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Leaving your home country to work overseas is a daunting prospect but let me say up front that I found it a wonderful opportunity and have loved every minute. 

As an international business, with its parent company, APM Group, headquartered in Australia, Ingeus offers plenty of scope for colleagues to work at our overseas companies. I jumped at the chance to make a supported move from Mellbourne, to take up my position at Ingeus back in 2021. 

I’d thoroughly recommend the 9,000-mile change of life. 

Working abroad forces you to step out of your comfort zone and adapt to different ways of life, develop new skills and become more confident and resilient. You meet new people, see new sights, and experience new cultures. It can also bring new job opportunities as, like Ingeus, many companies value people who can bring a diverse perspective to the table. 

I’d always been active in the Australian employment and disability sectors, so was keen to establish new networks when I arrived here in the UK. You must get to know those involved in your sector... and make sure they know you. I’ve enjoyed doing this, but it does take time. Getting heavily involved in our two trade bodies, the Employment Related Services Association and the Institute of Employability Professionals has helped significantly. 

Joining closer colleague networks, too, is important. You can become part of the team much more quickly if you get involved with in-work and social groups. You might need to turn your volume down, however, if like me you are an Aussie watching The Ashes with English colleagues! 

I think it’s incredibly important to understand the political landscape where you live and work, particularly if your business involves working with national and devolved government contacts. Usefully, Australia and the UK are quite similar. Australia operates a Westminster system of government, and we have similar political parties, but I’ve had to learn of relevant politicians and their roles. So, I watch and listen to news broadcasts every day – usually early-doors, along with my morning exercise – to get to know what’s going on politically.  

Then there’s the geography. Finding your way around and getting your travel routines established takes some time. My office wall at home was filled with maps of England, London, Manchester and Birmingham, as well as the Tube map, which I used extensively in my first year. Google Maps is handy, but you need to be able to see the big picture. I must say people’s tendency to strike up conversations with discussions of their A-Road journeys to meetings still baffles me! Another popular one is discussions of the weather. I regularly get asked why I would move from Australia to come to the UK with its changeable climate. My answer is it’s the weather that makes the UK so beautiful, so I fully embrace it and enjoy all four seasons with long walks in the green countryside. 

Away from work, there is obviously lots of life admin to take care of – the things you’ve had in place all your adult life but suddenly have to do all over again. This includes tax arrangements, internet providers, insurers and establishing a whole new set of health support, such as GPs and dentists.  

Fortunately, Ingeus was brilliant at helping my transition. Arriving from Melbourne with my husband during COVID, we were supported to find short-term accommodation, including a place to quarantine. Once we found a long-term home in Leamington Spa, I was given help with tax advice, setting up utilities and even getting a TV licence, which is not something I had to have back home. 

From the start, everyone was so welcoming. Colleagues have advised on everything from where to live, to which trainline to catch, from where to visit on weekends, and the best shopping areas. 

While Australia and the UK share a common language, there are subtle differences in terminology and a few unfamiliar colloquialisms. A phrase from Aussie rules football for instance, ‘That was a quick handpass off’ means to swerve something quickly rather than taking accountability for it. I forget it’s not used here, while now I’m accustomed to ‘Putting a brew on’. In reality it’s making tea with a teabag, but it sounds so much more homely!  

Thinking of taking the plunge? These links might help: