5 Challenges Encountered Working Abroad

I am a Filipino immigrant who came to the US to work as an occupational therapist. That said, working in a different country can definitely be challenging for several reasons, including:

1. Homesickness: Moving to a new country can be an isolating experience, especially if you don’t have friends or family in your assigned location. Establishing a support system and building a social life can be challenging, impacting your overall well-being and job satisfaction. Being away from friends and family can be difficult, and it can be tough to maintain relationships across long distances. I came to the US not knowing many people except some college friends and an aunt from my father’s side. However, they live in different states, so I could only see them briefly. It can be depressing to miss out on birthdays or celebrate holidays without my family members. It’s good that in this generation, we can now communicate through the internet, but nothing beats a personal meet-up or bonding with family and close friends.

2. Legal and bureaucratic issues: Working in a different country often requires obtaining a work visa or permit, which can be complicated and lengthy. Additionally, you may need to navigate various legal and tax systems, which can be challenging if you are unfamiliar. Coming here to the US, I applied with an agency so they could assist me in obtaining my work visa and eventually sponsor my green card or permanent resident ID. This was stressful while working a full-time job as an occupational therapist, trying to figure out how to live here. Unfortunately, many problems and obstacles arose just for the visa alone. I will try to consider sharing that experience in another blog post someday. But people who also went through this process would genuinely say it was an anxiety-inducing experience. Gratefully, I now have my green card, and in a few years, I can apply to become a citizen of this country. 

3. Language barrier: If you work in a country that differs from your native language, it can sometimes be challenging to communicate effectively with colleagues and clients/patients. This can lead to misunderstandings, confusion, and even frustration. Before coming to the US, we must take and pass our TOEFL exam. TOEFL exam is an English exam wherein the grades on each category of the test must be in a certain score in order to work in the US. Although English is one of the languages learned in the Philippines, I still have to learn to be confident to express myself and communicate with other people using this language.  

4. Cultural Shock: Each country has its unique culture, customs, and traditions, which can differ significantly from what you are used to. These cultural differences can affect your ability to build relationships with colleagues, understand business practices, and adapt to work environments. Moving to a new country can be a big adjustment, and it may take some time to get used to the new culture, customs, and ways of doing things. Of course, since I was born in the Philippines, there have been a lot of differences between how I lived there and how to live here in the US. Food, transportation, holidays, and expression or language, are some of the things that gave me a culture shock and also the things that broadened my knowledge of living in this country. Work culture is another example wherein I have to figure out the documentation system for my notes, productivity that needs to be at a certain level, build rapport with coworkers and patients, and many more. In addition to that, since I was a traveling therapist before, I had to change location and do it again after a certain period. 

5. Cost of living: Depending on where you are moving to, the cost of living may be higher than what you are used to, which can impact your ability to save money or maintain the same lifestyle. I remember when I first came here. I saved some money from the Philippines to use as pocket money before I got a job here. I won’t lie; moving here from the Philippines was pretty expensive. Before purchasing an item, I would use a calculator to convert my hard-earned Philippine peso to dollars. Then, I needed to budget the money that I had. 

Working in a different country can be a rewarding experience, but it requires patience, flexibility, and a willingness to adapt to new situations.

How about you? Do you agree with what I have written? If not, why? What are the challenges you have encountered working in a different country? What are your experiences? Kindly share it in the comment section below!

Thank you for reading! Continue to adapt to change and enjoy life!