The UK

In this section, I’ll tell you about my adventure in the UK. This is my second expatriation. I started with Ireland (Don’t hesitate to have a look!). I won’t tell you about my relocation in details as I do it on the VIE Experience section and I also want to write in details about my move to Cardiff (under construction at the moment). I will mainly share the surprises that I encountered and that changed me from the french culture, and also some tips to know before going there.

Why did I leave??

The UK has never been a destination of expatriation that I envy. Too close to France, too many French people, and the cliché of the stranger against the UK: UK = London…
This big city, larger than Paris. Full of angry and rude workers, where stress reigns constantly. Anyway, everything I wanted to run away from Paris.
But after 6 months in Ireland, fighting against a very tense HR labor market, I started to think about going back to France, while applying to a few job offers abroad, only in Expatriation Contract, so I can be certain to expatriate with a job. All explanations about the Expatriation Contract can be found on the dedicated page (and you just have to click on the link).
I didn’t receive a lof of feedback from my applications, knowing that I was quite impatient because it was impossible for me to stay in Dublin any longer (expenses were way too important). But one month after I made the decision to leave Dublin, a company contacted me and invited me to a 1st phone interview. 2 weeks later (1 phone interview and 1 face-to-face interview), the recruitment process was over. I was going to Cardiff, Wales. I’ve never been to the UK before.

I didn’t have much time to get some information on the UK, Wales, Cardiff, the way of life, etc.
If you read the my different sections about the destination search, preparation, etc., my move to the UK can look like the exact opposite of all advice that I give you in these posts. So why did I leave on what seems like a whim?

2 important reasons.

  • First of all, my irish expatriation didn’t go as planned. Humanly, a true success. I changed. I opened my mind. I lived amazing events. I made a lot of friends, true friend! And I improved my English skills. But professionally, a huge failure. And I had big expectations, and I put a good pressure on myself, to find a job. To get a job was maybe my main reason for my expatriation. So I was not ready to come back to France. Not at all. I was ashamed. I did try, and it was the most important. In addition, my experience was not so negative given the reasons I just explained. But towards myself. I couldn’t. I didn’t want to go back to France and I wanted to succeed in an expatriation too.
  • Then, because working for this particular company has been a dream for a long time. I tried many times to get a job there (this is absolutely not easy for a support role…) and I finally had this opportunity. I couldn’t miss it. And when I went to Cardiff for my job interview, the city was very nice and my colleagues were very welcoming too. So I went for it!

Cool dude, but what do you remember about the UK??

 

I invit you now to visit the different pages and to discover all the surprises that waited for me in the UK! I tried to categorize them, to organize my ideas. For that, go to the menu and click directly on the pages that interest you.
Otherwise, let yourself be guided and simply click on the first category: The British.

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