Tackling a new job overseas is a challenge well worth sinking your teeth into at some point in your life – but we’d be lying if we claimed there weren’t any struggles or hardships which walk hand-in-hand with such a task. Today, we’re going to highlight five such issues you may face when working on foreign shores.
Language Barrier
Let’s kick off with the most obvious issue you’re likely to face in a job which stations you overseas – the potential language barrier between yourself and the people you’re coming into regular contact with.
Confusion and mistakes are bound to occur with this sort of blockade in place – and it’s even worse when it comes to miscommunication between yourself and your employer. That said, if they’ve hired you, they must have a pretty good grasp of English in the first place (you’d hope).
There’s no sure-fire way to deal with this effectively, but thankfully there are some handy lists out there which provide you with suggestions of how to adapt when communication becomes an issue.
Homesickness
If your job is stressing you out, it’s probably not much comfort that the majority of your loved ones are thousands of miles away from you at the opposite end of the Earth.
After a hard day, the best remedy is sometimes a night down the pub with mates, or a chat with your mum or dad. That will be a lot harder to achieve in your current predicament.
Dealing with homesickness is never easy, but if you can battle through it, it’ll make you a much stronger person in the long-run.
The Novelty Soon Fades
Sure, waking up for your first day in an exciting new foreign job will certainly fill you with all the nervous excitement you need to get you amped, but that feeling will very quickly fade once you’ve done the same tasks nine or ten times.
You might harbour hopes that the drastic change in environment will result in you never really feeling like you’re actually working, but, sadly, it just isn’t the case. Work is work, whether you’re doing it behind a desk in Slough or on the sandy shores of Malaysia.
Don’t worry though, once you’ve clocked off you can get involved in all the wild parties and crazy plans which inspired you to travel out there and get some much-needed freedom in the first place.
Cultural Differences
This is a little different to the language barrier issues – primarily because while that has the potential to cause confusion, this has the very real chance of resulting in someone becoming offended.
What might seem like a trivial, or even positive thing, in your homeland has the potential have to totally different connotations when on foreign shores.
A prime example comes in the form of how a thumbs up is perceived in countries like Thailand, Afghanistan and Iran. Here the gesture is seen in much the same way as raising your middle finger would be in the western world.
Setting Up a Bank Account
To set up an account in a bank, you’ll need to provide evidence of an address. To have an address in a foreign country, you’ll need to be paying for rent – probably through your bank. You’ll see the dilemma here.
Don’t worry too much – there are ways around this – but make sure to be aware of just how challenging this step can be. It’d be worth trying to sort this out prior to heading overseas.
Taking on a new career in another country is an experience well worth trying at some point in your life – but make sure to bear these issues in mind before you take the plunge.
Sources:
http://www.culturosity.com/pdfs/10%20Strategies%20for%20Overcoming%20Language%20Barriers.pdf
https://matadornetwork.com/abroad/10-common-gestures-easily-misunderstood-abroad/
https://www.1cover.com.au/secret-traveller/things-you-learn-overseas/
http://www.savethestudent.org/international-students/tips-to-deal-with-home-sickness.html
