This is a
post I have just published on LinkedIn Pulse about the new chapter in my life.
From December 2014, I will be in Vietnam. Currently I do not know if I will stay there for the rest of my life (I do not see future), but I will take the best of this experience.
At first, you have to know that I had the opportunity during
my studies to move in TianJin (China) and in Oxford(UK). That was a great
experience: travelling, discovery new cultures, practicing my english, and
meeting new people.
At the end of my student life, I worked as network engineer on contract for
different companies. The last one was for a bank in Paris. I have to admit that
after my studies, I regret I did not have the opportunity to work abroad and
that may be one reason about thinking to move abroad.
I had a job while some people could not have one
(unemployment rate in France was around 10% for Q1 2014 -
INSEE).
I am lucky enough (or unlucky, it depends on context) to be single and with no
kid. I did not have loans. And I was only 26.
So ... I quitted my job and started to look for a new one
abroad.
Why?
First of all, when the decision to make the move has been taken, the problem
waswaiting the job opportunity in a foreign country or quitting the
job to search it.
What will you do if the job opportunity never come? Are you
ready to wait 1, 5, 10 years in your current job waiting the opportunity that
would may never come?
By quitting the job, I force myself to make the move and if
I receive a job opportunity in the meantime, that's good as well.
Another reason about quitting the job was the notice
period. In France, depending on the contract type, the notice period is
different and in my case, the notice period was 3 months.
Is there any employers who can wait 3 months to hire you? An
employer, who could search locally instead of relocating a foreign worker.
And in my mind the answer was "NO". I resigned,
did my notice period, and at the end, I was free to work for any company.
I have the perfect situation to make the move: single person
to relocate, visa application for only one person, no financial string.
And I am young: if working abroad will not be a good experience, I can easily
come back.
Finally, after quitting my job, searching a job for months,
I get a job abroad starting next month.
To conclude, what I learnt during these last months:
- Stay focus on the objective: if you want something, don't
hesitate and do your best to get it.
- Prepare the backup plan: if you can find the job remotely,
get a visa and take a airplane ticket to get it there. In my case, I was
thinking about applying for a Working-Holiday Visa as my backup plan.
- Do not repeat History: if Napoleon failed to conquer Russia,
one reason for that is because his soldiers were not prepared to endure this
frozen winter. In our case, do not search a job when most
HRs/headhunters/recruiters are on holiday (July to September).
- Use your network: I got LinkedIn connections to some
recruiters through friends, it was not successful
- Do not close doors: I searched in China, but I got contacts
in Europe, and finally I will relocate in Vietnam.
