When an expat partner plans to find paid employment in their host country, there are often two immediate questions on their mind: 1) Will I find work? 2) How long, on average, does it take to find a job?
Time of uncertainty
“First, I would stress that these queries are understandable. If the expat partner is eager to find work there is an extra level of uncertainty because they are living in a new country. However, it is not for us to say that they will or won’t find work, or how long it will take,” says Global Connection consultant Ines Ahrens. “Also, calculating an individual’s chances of finding work, or ‘guesstimating’ how long it will take to find a job, would set the wrong expectation.”
Avoiding frustration
“For example, you could claim there’s a 95% chance to find work within six or nine months, only for this expat partner to be the 5% that doesn’t find work in that time frame,” says Ines. “Or there might be a very remote chance of finding work in a certain destination yet a specific partner might defy the odds and succeed in less than three months. You just never know. But what we do know is that tailored support is the key to avoiding frustration.”
Unique circumstances
“I say that because at Global Connection, we annually support thousands of expat partners moving around the world in every direction, and every expat partner faces a unique set of circumstances, depending on their professional background, what languages they speak, their family situation, which determines their availability, and even their mindset – how open are they to adjust to the host culture? Also, if they’re feeling homesick, lonely or battling culture shock, they are probably not in the right state of mind for a successful job search.”
Empowered to succeed
“Even someone who has enjoyed a very successful career in their home country, and who is very motivated for a job search, can meet unexpected challenges when seeking work in a new culture – nothing is handed to anyone on a plate. So rather than speculating on their chances of finding work, or how long it will take, we let the partner know what support is at their disposal, and empower them for a job search that, more often than not, requires patience, persistence and hard work. It’s this tailored support that helps each individual to successfully adapt to the circumstances they find themselves in.”
