Set Yourself Up for a Successful Expat Experience
Set Yourself Up for a Successful Expat Experience
11 Oct 2021
With everything so new, sometimes it’s hard to know just where to start. Below are 3 areas to focus on to help set yourself up for a successful expat experience.
What makes a successful expat posting? You will have a fulfilling experience if you learn from the new cultural experiences and learn to appreciate your new environment.
1. Attend practicalities as soon as possible!
Attending to the initial administrative tasks and practicalities is essential to a successful assignment. Set up a local bank account, attend to any local government administrative matters get in touch with a suitable local doctor and dentist (far better now than when an emergency arises), learn how to navigate public transport, identify the best places to buy your groceries, clothes, and other items for yourself and your home, set up a single location to store any important documents that you will need again when it’s time to move, know what numbers to call in an emergency, and register yourself with your local embassy. Now that you’ve attended to that, you can move on to the fun stuff!
2. Seek New Experiences
It’s essential to get comfortable with the idea of regularly moving outside of your comfort zone. Try pursuing one of your existing hobbies or interests to start meeting new people, as that will often lead to other opportunities to try new things. Consider studying the local language, learn a new skill, take up a new hobby, get involved in a group sport, or volunteer with a local group. Make a list of things you would like to do, places you would like to visit, and something you would like to achieve during your stay. Refer to this list and update it regularly to get a boost of inspiration and motivation.
- Make Local Connections & Get Involved
Human connections are vital to most people’s happiness and wellbeing. Moving abroad means a physical separation from family and friends. Meeting new people, socializing, and having a local support network is vitally important to a successful expat experience. Meeting new people both face-to-face and in local online communities, both have their place. Facebook is sure to have a large number of local community groups you can get involved with. To look for other opportunities to meet people, chambers of commerce, embassies, sports teams, group language or cultural courses and cultural experiences, are to name just a few. If you want to propel your experience, asking for, or offering help, are great ways to develop stronger and more meaningful connections.
Living overseas is not always a bed of roses, and difficulties are inevitable, but if you follow these suggestions, you would have a more fulfilling and enjoyable experience than you would have.
You might also be interested in taking a look at: Best Souvenirs to Remember your Expat Experience.
If you have any questions or want to arrange a quote, contact your local Asian Tigers office or reach out to us via our online contact form.
