Here at Preen, we’re fully aware that adult existence doesn’t continually move as smoothly (and appearance as beautiful) as curated Instagram feeds. We all face challenges amidst all the good things. Meet Mikka Wee, a former food editor-became-operating gal in Singapore, who’s about to proportion all of the United States and downs that include adulting and living. Welcome to Bless This Mess!
I am keen on preserving milestones and anniversaries, and last Sunday, March eleven, 2018, marked my 2d yr in Singapore. To say that plenty has modified in my existence due to the fact that I moved is an underestimation. Despite the adjustments of residing by myself, feeling homesick, gaining knowledge of to get through hard instances without my aid system—I am very thankful for where life has led me these days. There have been a number of positive modifications as properly and possibilities that opened up despite my struggles: I got engaged, got married, traveled similarly, and most significantly, rekindled my passion for food and communications thru my current day task.
I’ve been additionally receiving some of emails and questions about how I was capable of flow and pursue a career remote places. How did you land your first activity? Was the pass smooth? How did you manage it emotionally? But more importantly, How do I get started?
I’m nonetheless very tons in contact with life within the Philippines, and how there appears to be this excellent diaspora of young professionals who’re keen to make it abroad due to positive elements and living situations. And while the nationalist in me says, Manila wishes our proficient folk, there’s also a part of me who’s continually been a dreamer. Apart from love, I selected to move due to the fact I wanted to assign myself to stay independently. Being the best child, I was so used to getting all the eye from my parents that I desired to strive breaking out of that shell. I became getting comfy, and that’s once I realized I needed a massive alternate. To quote the song I became being attentive to as my plane from Manila lifted off to Singapore last March eleven, 2016 (Deathcab for Cutie’s “You are a Tourist“), “If you sense similar to a tourist inside the city you were born in it’s time to go.” And so I went.
But right here’s what I did before that.
Plan it wisely
As tons as how a whole lot of movies/social media/romantic novels painting migrating as if it has been a whirlwind romance—allow me to inform you that it isn’t (well, for me as a minimum). It takes time. For me, I determined that I desired to be in Singapore with the aid of 2016, and I deliberate my move as early as August 2015.
I made it my deep-awareness goal.
I took a small notebook and did a Weekly Milestone Checklist with the matters I had to do to attain my goal. For starters, I needed a job, so I made positive I had a manicured CV and LinkedIn profile (do no longer underestimate the energy of LinkedIn, my pals!). I wrote down the stairs I needed to impress capacity employers and deliberate it out. Polishing your CV after four years of no longer updating it takes plenty of time. You may also need to create an excellent portfolio, so plan it well. Carve out time to recognition on those tasks.
Another factor is your cover letter. I become searching out jobs that involved journalism, writing, and account control, so I created exclusive cover letter templates for each profession I desired to use for and tweaked them thus. My start line became online; a quick look for “Best Cover Letter Templates” way to Google—however once more, don’t overlook to tweak and cause them to your own!
Next, I did studies on organizations in Singapore that I changed into fascinated to paintings for. At this point, it allows to keep an open mind and certainly widen your list due to the fact you need all of the options you may get—you may be too choosy. Lastly, I needed to make connections to the corporations I turned into involved to work for, which brings me to my subsequent factor.
Take benefit of social media and speak to your pals
I were given in contact with my buddies who had been working overseas (in my case, it changed into Singapore), and asked friends who had friends overseas if they could connect us. It took a few thick pores and skin, however, I did this to invite round approximately their revel in and what lifestyles became like (hours, taxes, paintings benefits, living situations, and many others.). I also requested about their “Big Move Story” and learned about the stairs they took to attain their goal.
I also subscribed to LinkedIn’s Premium Service, which allowed me to message creative directors and editors and tell them approximately my stories and why I would be a very good suit for their business enterprise. It received’t guarantee an activity, but you get to set up top connections besides. Most of the time, the people I got in contact with asked me to shoot an e-mail to their business enterprise’s HR person and have them on CC.
Face-to-face conferences are the satisfactory
I also booked a flight to Singapore and stayed there for around two-and-a-half weeks. During my stay, I scheduled conferences and interviews with agencies who appeared fascinated to hire me. Skype is usually wonderful, but face-to-face meetings leave a more lasting effect.
Also, once I became having conversations on LinkedIn with capability employers, I instructed them I become flying to Singapore from this date to that date and asked if they wanted to satisfy up for coffee to “further speak.”
It’s an investment you would really like to make, in particular in case you’re planning for a huge move. It might be a long way from a holiday, and it’s going to be a hectic period going for walks from interview to interview, however it is going to be worth it. Remember to additionally polish your interview capabilities! I read a ton of articles and watched some of the movies about interviews because I get without a doubt frightened, and I haven’t had an interview in nearly 4 years.
Be financially prepared and tie loose strings
The moment making a decision that you want to take the plunge, better keep up with it. Why? Well, other than the component wherein I inspire you to fly in your face-to-face meetings, the time it’s going to take from the instant you’re hired to the moment you fly out will be short. You will want to have a few jumpstart coins that will help your installation and simplicity into your new dwelling situations. It will also assist to negotiate your paintings start date. I had to get a few documents from my university and other documents for my work visa, so I moved to Singapore a month upon getting the call that I got into the task I applied for.
