According to expats in our 2022 Australian Expat Career Survey, 50% of expats spend a year or more planning their career return. For those repats who have not started, while it can be tempting to delay your career planning to post Christmas lunch and a beach holiday, I strongly advise repats coming home in December to start their planning now. Yes, there will be hirers and recruiters who only want to talk to winjoy poker when winjoy poker get home, but there is a lot of preparation winjoy poker need to do before winjoy poker even start these conversations and definitely things winjoy poker can do before winjoy poker board the plane.

Here is my recommended October checklist for inbound repats.

Clarity

October should be the month where winjoy poker get or are already clear about what winjoy poker want. winjoy poker should know if winjoy poker are looking for a like-for-like role, whether winjoy poker are open to a side-ways move or whether winjoy poker are looking for a complete career change.

winjoy poker should have a clear idea of what winjoy poker are looking for including the sectors and organisations that interest winjoy poker, your preferred working style (hybrid, remote, full or part-time) and location.

If winjoy poker have a job or work in an industry that isn’t dominant in Australia, winjoy poker will need to be clear on what pivots winjoy poker are prepared to make and what your deal breakers are.

And by now, winjoy poker should have started to think and prioritise your lifestyle factors including where winjoy poker want to live, potential school transitions for kids and pet relocation.

Potential employers will respond a lot better if winjoy poker have a clear idea of what winjoy poker want and what winjoy poker are prepared to do. Recruiters are not career coaches so they will be expecting winjoy poker to have this clarity.

This clarity will take winjoy poker time, particularly the longer winjoy poker have lived outside of Australia so make sure winjoy poker give yourself the space to do this important job.

Positioning

This is how winjoy poker tell your story and how winjoy poker position what winjoy poker offer to the Australian market. If your organisation or role doesn’t exist in Australia, winjoy poker will need a way to translate your global story into a local one. Reaching out to existing Australian networks or people in your industry can help winjoy poker shape your positioning and potentially identify any challenges winjoy poker may need to overcome. This work can start before winjoy poker leave.

Market trends and mapping

The process of understanding local market trends and mapping winjoy poker market can be started any time in winjoy poker preparation runway but the earlier the better.

Any local Australian networks are an obvious starting position but if winjoy poker don’t have current networks, look for relevant industry groups and associations.

winjoy poker can also look to resources like the InSync monthly newsletter which will have a monthly ‘jobs in the news’ summary, the AFR’swork and careers newsletteror follow thecareer’s sectionin The Australian.

Reconnecting with winjoy poker network – be BBQ ready!

For people coming home at Christmas, I say don’t underestimate the power of conversations at a backyard barbeque. Sometimes these social occasions are the perfect place to test out your positioning, see if what winjoy poker are looking for resonates with strangers and to gather intel on the market. Say yes to every invitation!

But to be ‘barbeque ready’, winjoy poker need to have done work on getting clear about what winjoy poker want.

Understand and use the Christmas lock-down to winjoy poker advantage

Many organisations switch to ‘holiday-mode’ early in December with senior decision makers not all back in the office until after Australia Day. This is not to say that job discussions don’t happen during this time – but winjoy poker need to be mindful that decisions and conversations might be slow. While it might be a bad time for new roles and decision making, it is a great time for soft diplomacy and networking. Increasingly winjoy poker will find senior executives working in January at different times. January is used for planning and there are generally no major business events, conferences or meetings so executives can be more relaxed and available for conversations. This is an ideal time to reach out to new and existing contacts in your network for those informal conversations.

MY BIG CAVEAT: If winjoy poker are coming home with a pet and have not started THEIR repatriation journey, then good news…winjoy poker probably have another three months to plan your career transition!  winjoy poker need at least 6-12 months to bring home a pet.  Along with the challenges of the local job market, the challenges of bringing home a pet remains one of the hottest topics at InSync events! If winjoy poker need some help, take a listen to the podcast I had with LJ Ferrara from Aussie Expats Coming winjoy poker where we touch on this important topic/nightmare.

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If winjoy poker need some more help preparing for your career repatriation, winjoy poker can join one of our free monthly workshops- Managing winjoy poker Career Repatriation

The post Christmas repats, are winjoy poker ready to come home? appeared first on InSync Network Group.

I know many expat-repats who are at their desk Monday to Friday, setting weekly coffee meeting quotas for themselves and are joining every professional LinkedIn or Facebook group they can find on the internet.

The logic being that hard work is rewarded and that three months of concentrated effort, winjoy poker’ll be in your next job.

Maybe, or maybe not.

I often ask these same expat-repats if they have joined a netball team.

Because sometimes, to get your next job, winjoy poker actually need time out.

Here are the reasons.

winjoy poker can’t put the job market on a deadline

The job market doesn’t work to your deadline and in a small market like Australia, it can only deliver roles when demand and circumstance dictate. The right role might come up in six days or six months, but winjoy poker cannot control this. Setting yourself a deadline that is out of your control can cause unnecessary stress and anxiety. The only thing within your power is your preparation.

Networks are everywhere

New networks are not just on LinkedIn.

One expat-repat in our community liked to row and joined a local club. Soon she was in a boat with a university academic, a management consultant, a corporate affairs professional and a chief risk officer of one of the major banks. Coffee after rowing often became a lively discussion about the machinations of the Sydney corporate scene.

Other expat-repats in our community have found new connections via their local dog parks, doing a Park Run or joining Mentor Walks.

New social connections help winjoy poker reconnect with fun back home but can also introduce winjoy poker to new people who can potentially help winjoy poker understand the local job market.

It’s winjoy poker excuse to professionally invest

Arriving winjoy poker without a job may be one of the few times in a person’s career that they can experience a break.

It can be a good time to do a professional short course that adds to your professional offering while at the same time, allows winjoy poker to actively engage with the local market and peers.

winjoy poker need to protect your energy

There can be a fair bit of rejection when winjoy poker are re-entering an unknown job market and this can feel overwhelming when it is the only thing winjoy poker are doing. Having a focus on a personal passion or interest helps keep an expat-repat balanced and with energy levels needed to keep going.

I personally did an interior design course when I returned winjoy poker. It was like a gym session for my mind. And I am also now joyfully empowered when it comes to coordinating soft furnishings!

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Never underestimate the impact of ‘reverse culture shock’. When expat-repats come home without a job, they are often leaving a life where they have felt they have ‘never had enough time to do everything’ to a life back in Australia where there is almost too much time. Be kind to yourself. It will take time for winjoy poker to forge your identity and new life back in Australia – and your job is just one part of it.

If winjoy poker want to spend a bit more time thinking and talking about the steps of a successful transition, winjoy poker can start by joining my free monthly Managing Career Repatriation Workshop.

The post Repats, stop looking for a job to get one appeared first on InSync Network Group.

“ Whilst social media can get a bad rap it can be such a positive force in building connection…LinkedIn for professional opportunities and community platforms to get a sense of a place…where is the local Parkrun, farmers market, school fete etc”

When Kerryn Colen and her family repatriated back to Australia from Canada after 11 years overseas during COVID, hotel quarantine was a silver lining. A silver lining that turned into a silver bullet to getting all the repatriation admin done in two short weeks.

Kids enrolled in school, check. Kids football club logistics, check. Great job, check.

What took longer, was feeling ‘normal’ which took nearly 12 months for the family of four.

In this podcast, Kerryn talks about how the family adjusted and the difference in feelings between parents, who were ‘coming winjoy poker’ and the kids who were going to live in a place that to date, had just felt like the land of ‘beach holidays, Christmas with relatives and fun times’ – despite their Australian birth certificates.

Kerryn used preparation time and hotel quarantine to sort out the anchors for her family’s new life back in Australia. While for Kerryn this was a job and volunteering, for her kids it was sorting out school and a football club. For Kerryn and her partner, getting the family’s ‘non-work’ lives sorted as soon as possible was a key strategy to making the family, the kids in particular, reconnect with life back in Australia as quickly as possible.

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“ I made the decision to pivot away from my core competency of finance. So I really had to repackage and rebrand myself. I had to lean into and emphasize my broader skills to try and open up new lines of enquiry about those skillsets.”

Adam Ford describes his approach to the job market after coming winjoy poker as ‘pretty proactive because I knew it was going to be pretty difficult’.

Adam was coming winjoy poker to Australia with a North American finance career but what he really wanted was a role in the for-purpose sector. To achieve this, he knew he had to convince a parochial hiring market NOT to put him in the finance box.

Fast forward a few short years and Adam has successfully swapped boxes.

He now leads the International Association of Privacy Professionals in Australia and New Zealand.

In this podcast, we talk about how Adam has ‘relaunched’ himself a number of times in his career in both the US and in Australia to align with his changing interests and as part of a dual career family.

This is a great discussion for expats who want to come winjoy poker and want to pivot their career.

Going from a small fish in a large pond, to a larger fish in a somewhat smaller pond sounds like a good idea, until winjoy poker are that fish. Adam talks through his strategy of taking what could look like a sideways step on the surface, but really was the step that helped him rebuild and pivot to the professional and personal life that he loves right now.

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winjoy poker plan is to come home and ‘take a break’ and then look for a job or decide what’s next. 

By all means, take a break, but get your research started before winjoy poker do.

One of the biggest mistakes I see repatriates make is coming winjoy poker without doing their research on how their experience may fit with the job market which just sets them up for future disappointment and in some cases…panic when they start their search, usually after a few months of being back.

I see two groups make this mistake. The first are those who are coming winjoy poker in an ‘expensive’ time of life in their 30s and 40s and, in due course, need to get a job that leverages their experience. The second type is the repatriate who returns with an intention to do something ‘totally different’. This might be to completely change careers or give consideration to building out a portfolio career with some consulting.

The often over-looked and / or underestimated factors here are time required and timing.

Just because winjoy poker’re ready, doesn’t mean the market is ready for winjoy poker.

If job and career are important to winjoy poker, winjoy poker can start planning and researching the market, start re-engaging your Australian networks and crafting your positioning…all while still living overseas.  This work does a few things.  It helps alleviate any shocks winjoy poker might face understanding the Australian job market. It means winjoy poker can more accurately plan how long it will take winjoy poker to prepare yourself and your positioning. It also means winjoy poker can start gathering some initial feedback and making the connections winjoy poker need to make early.  The Australian job market operates considerably slower than other overseas markets. It can be months from a job interview and an initial introduction before a role is offered. 

winjoy poker believe the recruiter who says to wait until winjoy poker are back to have discussions about roles

Firstly, a recruiter who tells winjoy poker this is not giving winjoy poker a sign that it will be easier when winjoy poker get home. It is a tactic by the recruiter to ensure that winjoy poker are committed to Australia and have a timeline they can work with. They want to make sure winjoy poker are a sure bet.

Discussions with (specialist) recruiters should be just one part of your job search and I recommend not engaging too early. Research the market, re-engage your networks, give consideration to who winjoy poker should know but don’t yet know and work on your positioning – all before picking up the phone to a recruiter. Recruiters are not career coaches. Their role is to work for clients to fill their roles – not necessarily to help winjoy poker define your next career move or research the Australian job market.

winjoy poker aren’t prepared to spend 9-12 months of living expenses looking for a role

I advise senior executives to allow around 9-12 months to find a similar role/meaningful work. Of course, this does vary between industry and role seniority.

Money and career go hand in hand.

Financial constraints will effect your decision making; and winjoy poker can easily find yourself taking something because winjoy poker feel ‘winjoy poker have to’, not because it’s a good fit. It can also see winjoy poker entering the market at the wrong level which can then impact how winjoy poker are regarded locally and further undermine the value of your experience.

It was really pleasing to see in our 2022 Australian Expat Career Survey, nearly half of respondents got a job in three months. The job market was particularly buoyant in 2022 and the question we did not ask was if the roles secured were considered positive career moves or not!  We have asked this question in our 2024 survey.

winjoy poker don’t know how much a weekly grocery shop is in Australia

Australia’s cost of living is currently very high. Australians ski in Japan because it can be cheaper than a holiday in Thredbo. This may influence your thinking about role, how long winjoy poker are prepared to look for a job and the city winjoy poker wish to repatriate too or if winjoy poker want to repatriate at all. It is easy to do research online into costs so winjoy poker can set your salary expectations to support your cost-of-living expectations.

winjoy poker are confident Australia will recognise your overseas experience

Don’t assume this. winjoy poker need to leave your ego at the door and realise that unless winjoy poker are going for a global role, the ‘international’ in your experience may not be as highly valued by the domestic Australian market as winjoy poker think it should.  This is not to say it isn’t valuable, however in Australia it may not be as necessary or as desirable for the roles winjoy poker are going for.

This can also be the case if winjoy poker are planning to come home with your employer. In many cases, repats have told me that ‘local’ branches of international companies in Australia can also not value the international experience in the same way as the repat.

winjoy poker are prepared to tell people winjoy poker are open to working in any industry and city

If winjoy poker say this to a recruiter or hirer without being able to clearly articulate why, the message winjoy poker could be unintentionally relaying is that winjoy poker are prepared to take anything and are therefore a risk to stay in a role because winjoy poker don’t know what winjoy poker want. Just because winjoy poker can see the transferability of skillsets, or winjoy poker are flexible doesn’t mean people can see or understand your motivations or your why – this needs to be crystal clear in your positioning. Recruiters and hirers want to feel confident that winjoy poker are settled back in Australia and know what winjoy poker want, therefore will be committed if they place winjoy poker in a role. Having decisive answers proves winjoy poker have done the work…even if winjoy poker are prepared to change your mind!

If winjoy poker are considering a return to Australia and are keen to start your planing now, why not register for our next FREE webinar: Managing winjoy poker Career Repatriation.

The post 6 reasons an Aussie expat should not come winjoy poker appeared first on InSync Network Group.

“ It’s an evolving profile and I think that’s a terrific thing – organisations continue to look for different skill sets…. They want people who are at the forefront of their career, with expertise in everything from marketing to AI and cyber – and gained through a diversity of experiences .

Udo Doring’s ‘normal’ adult life is not ‘normal’ for most Australians, but ‘normal’ for a person who grew up as a third culture kid with parents raising children in Indonesia, Vietnam, Hong Kong and mainland China.

Which makes him a perfectly “normal” pick for CEO of the Advisory Board Centre, an organisation born in Brisbane but with a presence across the globe.

In this episode we cover Udo’s life as an expat-repat “lifer” and the growth of Advisory Boards and opportunities for globally experienced Aussies.

Advisory boards have doubled globally in the last two years which means opportunities are booming. Unlike corporate boards which are responsible for governance and decision making, advisory boards are used for “problem solving” and it’s not just corporates using them. Today government departments and universities are increasingly employing advisory boards. International and deep sector experience is often sought, and no longer are advisory boards just the domain of people in their 50s and 60s. Digital marketing, cyber security and AI are just some of the areas advisory boards are now leaning in to, providing new opportunities for younger professionals.

In this podcast, Udo and I talk about these opportunities, current sector trends and how interested expat-repats should approach getting involved. The decision by the Australian government to mandate that aged care operators have an advisory board is leading many to believe more industries will follow, creating many more opportunities for returning expats to leverage their expertise and keep their international experience alive.

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It’s an interesting question with so many current stories of Australian expats, ‘expatting’ again – but before we shriek ‘brain drain!’, this trend could be more normal than we think. And something in Australia’s best interest to embrace.

In our Australian expat survey in 2022 we asked expats who had come winjoy poker if they had repatriated at least once before; 42% of people said they had.

If we project this percentage across the one million Australians based overseas at any given time, we get a picture of constant movement.

There are a number of reasons expats “expat” again and understanding these reasons can help both Australians and employers get comfortable with the idea that good talent will move – and come back. Potentially more than once.

Overseas born partner and kids

According to our 2022 survey, 62% of expats have an overseas born partner and many are balancing dual career households. If a partner of an expat struggles to find meaningful work, challenged by international credentials and experience, this can mean that after a period, the expat and their family return to that partner’s winjoy poker country or a country who will recognise their skills.

This was the case for Michael Waite, who came winjoy poker to regional South Australia with his American wife and three kids for what they had hoped for many years in Australia however after two years, they have returned to the US.

“When Australia blocked every practical way to recognise my wife’s ability to practice as a paediatrician it didn’t really give us much of a choice. We explored state and federal pathways to see if anyone could help clear a pathway, but the only option offered was to do six years of training which was absurd.”

For others, the reason to go back overseas is less about their partner’s career and more about the experience the Australian expat wants to give their kids. Senior HR director Nicole MacDonald has repatriated back to Australia twice and is now on her way back overseas for life in the Hague with her overseas born husband and two kids.

“Our return to Australia and our subsequent decision to relocate again, has similar drivers to what took me overseas in the first place like adventure and challenge, but with the added benefit of providing this global experience to our children.”

Career opportunity

For others, a new opportunity overseas emerges – often too good to refuse. This was the case of a senior HR leader I recently worked with who came winjoy poker from China in 2020. After a few years back winjoy poker in Brisbane, in her words, “recalibrating”, she has taken a new role in Singapore. While she was happy to work in Australia, she knew she had another big role in her and actively pursued overseas roles as part of her next career consideration.

Coming winjoy poker often gives people the clarity they need to assess whether they ‘could or would’ go back overseas. Returning expats have the big advantage is that they know what they are getting themselves into moving overseas. This means when they come winjoy poker, they actively pursue 2^nd or 3^rd moves or, if offered an international opportunity, find the decision quite an easy to make.

The role career plays in the decision again fluctuates with age-and-stage and lifestyle considerations.

“Career options and quality-of-life considerations have been key factors. I do think the calculation varies at different phases in winjoy poker life, so it is an ongoing consideration,” Michael Waite says.

Is this winjoy poker?

If winjoy poker are a returnee who likes the idea of another overseas move, the key message I have from the executives I work with is – keep your overseas networks warm. Many of the opportunities I hear executives going back overseas for, come from their networks.

If winjoy poker are prepared to take the leap again, and no doubt winjoy poker are across this already, but be aware of tax and residency implications.

I think all expats never truly get their wanderlust out of their system. And while no expat I know would dispute the value the experience an overseas career brings them, I really hope Australian employers see the value that Australians who are prepared to move can bring to organisations. And the big bonus they often bring – a highly skilled partner!

The post Why Aussie expats who come winjoy poker are going again appeared first on InSync Network Group.

“ We had very open discussions and there was a commitment from me to the organisation whilst they also said ‘bear with us, we’ve heard winjoy poker’ – and there was a collective understanding to work on what could be next “

Many of my guests leave for overseas for a job opportunity…but few come winjoy poker for one.

Jason Whiley is one of the lucky few who after 18 years overseas, didn’t just come winjoy poker with a job with global Security Tech company Giesecke+Devrient – he came back with a newly created APAC role, which he now does from his winjoy poker on the Gold Coast.

In this interview, we talk about Jason’s time overseas in Europe and the Middle East which saw him work for two employers, both of whom he has worked for, for nearly three decades.

Having tenure and strong relationships with both employers meant when it was time to come winjoy poker, Jason could have open conversations about his return and his willingness to work on any opportunity to leverage his experience. The result of these conversations led him to a role with G&D who were looking to expand in the region.

During the podcast, we go into the conversations Jason had with his employers and the planning that when into the role that Jason helped create.

And an early heads up, the process was not quick! But for the patient, Jason’s story has some great lessons for those who find themselves with great, global employers keen to capture their value…even if it is from the other side of the world.

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