By Adrian Gigante from Sydney — IMG_4809-Pano-Edit-Edit, CC BY 2.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=53554477

The quest for constant evolution is needed in most careers. However, this requirement becomes even more desirable when we think about technology, because knowledge is more ephemeral there. New technologies are developed and released daily and professionals who do not keep up with this pace can quickly become outdated. As a result, the amount of professionals who choose to develop an international career is increasing.

This article explores some of the reasons that motivate individuals to make the leap.

New work environment

When you start in a new job, you come across different processes and methodologies that you were not used to. In addition, you have contact with another factor that is possibly the most diverse and unpredictable: the individual.

Each individual is unique and owns a set of varied experiences in the course of their existence. This provides an excellent learning opportunity when you are willing to share ideas. The sum of these different backgrounds results in ease of problem solving, as you are in an environment where someone else has likely had previous experience in similar situations.

For these reasons, one of our core principles at THE ICONIC is “We Are Stronger Together”.

New technologies

You will probably come across some new technologies, especially if you were previously in a smaller company or one which did not invest so much in IT. This provides a great opportunity for professional growth and the use of modern technologies tends to increase squad’s productivity.

This is related to our principle “We Get Things Done.”

New cultures

When you move to a new country, you not only know different sights and geographical variations, but you also get immersed in a completely distinct culture. This makes you realise how this “new society” deals with a myriad of situations.

At THE ICONIC as well as in Australia, this plurality is even more remarkable since we have people from all parts of the world, which creates a broad cultural mix and exposes individuals to new points of view. This becomes even more notorious when we consider that many of these professionals have left their hometown, family, friends and crossed the world to live in Sydney.

This is aligned with the principle “We dream big”.

Improvement in another language

If you move to a country which language is different from yours, you must also adapt to this new way of expressing yourself. This forces you to leave your comfort zone as — especially at the beginning of your learning — since it will be difficult to achieve the same fluency in interactions with your colleagues.

On the other hand, it brings a new perspective to your daily routine, as it offers you a new tool to achieve a known goal: the communication. This text is a proof, considering that English is not my first language.

With all of the positive points I have mentioned above, here are some of my other considerations on moving abroad.

Homesick

Some people feel more, others less, but one thing is a fact: you will be far from your family. However, the technology can help in that matter, since through messages and video calls it is possible to be in daily contact with our beloved ones.

Timezone

You need to be more aware about timezone differences, because it is important to keep in touch with your friends and family, but you do not want to wake them up in the middle of the night.

Getting Out of the Comfort Zone

Whether it is for the language or the need to learn how things work in a new environment, you will be forced to change your routine and abandon your comfort zone. Personally, I believe that is a good point, but some individuals may find it difficult.

Although the decision to live in another country is complex, I believe it is a challenging and valuable adventure, both for your professional growth and evolution as a human being and should be considered if you want to have a lifetime experience.

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This post was originally published on THE ICONIC Tech blog.