McDonalds-eating bubble.

When I was working in Tanzania, I made sure to dress appropriately and learned a few word of Swahili. Being able to perform simple greetings (a very important part of Tanzanian culture) helped me break the ice with locals. It was a rewarding feeling when they called me dada (sister).

Working abroad gave me clarity around my future life path.

One of my friends worked even harder and took many hours of Swahili lessons. She was often invited straight into peoples’ homes and was able to talk with Tanzanians in Swahili — she learned much more about their culture and customs than I did. I regretted not spending more time studying the language so I could have had the same experiences.

The more effort you put in, the more you’ll reap — that goes for most things in life, not just working abroad.

Lesson #7: In the End, It’s the People Who Matter Most

You’ll probably find that the best part about working abroad is the people. It doesn’t matter if the place where you’re living isn’t as beautiful as you hoped it would be, or if you don’t travel as much as you had planned. Discovering new places is incredible, but meeting new people usually matters more.

Your most vivid memories will probably be the motherly woman you sit next to on a long distance bus ride, or the wizened grandmother in the doorway who invites you to sit down for tea, or the friends who come from all over the world to find themselves in the same place at the same time, sharing moments together.

You can’t always control whether or not work is fun, but you can control your attitude towards it.

What I learned from working abroad is that I went home, I treasured people more and worked harder to cultivate relationships with family and friends.

You might even end up loving the things that frustrate you.

Lesson #8: Soft Skills Matter

Working abroad might seem like a gamble career-wise. You might be worried that future employers will see your stint overseas as an extended holiday rather than work experience. However, a job overseas will equip you with crucial soft skills that will have employers leaping to hire you.

The adaptability, communication skills, and independence you gain from working abroad are all more relevant in today’s workplaces than some hard skills. The face of workplaces is changing with globalization and huge shifts in technology. The skills you gain from working abroad will set you up for whatever the future brings — you’ll be nimble enough to leap from job to job as needed.

Data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics shows that people will have on average 11.7 jobs in their lifetime. This shows that transferable soft skills are more important than ever.

Lesson #9: Always Keep An Open Mind

Teamwork, baby! Nothing like an intercultural office or work team to improve your communication skills heaps.

What I learned from working abroad is that you should say yes to every opportunity that comes your way. Keeping an open mind can lead you into some of your most memorable experiences while abroad.

Being receptive to new experiences is also good practice in not judging anything or anyone too quickly. Instead of holding up a new place against your home country and seeing differences as faults, you might start to see beauty in the contrasts. .

You might even end up loving the things that frustrate you. Everything in Tanzania seems to move slow as molasses. French people can seem to take their wine too seriously. Yet living in France taught me the beauty of sharing a meal and glass of wine with friends, and Tanzania taught me patience.

Lesson #10: Don’t Be Afraid To Ask For Help

Whether it’s asking for directions or getting help opening a bank account, sometimes it can be tough to swallow your pride and ask for help.

However, the more you ask for help, the more you’ll realise that most people are happy to help you! It’s okay to be vulnerable — no one can be expected to know everything, or be good at everything. Plus, as people show genuine kindness towards you, you’ll probably be inspired to do the same for others.

My lessons from abroad are timeless

Look around you. Pay attention. Take note of details, of changes, of your self-reflections. Make the most of every second!

One final lesson learned from working abroad — you’ll only regret the chances you didn’t take. Start your million-mile journey with the manageable step of looking at working abroad opportunities. If this article inspires you to take the leap and have your own adventure as an expat abroad, you’ll love this free tool to get matched with work abroad programs that fit your preferences.”

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