Different situations push you abroad. Study. Emigration. Relocation within a company. For family members of diplomatic missions and consular posts, it is a periodic stay. They rotate every 3-4 years.
How to return to the Lithuanian labour market is a question that carries a lot of anxiety and a hundred other questions and choices. The opportunity to start your own business. Retraining. To return to your field of expertise. To engage in invididual activities.
I was invited by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, as part of the initiative “Maybe to Lithuania?” to share my experience on how to effectively present yourself to an employer and ensure a smooth career change when changing countries. in the context of the Lithuanian Employment Service, Aušra Kūriene and the State Tax Inspectorate.
There were many women in the audience, which is not surprising, as women are more likely to switch countries to follow a man’s career opportunity.
A few highlights from what I said to a rather mixed audience, including a lawyer, an art historian, a finance manager, a doctor and other professionals:
– Indeed, changing a country for three or four years is a challenge. Even if you manage not to lose competence (which is extremely difficult when you have not worked as a doctor for several years, for example), you lose connections.
– You also lose the sense of context. For example, if you are a designer, you still know how to design, but you don’t know what companies are currently looking for services, where they are, where they are, they don’t know you.
– The loss of context creates a sense of insecurity. There is a lack of confidence about whether I will be successful or whether I will be able to return to the labour market.
– In the case of diplomatic family members, the loss of a pension or an allowance does not motivate them to work. But it’s still worth considering whether the loss of skills will “pay off” in the long term.
On the other hand, there are some plus points. For new employers, it can be an advantage that you are looking for a job for three years. Nowadays, that’s a pretty good commitment period, especially when there is a shortage of staff.
What to do to make it easier to return to the local market:
– If you go and have the opportunity, keep your qualifications. For example, if you write texts – even part-time, part-time, perhaps on a voluntary basis – keep writing.
– If you can’t find paid work, volunteer, do charity work and organise community events. These are also important competences for finding a job.
– Look for opportunities to transform competences into ones you can work on remotely. Remote jobs are less susceptible to relocation.
– Observe the context. Keep up to date with the issues that matter to you. This will help you stay in touch with local realities.
I also see the difficulties of switching countries when I am working on executive search or personal executive career counselling. Relocation often gives these executives additional international experience and makes them interesting for the local labour market when they return. However, the loss of context and connections weakens strong foundations and trust.
This is why, even when working at a distance, it is important not to lose touch – to visit each other’s home country from time to time, to attend each other’s events or association meetings, if possible. Contextual awareness and connections are just as important as competences in a manager’s work.
