Life-changing experiences of an expat: Part 2.
In last week’s column, I discussed some of the highlights of Houston Relocation Professionals’ (HRP) recent fall educational event, which focused on the professional and personal life-changing experiences people have when they relocate outside of their home country.
This topic is extremely relevant to Houston, because of its large expat population, and the significant number of global mobility professionals who serve and support those individuals here in the local community.
For people working in Houston, especially within the oil and gas industry, being sent on a global assignment is often the pathway to career advancement and continued professional development.
At the same time, becoming an expat can be a very complex and challenging proposition, and one that has a lifelong impact on individuals and their families.
While the event topic was not directly related to real estate, it did serve as an important reminder of why people go on international assignments, the challenges that they face individually and as a family, the difficulties of repatriation, and the ability needed to maintain a semblance of normalcy in a very abnormal situation.
The second part of the event featured a robust panel discussion on the world through expat eyes. Moderated by Dan Bolger, vice president at REA — Partners in Transition, the panelists were: John Cegelski, senior manager global HR for Apache Corp.; Marife Alvarez, human resources specialist at BP Americas Inc.; and Leslie Santamaria, intercultural specialist at Chevron.
Panelists shared their personal and professional international work experiences, and how that affects the work that they do to support their companies’ respective global mobility programs, and the employees and families who are sent on and return from international assignments.
“I am Dan Bolger, and I am a recovering expat,” said Bolger, who has over 10 years of international business experience and seven years of experience working as an expat in the Middle East and Asia. “The impressions and the experience overall have stayed with me.”
This sentiment was equally expressed by both Alvarez and Santamaria as they described their own expat experiences.
Alvarez, who is originally from Venezuela, recounted her expat experience, which took her away from her hometown to a new country and culture, where she didn’t know anyone. She said that he experience has helped her in the work she does today, and has made her more understanding of what other expats are going through when they move to another country, including those who move to the U.S.
Likewise, Santamaria talked about her experiences living in Chile, Angola and the Dominican Republic. Today, she leverages those experiences for the work that she does at Chevron, where she helps employees work across cultures and prepare for international assignments.
Although Cegelski hasn’t lived or worked overseas himself, he has over 25 years of experience on the service side of the relocation industry, as well as being on the HR side in assisting expats. As such, he shared some best practices, and talked about the importance of working together internally, as a team to get things done.
One of the most compelling questions Bolger asked each panelist had to do with how their own relocation experiences, and/or the support that they provide to the employees who are deployed, has changed the lens through which they see things personally and professionally. Here’s what they had to say. Alvarez said, “It just opens your mind and makes you understand that there is a lot of culture and a lot of information available, and that you just learn from it. For me, every time it is an opportunity to learn.”
She said it is important for the expats to know that the company is really interested in how they are doing, how their family is adjusting, and really listens to what they have to say.
Santamaria said, “I don’t think I would be nearly as effective in my work if I hadn’t had international assignments. I think I am able to understand personally what the expats are going through, because I’ve been through it.”
Cegelski said, “Personally, you get to see the world when you’re on an expat assignment. People send pictures of their assignments and vacations, and it’s priceless to them.”
He said, “When they come back, they want to talk about it, and you should listen. We’re all busy, and we all have a story to tell, but sitting and listening to someone goes a long way.”
HRP is a Recognized Regional Group for Worldwide ERC (Employee Relocation Council). Its mission is to provide meaningful educational, networking, and community outreach opportunities for professionals supporting workforce mobility.
For more information, visit www. HoustonReloPros.org.