How Your International Experience Can Benefit Your UK Career

Moving to the UK as an expat can be a daunting experience, as you have to seek new opportunities in a country you’ve never been to before. It’s also a wonderful chance to broaden your career horizons and try something new that you’ve always been interested in but never pursued. Developing a unique set of skills that you might not have been able to gain in your home country is one of the many benefits of starting a new career in the UK.

If you work in another country, like the UK, for an extended period of time, employers might consider you a more attractive candidate for employment if you ever move back to your home country. It can also benefit your UK career if you have international experience, as there are certain roles in the country that require you to be familiar with other languages and cultures. There are many other benefits that we will explore throughout this article.

Continue reading this guide if you are considering moving to the UK as an expat, as we dive into how your international experience can be the key to you having a successful career in the country.

International Experience Benefits

Multicultural Competence

Having work experience internationally is more likely to make you better equipped to work in multicultural environments, as you would be well versed with it. The ability to adapt to other cultures is a very valuable skill. It can improve team work and innovation within the workplace while also increasing the chances of forming more meaningful relationships. Especially with more businesses than ever looking for multicultural offices, as it offers a wider range of ideas, they will want employees that are comfortable in these surroundings.

International Contacts

If you’ve had international experience in the workplace, you are more likely to have international contacts that can potentially help with business operations in the UK. There are many networking opportunities available within the UK, as it’s one of the best counties for networking in the world. This is mainly due to London being one of the biggest cities in the world for international dealings, especially for logistics technology.

Real-world Experiences

Having real world experiences from other countries around the world can significantly boost your chances of success in the UK. There are many jobs that require you to understand how the real world works, especially that of countries abroad. For example, flight attendants will have to cater to regular people from all over the world and need real life skills for this. This type of experience can be great for improving productivity within a workplace.

Foreign Languages

Knowing a foreign language can be beneficial for work in the UK because it can improve communication, increase career opportunities and help you work with people from different cultures. Having experience working in other countries will give you the best chance of quickly developing your understanding of foreign languages, which is very important for a world that is becoming increasingly globalised. International internships can be a great option, as it will give you the chance to hear local languages in an office setting to give your foreign language skills a better chance of developing in a professional context.

Communication Improvements

Effective communication is key in any type of business, but with the UK being one of the most culturally diverse in Europe it has become even more important. If you’ve had previous experience of working with people from different backgrounds, you should be able to excel within this environment when working in the UK. You can speak to members of your team much easier, so you can express frustrations, desires for change and everything else for a streamlined office experience.

Globalised Career View

Having work experience in a different country can offer a broader worldwide perspective, which can give you a better understanding of your role if you have to speak to clients or customers from a country outside of the UK. Gaining these insights about the international aspect of your career can help you climb the professional ladder. In the UK, more workplaces are putting a focus on hiring managers that have a strong level of international experience. This is why so many people are now completing a few years of work abroad.

Willingness To Take Risks

The fact that someone has the willingness to risk working in another country can show that adventurous qualities that many workplaces search for. Alternatively, if you’re an expat making the move to the UK and have gone to the trouble of obtaining indefinite leave to remain, it shows your commitment to working in the UK and many roles will appreciate this risk. Most managers prefer to have the person who has worked in a different country by their side, as whether they’ve moved from another country or moved out of the UK for a short while to work, it shows excellent adaptability skills.