Vous commencez un nouvel emploi dans un pays étranger. Comment pouvez-vous vous renseigner sur la culture avant votre arrivée ?

In addition to doing online research, determine if you're able to arrive at the country or jurisdiction earlier to get a better understanding of the local scene, the local cultural nuances, and possibly make friends or contacts outside of work. While many online sources, podcasts, documentaries, and blogs can be helpful it is best to also get the "facts on the ground" to develop a wider, more nuanced view of your destination. There are certain things you can learn in a foreign work environment, but there are certain things you need to know about the local culture to be more effective in that foreign work culture.

That's one basic, one should research and analyse to make an educated decision, and just don't rush in by the opportunity, as so many factors to assess before taking the big step

Before moving to the specific town or city, join the Facebook groups for those places. There are Facebook groups and meetup groups for expats and locals. I recently moved to France for a few months and, besides culture and language, I had a ton of questions related to the way things are done here. A few areas that you must pay the most attention to BEFORE you move is 1) how to conduct banking between your country and new one 2) whether you will try to keep your phone number 3) forwarding your mail 4) prescriptions that you can’t fill in new country etc.

Cultural differences can present significant challenges, especially in how people utilize their networks when starting from scratch. Conducting in-depth research on local job portal preferences can certainly facilitate the job search journey.

Make sure you know the local laws beforehand. This means visa required, what items you are allowed to bring and the "DOs and DON'Ts". Some laws aren't immediately obvious.

Read books specifically about the area where you are going. Become member of organizations that promote local areas. Become member of groups that promote inter-cultural understanding and ask. Yes, asking people on LinkedIn, Facebook, X or whatever platform allows you to communicate what you want and people do genuinely want to help.

Die Grundlagen recherchieren sollte man m.E. bevor man sich für einen Job entscheidet. Schließlich wird man vor Ort nicht nur arbeiten und sollte sich somit auch mit den vor Ort geltenden arbeitsrechtlichen Bestimmungen vertraut machen, sondern wird dort auch Leben und nicht nur für ein paar Tage Urlaub machen. Ob es wirklich die richtige Entscheidung war, wird man erst vor Ort feststellen, aber vorab kann man die Rahmenbedingungen abklopfen.

Research, I would phrase as a homework in which very basic elements to be delved for example. Cost of living and nearest to be commute. If you are a good cook like me would be a value addition as it would be a cost control of buying or hosteling that may leads to financial as well as health hazards. I remember when I had to move from Ajman - Abu Dhabi I just checked couple of bed spaces advertising on dubbizle.

Definitely once you are there, it's your new space, the locals are really helpful in understanding core of the society there

Join a local group to meet people like a theatre group, toastmasters international, the tennis club, cooking class, walking tours of your new town / city etc.

Immersing yourself and participating with the locals are very key to assimilating into a new culture. It is important take opportunities to identify potential areas of similarity and conflict.

Try to connect and find the right person who can expand your local network; volunteering experiences are a good way to connect with the local community and gain meaningful local working experiences. Besides, proactively attending conferences or submitting work related to your profession can also link you up with the related job communities within the same industry.

Make some basic people networking. If you don' know anyone local, it's always helpful to get to know someone so they can guide you around.

Von Anfang an mit Einheimischen in Kontakt zu kommen ist m.E. sehr wichtig, um sich vor Ort gut integrieren und vorallem auch wohlfühlen zu können. Das können Nachbarn oder Kolleg*innen sein, aber vielleicht auch Kontakte über einen Sportverein, dem man beitritt, um Anschluss zu finden und sich auszutauschen.

I usually tend to search for events via Eventbrite/ Facebook/ Instagram etc. that are aimed at connecting newcomers in the respective city. These are the perfect opportunity to make new contacts. Additionally, I seek to get to know my colleagues better in order to either befriend them, or simply have a chat with them about their culture, places to go etc.

I tend to research interesting events via social media, e.g. meetups for newcomers to a city, attend various events in order to rapidly get to know local people. As soon as I'm in touch with them, I try to converse as much as possible with them in order to get to know their city, their culture etc.

Connecting locals might not be easy but LinkedIn could be an helpful source. Through LinkedIn you may find a person to put a request but it is also subject to their responses as many people read their messages late. You need to be proactive in assuming ample time of their reply.

Yes learning the language is key to getting into the team. Some work cultures will be ok with speaking English but they may secretly harbour disdain over the need to speak it when working with you versus the local language. It is also necessary to survive if the foreign work culture has toxic work culture as part of its working norms.

Begin by learning the basics, such as alphabet system, common phrases used in day to day life. The ability to communicate could help the assimilation faster. Practice makes perfect. Join the foreign community in current location. Speak with them and this may accelerate the learning. This networking may help to get more insights about the place when you are there. Lastly, get translation app or language class…

Leaning a local language is very important to removing barriers and it makes for better and cordial conversation whether in a taxi, or elsewhere. If possible take classes. There are always Youtube channels for local language that are extremely helpful.

Practice makes perfect; whether it's in-person interaction, phone calls, texting, or emailing. There are various resources available on the internet to learn from examples. Sometimes, try not to worry too much about accents or grammatical mistakes. The aim is to encourage oneself to speak more and learn from real-life examples.

While some languages are easier to learn than others. The basic ones should be at least acknowledged like "Excuse me", "Where can I find..." and names of places.

Jeder der einmal längere Zeit im Ausland verbracht hat weiß wie wichtig es ist nicht nur die Landessprache zu verstehen, sondern auch zu sprechen. Es braucht ein wenig Mut - aber wenn man sich traut und vorab evtl. einen Grundsprachkurs besucht hat werden die Bemühungen honoriert. Je mehr man mit Muttersprachler im Alltag zu tun hat, um so schneller lernt man typische Phrasen und wird automatisch "gezwungen" seinen Wortschatz zu erweitern und anzuwenden.

Whenever I'm abroad, my rule is to speak as little as possible in my mother tongue and as much as possible in the local language. If I don't yet have a good command of it, I try to internalize a lot of vocabulary in advance through songs, reading, memorization, etc. and use it at every opportunity. Once abroad, I then have to swallow my own shyness: Don't be afraid of mistakes/incorrect pronunciation and so on! These are often not embarrassing at all, but on the contrary are funny icebreakers for exciting conversations. In my experience, locals are always happy when foreigners make an effort to learn their language and don't hold mistakes against you at all.

Whenever I go abroad, I study the language intensively beforehand. If I already speak it, I practise by listening to a lot of music, practising speaking (alone if necessary), watching series and the like. As soon as I'm abroad, my rule is to use my mother tongue as little as possible and to take every opportunity to speak the foreign language. Even if I only know a few words or phrases, I use them whenever possible. That way you gradually learn more and more vocabulary.

Certainly, language is a core need as it's one of the sources. Google translator is again a standard way to understand nay n. New language initially.

Showing respect at all times and asking permission or questions when necessary are crucial aspects of observing etiquette. Researching cultural norms beforehand can also be beneficial for better preparation. Besides, learning from observation and experiences can provide valuable insights into how to navigate different social situations.

I have lived, studied and worked in eight different countries. According to my experience there are two fundamental key points: 1. Learn the language or at least start with basics. Without the local language, you will always be a little bit isolated. 2. Learn the rules of etiquette of that culture. The respect of the local rules of etiquette always open doors. The interest in their own culture, norms and traditions will make your life easier and get you to socialise and make business in a smooth way.

Customs vary across countries so observe them carefully as to not confuse them for something malicious or offensive. Always have an open mind for differences.

Bezüglich Etikette hängt es sehr stark davon ab, wie stark sich die Kultur aus der ich komme von der unterscheidet in die ich gehe. Dass ich meinen Mitmenschen mit Respekt, auf Augenhöhe und mit Freundlichkeit begenen, setze ich unabhängig von einer bestimmten Kultur voraus. Sich darüber zu informieren und somit auch von Anfang an zeigen zu können, dass man sich der kleinen aber feinen Unterschiede bewusst ist, ist sicher gut. Man sollte allerdings aufpassen, dass man nicht von Stereotypen ausgeht.

Speaking from experience within Europe, I believe it's best not to dwell too much on this topic before arrival and instead remain open to the new experience when starting the new position and during the initial months of living in the new country. It can be helpful to hear from other expats who have already been living in the country for some time. Checking forums on platforms like expat.com or InterNations can provide valuable insights

Be open to any feedback, be receptive to criticism, but do not take any comments personally. Ultimately, we are seeking personal growth in all aspects.

Ohne Aufgeschlossenheit und der Neugier auf Neues wird man es schwer haben in einem fremden Land einer fremden Kultur Anschluss zu finden. Es ist daher m.E. essentiell offen zu sein, Erfahrungen zu sammeln und daran zu wachsen.

This is by far the best advice not only when you’re moving abroad but in your daily life anywhere. Being openminded and nonjudgmental is a much more stress free way to live. If you are constantly criticizing our new country and people, you will be miserable! Happiness is a state of mind. As the song Lucky Man by the Verve states, “All the love I have is in my mind”.

Getting to know a foreign culture is like immersing yourself in a completely different world. Be open and curious: allow yourself to get to know new world views and compare them with your own culture in conversation with locals, if possible without judgment. So far, every one of my conversations about cultural differences has led to fascination, lots of laughter and endless topics of conversation. Incidentally, such an exchange is the perfect opportunity to make contacts abroad.

I think it really helps being curious. Each person might experience these changes slightly different and it might also depend on what stage are we in. After all, I think it’s important to remain aware of our needs and feelings and open to learn from different mediums about the culture, ways of working, groups, good to knows, etc. Some of these mediums could be: Facebook groups, connecting people - from the country/company - through Linkedin, Internations, Eventbrite and Meetup’s virtual events. Most importantly: enjoy the process ✨

Find similarities with your own culture and emphasise on that. These similarities will be the basis to help you reduce the gap, adopt the new culture, and eventually integrate it into your own.

In some work cultures, nepotism hires are the norm and can be disruptive by encouraging a toxic work culture including incompetence, favouritism or double-standards. This is something to keep in mind when working abroad especially when there are offers to work in a less international but more localized organization that is offering a better offer package.

Beat stereotypes by seeing every person as individuals. By focusing on the characteristics of individuals we meet, rather than their group identity, we can maneuver around segregating perceptions of out-groups that drive us apart rather than bring us together. That's how the assimilation would works in an effective way.