Life abroad is not for everyone. Though it´s certainly a great way to explore and learn more about the world and about you, it´s also full of challenges and unexpected difficulties. The ability to successfully execute your idea of living in a foreign country depends strongly on who you are and what you want in life. Have therefore an honest look at yourself before taking the leap.
So what makes someone the right person for expatriation? How would he or she be like? I imagined a person who could easily adapt to everyday life anywhere. Someone who can make a living and a life out of nothing. I wondered and I thought of a set of skills any expatriate should posses to at least some extend. Do you possess all eight?
Soft Skills Needed to Make a Successful Move Abroad
1# Dealing with Change
I guess you wouldn´t be wandering around my blog, if you wouldn´t want some change in your life. Moving abroad involves an extreme example of change: from your neighborhood to the language, the food and unspoken rules, your roles and responsibilities. Soon even your own thinking and behavior change. This period of in-between old and new may feel very disorienting. You need time to make the new world, your world and to turn the new you, into really you.
It´s necessary to be able to deal with this kind of change. When you´re not able to successfully complete the transition, it´s impossible to move on which leaves only the way back. Consider how you normally manage big changes in life. If you ever moved before, try to remember your reaction to new, unfamiliar surroundings. It´s hard to truly know what you are getting into, but you can expect everything to be different.
2# Letting Go of the Past
While going through the process of change in-between old and new, your common ground is still at home. Detached from the familiar, you´ll be automatically longing for familiar things, which makes it difficult to mentally let go of your homeland. Earlier, I explained how this paradoxically establishes a stronger connection between you and the world you left behind.
Feelings of loss, homesickness or nostalgia could jeopardize the process of letting go. As a consequence, you could stay stuck in the past. This is typically a type of skill you learn from experience. Though if you often dwell on the past more than you feel is healthy, try to register your thoughts and learn to focus them to the present. Life abroad is not meant to have your heart and soul in your home country while trying to make a living somewhere else.
3# Managing Uncertainty
The act of moving abroad is characterized by uncertainty. Uncertainty reigns about you and your dream of the future: will you earn enough money, will you settle in easily, will you learn the language quickly, will you make enough friends, won´t you miss your family too much, etc. Ongoing questions and feelings of anxiety until more information is known make this a quite stressful situation and some people deal better with uncertainty than others.
Having no guarantee about whatsoever is challenging. I believe that a realistic relocation plan, hard work and patience take away many of those emotional concerns. Do you feel uncomfortable with great deals of uncertainty in everyday life or can you manage? Having the courage to take risks in life and focusing on things you can control, makes it a lot easier to manage the uncertain nature of building up a new life in a faraway country.
4# Adapting to a New Culture
Cultural adaptation is a must for successful integration. Interaction with local behaviors and communication confronts your with the cultural differences. It´s very likely you´ll adapt to a lot of new habits of your new country, but without a doubt, there will also be many old ones you don´t want to let go. Your reflection motors are working on high speed and you´re comparing constantly. Take your time to reflect your own way of being and thinking to develop cultural consciousness.
The purpose of cultural awareness is learning to recognize and understand cultural dependent situations in order to predict them and choose your respond. Do you adapt or continue your own way? In every situation you have the choice to respond and the trick is to find the right balance. Observe how you generally react to distinctive habits and points-of-view in everyday life. Immediate rejection of alien habits won´t be much of a solution, you must adapt to some extent.
5# Building a Social Network
Networking should be high on your list. Without family living close by, a trustful network of friends, colleagues and acquaintances is very important for your well-being. Don´t confuse moving abroad with travelling though, where everyone is each other’s buddy for a short period of time. You want to build friendships of trust, shared-interests and reciprocity. If you´re not the networking-type, make sure to cling with the networkers to connect you.
Cultural barriers may add more difficulty to find good friends, but the principle of developing friendships is worldwide the same. Friendships have to be cherished, cultivated, and nurtured. It takes time and effort, and you can´t give up. Enough satisfying friendships are crucial. Your social skills and needs (local vs expat friendships) are put to the test. Be ready to boost your social scene from zero to sufficient.
6# Knowing and Pursuing your Goals
Unless you are a gypsy at heart, a feasible plan is a must-have abroad. Without a clear vision and objectives to pursue, expatriates get easily bored, lost and discouraged. Before you hit the wall and start asking yourself “is this all?” think thoroughly about your expectations. Are they realistic and achievable? What is it that you´re exactly looking for? Focus and determination will be your friends in need in this new world full of possibilities.
It´s perhaps the most important part of preparing to move abroad: Understanding why you want to relocate. To know what you want to achieve, some serious self research is required. A plan based on your deepest desires, wishes and ideals is a plan for the long haul. Do you know what you want? Where do you want to be in 10 years? Ask yourself critical questions and be honest. Life abroad isn´t magical – you have to make it magical.
7# Being a Constant Foreigner
You can adapt like the best integrated immigrant ever, but you´ll be always be a bit different from the rest. Due to the absence of a shared past, locals will never completely understand you and you will never be like them. Being a constant stranger brings a feeling of anonymity which may be exactly what you need or make you long for your own kind of people. You must find a balance in this new identity.
Some people feel too restrained at home and are happy to be a legitimate stranger abroad. Others have a great need for bonding and connecting with like-minded people which they may not discover until having taken the leap. Be aware that you belong to a special kind of breed: You have to cope with identity issues and feelings of not belonging to a particular place anymore. Finding support from others can help.
8# Having the Willpower to Persevere and Succeed
Big dreams require big efforts. It will take some time to accomplish your dream and you can´t give up too easily. It requires willpower: Pro-activeness, commitment, problem-solving, discipline, independence, creativity, confidence, and ambition are all qualities necessary for the expatriate challenge. In the end they lead back to taking full responsibility for this adventure. What you want is entirely within your control.
The potential that lies inside each of us is bigger than many of us will ever know. Don´t be that person that gives up before reaching its true potential. Challenge your beliefs about what you can and can´t do. You think you´re too shy? Maybe you are outgoing. Belief in yourself and stay positive and motivated until the finish line. Even if everything wasn´t enough, you want to be able to say “I have tried everything”.
Is Moving Abroad Right For You? Take the Test!
I hope I´ve made you more aware of some of the intangible challenges of international relocation. Bear in mind that you can learn along the way, but it´s certainly convenient to identify your strengths and weaknesses in advance.
Do you think you have what it takes to succeed life abroad? I stumbled upon this very useful questionnaire designed for those dreaming of living in a foreign country to determine if you are up to the challenge. Let me know your score! 
If all this confuses you and you´re incompatible to decide the right path, consider consulting a expatriate coach or immigration consultant in your home country.
