There are many challenges associated with life. Then, there are certain challenges when you pursue a career, a job, a profession. I focus here on a few challenges that I face in pursuit of a career in astronomy. This is from my subjective experience, so, take it with a grain of salt. Some people do not face the same challenges.
A career in astronomy requires moving between countries. It is not easy to go from one place to another, even for a seasoned traveler like myself. Plus, even in one lifetime, circumstances change. For example, when I moved for a doctoral program, I could take on more risks and discomforts because I did not have kids. Now, I have two wonderful kids, and jumping ship from one place to another is infinitely more complicated.
I think one of the challenges when working in a new country is the fact that you are basically new. As a side note, not everyone moves. In fact, I noticed that many professors and postdocs who proclaim that moving between countries is a must, themselves never moved! And they did fine. Somehow they got hired. So, you know, they did not experience themselves the challenges when moving to other countries and establishing yourself there.
I mention just a few points. They might apply to other careers and life situations as well. I am raising these issues here, so that we can learn (myself included) to be kinder and fairer in judging others.
Unfairness #1. Poor language skills = dumb 🙁
I have witnessed this point over and over again that people think that if you don’t speak the local language fluently, when you make mistakes in your sentences, that somehow you are stupid. They talk to you like you are stupid, raise their voices, annunciate extra. It is an unfortunate reality in many countries that the first impression of speaking is judged so harshly about the person. In their native tongue they might be very eloquent, and they might be an expert in a field. However, people often forget that just because you make mistakes in a foreign language, it does not mean that you are dumb.
They also expect you to master fluency of the local language in addition to excelling in your responsibilities. That’s harder when you have already additional responsibilities, such as caring for young children. Not everyone has free time to dedicate to extra learning. And it takes a lot of effort to master the language to a working proficiency.
While it is okay to master a foreign language, mastering a new language every few years is not realistic.
Unfairness #2. Outsider = past achievements and accomplishments are not counted 🙁
It is hard to be the new person, especially in a hostile envirnoment, which is often encountered in academia. It is hard because as the outsider, who does not speak the same language, not from the same area, not from the same system, people forget to have a bit of patience with you. You have to build anew your trustworthiness, which takes time. In some rare cases, the person who hired you takes an initiative to promote you, but if you don’t have super-duper connections, it is harder to make up years of acquaintance shared by others, years of working history, achievements. Furthermore, at times, some people with extra competitive blood, have an agenda to promote the local professionals, so it’s harder to overcome this challenge just by the fact that you might be misjudged or mistrusted as an outsider.
Unfairness #3. You are not from here = I can look down on you, talk down to you 🙁
As a professional in a new country, sometimes people take a stance to talk down to you. I notice that a lot in so-called “help” for immigrants. Somehow people forget to be respectful and talk down to the immigrant professionals, instead of using normal respectful communication. They would not behave or talk that way with anyone from the local community, but with immigrant community, it is okay.
These are just some challenges that come up in my experience and also in my conversations with other professionals who actually dare to move for career in astronomy and beyond. When you overcome these challenges, in addition to financials, learning new customs and culture, and more, you gain a good experience. You become more open minded, hopefully, and respect and appreciate people from diverse backgrounds.
How can you overcome such challenges? I think by having a good support system and not giving up. It is also important not to take up small fights, but focus on the main goals of your career. It is good to take care of your health – mental and physical, and to learn not to crumble if someone does not like you. Joining expat communities might be helpful, but don’t fall into limiting yourself there, because it might turn to be something like “blind leading the blind”. I suggest to engage with local regular communities as well, maybe as an example, based on a common hobby, such as birdwatching, sports, etc. Being kind to yourself and others is helpful, and giving yourself grace when you made a poor judgement call in a new culture is a good idea.
Obviously, also it is good to enjoy the perks of the new place. Career-wise, you get a larger network, new perspective, new experiences, maybe access to equipment or funding. As a person, you might enjoy the local museums, nature places, delicacies, etc.
What are your strategies to overcome challenges with moving and starting anew over and over in an international career?
– Your astronomer from Helsinki
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