If you’ve ever spent a tremendous amount of time fumbling around trying to manage a situation, you know the relief when you can identify a solution with someone who has the knowledge and the experience. In the same way, a good expat coach can help you prepare for life abroad or help you navigate a circumstance that requires expertise. A coach is there to help you clarify a process and strategize achievable solutions. They won’t do the necessary work for you but they will guide in the steps towards the right direction. Here are some common reasons to find your coaching partner.
You need clarity on how to make this journey work.
Before you pack your bags, you need to mentally determine if this is the right choice for you and if you can make it work. The right coach can help you explore the reality of the process, identify locations that fit your life’s needs and get you thinking about the questions you need answered before you mentally start house shopping in Bermuda. You may need to talk through what is realistic as well as explore the important considerations.
You think this process is overwhelming and need to hear from someone with experience.
If you have never made a major move before, at least one involving time zones, language barriers and baggage claim, working with a professional who has actually done it can be helpful. Not someone who has thought about it. Not someone who has read about it. Someone who’s bought the plane tickets, taken the malaria pills and lived to tell about it kinda person. Working with a coach can help you strategize a plan, take out the guesswork and lessen some of the stress.
You have a specific professional skill and need to work with someone who knows how to leverage that abroad.
Many of us have worked hard in our careers for a lengthy amount of time and are trying to take that skillset international. The problem is you have no idea how being an engineer, accountant or nurse practitioner translates abroad. A career expat coach can walk you through how to prepare your applications for an international market and depending on expertise, give you local insider information when applying. Likewise, for the self-employed, a business coach who focuses on location independence can help you strategize running your business internationally.
You’ve been living abroad and need guidance on returning/transitioning home.
Everyone talks about leaving. Few talk about the challenges of returning. There are all kinds of reasons as to why people come back. But one thing is for sure, you aren’t the same as when you left. And truthfully, neither is your home country. A transitional expat coach can help you unpack and unload the challenges of trying to readjust to home.
You are dealing with homesickness or struggling to adjust in your new location.
If we can be honest for a second, we need to acknowledge that moves are hard, even the ones we’ve dreamt about. This can be particularly hard for partners and dependents. You are adjusting to a new culture, language, way of life. Sometimes that is isolating, especially if your adopted host culture is very different from your home one. A coach helps you figure out your new normal and strategize how to make the best of your current situation.
You have special health circumstances that warrant some guidance.
If you or a loved one has a specific health concern, you might think you can’t live internationally. But the truth is, you might be able to make it work with the right information. A health or wellness coach, especially with expertise in your health concern, can provide the right guidance and resources in approaching your health abroad. This can range from dietary concerns to mobility issues to special needs support.
You are interested in a specific country or region and need someone who has a working understanding of the environment.
Some people already know the specific region they want to live in. It also happens that some places are just harder to navigate than others. If that’s the case, a coach with country or regional specific knowledge might be the best fit for you. This is especially true if you are moving to a country without visiting or there is a significant language barrier. You might need a trustworthy coach who has region specific knowledge to make sure you don’t waste time or money in getting to your desired location.
Coaches come with all different backgrounds and expertise. The key is to find the one that can help you to achieve your goals abroad.