INTHEBLACK September/October 2025 - Magazine - Page 62
“International roles often develop you in ways
you cannot anticipate, and those are often
the experiences that catalyse real growth.
Step out of your comfort zone and you’ll grow
into the opportunity faster than you think.”
DOMINIC ONG ASA, ENDOWUS
“Within two months, I was appointed the general
manager for finance,” she says. “I worked in that
business for five years.”
WORK SMART
CULTURAL NORMS AND SKILL SETS
Working in a new country also requires adapting
to new cultural norms and practices. As she started
in her Australia-based role, Bozhko became aware
of distinct differences between local and European
workplaces. Even an act as seemingly innocuous
as chatting with colleagues was a source of culture
shock. In her roles in Europe and China, small talk
unrelated to work was considered “a waste of time”,
she says. But, she learned, “in Australia, small talk is
an essential part of work culture. It builds trust with
your colleagues, managers and direct reports.”
Bozhko had to adjust to other differences, too.
She discovered that in Australia, soft skills such as
teamwork, problem-solving and communication
were often valued more highly than technical skills,
and she had to upskill to catch up.
“I had to develop these soft skills to adapt to the
Australian market,” she says.
BUILD NEW NETWORKS
“Every move — whether to the US, Sydney,
Hong Kong, Taipei or Singapore — meant rebuilding
my network and re-learning the local way of working,”
Ong says.
“What’s helped most is finding a tribe: people
with shared interests, whether through industry,
life stage or sport. Picking up the local jargon,
even basic phrases, goes a long way.”
BE OPEN
Ong recommends being open to opportunities,
however left field.
“Don’t chase only titles or pay jumps — be equally
open to lateral moves that stretch you. International
roles often develop you in ways you cannot anticipate,
and those are often the experiences that catalyse real
growth. Step out of your comfort zone and you’ll grow
into the opportunity faster than you think.”
It’s never too early to start networking. “The best
time to start building a new network is when you first
begin planning [to work overseas]. You’re planting
a seed today that might sprout down the track,
as well as gaining valuable insight and advice
on how you might approach your shift,”
Richardson says.
A commitment to continuous learning will
strengthen the ability to build relationships with
people from a variety of backgrounds and to work
in different cultural contexts, Richardson says.
“Make sure you’re continually open to being
flexible and learning about different ways of
doing things.” ●
Relocating to a new country often means establishing
new networks from scratch.
“I always encourage people to ask for insights
and advice from people who are in the role they see
themselves in, so they can better understand the skills
required to secure that role, and the ways they need
to talk about themselves and present their experience,
especially in a different market,” Richardson says.
Before she left Europe, Bozhko reached out to
a range of recruiters to forge connections and
arrange meetings once she arrived in Adelaide.
“We met for coffee so they could get to know
READ
me and what I could do, my skills and how
an article on the
I could contribute to local businesses,” she says.
right time to leave
These networks can be personal as well
a long-term job
as professional.
62 INTHEBLACK Sep/Oct 2025 SPECIAL EDITION
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