FIRST PERSON
by Elizabeth Cox
A
new job means a fresh start, new colleagues, new experiences, and an email inbox balance blissfully sitting at zero. Now, imagine this new job existing on a new continent, in a country where you don’t speak the language, and having an unfamiliar culture among other things. Does reading this scare you? Does it excite you? Both? Well, then maybe working internationally is a challenge that would work for you.
Offered the opportunity to start a residence life program from scratch for a purpose-built student accommodation company, I packed my bags in July 2019 and moved from the United States to Berlin, Germany. I spent six months researching, preparing, packing, and getting ready to move across the world. I was excited to be able to build something from nothing while I was also terrified to see if my experience and expertise would translate into a European context. I imagined a life of doing the job I love in a new place. I wanted to challenge myself and see new perspectives of the world.
Before getting on a plane, though, knowing why you have taken on this adventure is imperative. Your reasoning may start with a desire to see the world and travel, but, hypothetically, what if there is a pandemic and the world stands still? Will there still be enough to maintain your well-being in an unfamiliar place? In that case, look deeper. For example, as a Harvard Business Review article stated, people who live abroad have a clearer sense of self because they frequently have to engage with their values or beliefs, which either challenges or strengthens them. Think about what you want to give and get from the experience. Being open, comfortable with discomfort, and willing to look at yourself even more are key aspects to a successful international experience.
It’s also important to consider how your choice affects others. Matthew Nelson, an American who has worked in Qatar for more a decade and is now head of residence life at the Qatar Foundation, was motivated in part by the opportunities it offered his children. “I enjoyed my life growing up in the U.S., but I was inspired that they would grow up as global citizens. They were two and four years old when we left the U.S., and they are now 13 and 15 and are comfortable anywhere in the world.”
Another consideration is whether or not the work of campus housing is the same across the world. Does experience translate? In this case, housing professionals are facing many of the same challenges as students who leave home to study on campuses across the world. Patricia Witkowsky, assistant professor and program coordinator for the Student Affairs in Higher Education program at the University of Colorado, Colorado Springs, wrote in 2020 about the experience of U.S. student affairs professionals working abroad, noting that, in these instances, the student experience has more commonalities than one might think. In my experience, noise issues, policy enforcement, mental health concerns, and busted pipes still happened in Europe. I responded to the same types of incidents in Potsdam, Germany, as I had when I was in Atlanta, Georgia. My training and experience gave me confidence. However, my context reminded me that I was not in ATL anymore. I needed to understand how to handle situations in a new context outside my realm of experience. I relied on local colleagues to help me connect with the right local resources as I helped them work with the students, and we used our professional and local knowledge to better respond to and support students.
Nelson had a similar experience. “To be effective in a new country or culture, it requires a lot of effort to understand the local context, culture, and traditions that inform how things are done.” You must be careful to bring experience without cultural imperialism. The professionalization and training of student housing staff in the U.S. may give the impression that our way is the right way, but as we continue to engage in global conversations, we can all learn much from each other.
Fortunately, there were resources to help me learn; it just required me to dive in and look around. My connection with the ACUHO-I Global Initiatives network helped me find a professional home away from home despite the fact that most of its members live on separate continents. I consulted a number of international resources and expatriate experiences. I figured out the logistical, tax, and cultural challenges and had many conversations with those who are important to me. I thought through different scenarios and how living abroad might impact them. I examined what I wanted to accomplish. In the end, my choice gave me the world.
"First Person" is a column that allows ACUHO-I members a chance to put a personal spin on current developments in campus housing. Elizabeth Cox is a BaseLife director for BaseCamp Student Operations GmbH in Berlin, Germany.
