It’s interesting to go through someone else’s stories and experiences, that let us reflect on our own lives. As mid and senior level professionals, at times, foreign movements can be quite challenging- considering how set we are in our usual ways of work and life. At Vantage Point, some of the conversations with professionals who have experienced foreign working conditions and have had extended work abroad stints always make us wonder.
How would we behave in these situations? Would these same aspects stand out to us as well? In the end of these International work experiences, do we become more ingrained in our own cultures, formulate a new ‘expat’ culture or do we in effect get closer to our true personalities? These conversations somehow tend to evoke all these difficult and personal questions. What was your first work abroad experience like?
Today, we share conversations with Peter Adelhardt. Peter is a German professional who we got talking with recently about his various international work stints. What made it interesting was his true blue German observations of the American work culture. It’s amazing how all of us look at the same things so differently. Hugely driven by our cultural references, of course. Always fun, that. Read further…
What was your first ‘work abroad’ experience like?
Peter: My first ‚abroad’ experience was in my 6th semester of college. I spent 4 months in Norway, working as an intern at the Oslo University College. My main motivation was curiosity – I was excited to see another part of the world. Meeting so many interesting characters from around the world and learning about their views on life was a fascinating experience.
The first actual working experience abroad was a period of 18 months spent in California. I worked at “Veeco Instruments” in Santa Barbara on my “Diploma thesis” and decided to stay for as long as my visa allowed me to. I had been fascinated with the US since a short high school exchange at the age of 17.
When one of my college professors got me in touch with this company, I was set on going back to the US and experience the west coast. Later, I also spent time as a part of National Instruments in Austin, Texas. I was really excited to take these chances and I made it happen.
What were the key learnings in your international work stint?
Peter: One of the major takeaways from working abroad was an idea of where my career would be headed. Like most people in their first real jobs, I began to realize what tasks I enjoyed doing and which jobs I was able to rule out for my future career. Finishing my engineering degree at the time, I realized that I was excited about connecting with co-workers, giving presentations and managerial work in general. I could not see myself working in R&D for the rest of my life. Consequently, I have been choosing employments that suit my personality better.
I also learned about American work life and work culture. In German work environments, people tend to exclude most aspects of life outside of work, only exposing their professional sides. Americans, I believe, do not separate work life from personal life as much as Germans would.
In addition, Californian lifestyle contributed to a laid back atmosphere among co-workers and also towards management. Here I learned that a positive attitude and a supportive environment are able to reinforce the employees’ drive to work hard and contribute to the company’s success.
Praise and positive feedback played a major role when discussing projects. By German standards, constructive criticism in English often comes disguised as approval and that could lead to misunderstandings.
Nevertheless, it is equally important, as it leads to better results and personal growth. I simply believe that an additional “good job” here and there really cannot hurt, especially when you’re young, inexperienced and unable to gauge your own performance.
Despite these positive experiences, I also learned about the minuscule significance of employment protection in the US. In my first year, right before Christmas, about ten per cent of the staff, across all departments, were laid off for profitability reasons. These kinds of measures can come as a shock to a European and gave me an idea of what it means to stay alert and flexible as an employee in the US.
What were some of the challenges you experienced while working abroad?
Peter: My advantage was that my previous work engagements were mainly internships. For that reason, I was very open and did not have many expectations towards work life. My biggest challenge might have been my health. Like many visitors to the US, I was taken in by the variety and presence of food everywhere. About four months in, I had to join a gym to get back in shape, experiencing Californian fitness craze first hand.
What would be a tip for others trying to consider an International work stint?
Peter: Be as open as you can be: to new experiences, other approaches toward work, other views on life. Try and learn about the culture you’re visiting, beforehand. And no matter what you believe, you know about a country and its people – always be prepared for a culture shock.
We would like to thank Peter for his time and valuable insights. We hope that other professionals like you wanting to experience a foreign working environment find these tips useful, when contemplating your own movements!
About Peter Adelhardt:
Peter is responsible for Sales and Marketing at DATA AHEAD. The company provides custom software development and tools for test & measurement applications in industrial markets. They also deliver industrial energy monitoring and asset management solutions to help customers visualize and optimize their flows of goods and energy. Before this, Peter worked in sales and applications engineering for National Instruments, a Texas based provider of test & measurement equipment. Academically, Peter wrote his thesis – required for the German “Diplom-Ingenieur” – at Veeco Instruments (now Bruker) in Santa Barbara, California. He worked there as an intern and engineer for over a year.
