Tips from IntlMOVE: Adapting Overseas
IntlMOVE (www.intlmove.com) has put together some tips for adapting to international moves.
Relocating abroad will present you with many challenges, but overcoming these challenges is all part of the experience
IntlMOVE will ship your household goods overseas to make your new house a home, but the rest is up to you.
The one quality you can have that will make your international move more successful is adaptability.
Being able to adapt to a new life is very important to learning to love your new life.
Adaptability at Work
When you move to a new country, you will have to get used to doing business in a new way.
Business relationships might not be as casual as you are used to.
There might not be an open door policy with your superior and you may have to wear a suit to work every day.
Some cultures conduct business based on relationships.
Some cultures are much more direct and get down to business right away.
The variations in business proceedings will widely vary on where you are relocating in the world.
When you move overseas, you will mostly have to learn as you go.
You can ask your human resources person beforehand on how you should address your superiors and you employees.
You will also need to learn how to conduct yourself in meetings.
Should you get started right away, or should you start off with small talk before discussing business.
You can find a lot of this information online, but most of your learning will come from observing those around you once you move overseas.
You might even make some mistakes, but keep your head up because you will get the hang of it.
Adaptability to Social Situations
When you make international moves, each culture has different social norms.
When you are invited to someone’s home, you will need to know how to conduct yourself and what gift to bring.
When you are out to eat at a restaurant, you have to know if it is a social taboo to eat with your left hand.
You might be offered food or drinks that are not appetizing, but you need to know if it is rude to refuse the food or if it acceptable to try something different.
When meeting someone for the first time, you should know if you need to shake hands or kiss on the cheek.
Do you need to avoid eye contact or avoid all contact with members of the opposite sex.
Different cultures have different social norms and no matter where you move, you must be willing to adapt.
Embracing a new culture will allow you to feel like you belong.
International moves can be challenging, but they are also very rewarding if you open up to the experiences.
The best advice you can receive is to watch the people around you to learn how to act.
You can watch how they greet each other, how they interact, how they order food and how they socialize.
If you are invited to someone’s home or out to dinner for the first time, find out from other locals what is customary.
Should you bring a gift to their home or should you pay for dinner?
These are things you will want to know before making mistakes.
Adaptability in Family Life
You will be living a new life with your family.
You will have different schedules and your children will be interacting with kids who grew up with very different backgrounds.
If you are moving to a country where household help is more affordable, you will have to get used to having a nanny or a housekeeper around.
Making all of these adjustments as a team will help you pull together to learn about your new country together.
When you first move overseas, it will be nice for your children to have some sort of familiarity around them.
Shipping their favorite clothes, toys and furniture overseas with IntlMOVE can help provide your children with familiar surroundings while they are adapting to their new surroundings.
Language Adaptability
When you move overseas with IntlMOVE, one of the most important things you need to do is to learn the language of your new country.
Learning the language will help you adapt to the culture of your new country.
Learning the language will also help you make friends and find your way around town.
Even if you are moving to an English speaking country, there will still be some differences in slang and other terminology.
Try practicing the new language at home so your family can learn together.
Different Living Conditions
One of the most difficult things you might have to get used to is the different living conditions you might experience.
There may not be 24-hour access to grocery stores and restaurants and life might go at a much slower pace.
You might even be moving to a third world country where living conditions are much different from the United States.
You will have to get used to different sites and different standards of living.
You will have to learn to adapt to a whole new way of life, which is more of an adventure than a challenge.
Let IntlMOVE help you ship your household goods overseas when you are ready to adapt to new way of life.