In Absolutely French, we welcome lots of expat partners, and we see them growing up in their new country.
We teach them French and much more than that.
We also help them build their expatriation project and think about their career on a long term basis.
During, the last 5 years, we noticed lots of them hidden the fact
that they are expat spouses.
Why?
Because this is not seen as a “plus”, but more as a disadvantage.
This is why, Armelle Perben has decided to launch Absolutely Talented,
to change the way how society see expat partners.
Especially recruiters.
Expat partners are talents!
First step abroad
Moving around as an expat partner can offer up some amazing experiences in terms of scenery, culture, and meeting new people.
But leaving ‘it’ - your homeland, job, family, friends - all behind for a partner’s career can also be tough on your self-esteem and identity.
And when the novelty of a new location has stilled a little and everyday life sets in, for some of us so does the worry about a professional life left behind, loss of competence, becoming obsolete on the labour market, and not keeping up with pension payments.
Meanwhile, you also somewhere realise that all the moving and reorganizing of life in different systems, cultures, and languages has given you a different set of transferable skills than those you originally left with.
Looking for a job
If you are looking to rejoin the labour market, the challenge will lie in convincing recruiters that your ‘intermission years’ in fact are a positive contribution to your employability.
If you feel like you need a little help, join us at Absolutely Talented
on September 16th 2021
Absolutely Talented is an event that brings together employers and expat partners looking for a job, recognising and highlighting the appeal of the skills gained while living abroad.
Skills that, in fact, often are sought after by companies and organisations that work internationally.
As an example:
- Expat partners often have a high level of “cultural intelligence” through tackling everyday life in different countries and in challenging situations.
- A basic feature is a very strong knowledge of languages: in fact frequently expat partners speak at least three languages.
- An expat partner, by necessity, is an open-minded person with a high level of adaptability.
- Managing change has become second nature, so they are real problem solvers.
- Many expat partners have hands-on VUCA world experience, navigating through complexity, chaos, and confusion
- The last but not least, they have got an international network
In terms of employment, part of the trick is to rethink your skills : expatriation as an expat spouse should be seen as a strength and can most definitely be a starting point for a new career and new possibilities.
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Article written by Caroline Holmqvist and Pietro Serini