As part of our “Go Canadians, Go” project, Marketing asked dozens of Canucks working abroad (or those who’ve returned with a few years of international experience) to give us their impressions of the differences between Canada’s industry and others. Does being Canadian give you a leg up?
I had the opportunity to move to London, U.K. in late 2013. I’d recently taken on a global role on the communications team at LinkedIn and, given how much time I spend with my teams in Europe and Asia, it made sense for me to be in the U.K. It was relatively simple for me to make the move as my mum is a British citizen (I have ‘Right of Abode’ in the U.K.) and my husband was able to join me on a spousal visa.
At first, it was all very exciting and glam. We told our friends and family, bragged on social media and dreamt of Sunday pub roasts and European weekend getaways. That’s when it hit us that we had to empty out our semi-detached house. It took a solid two months. It’s amazing how quickly you can walk away from all your treasured possessions, especially when it’s simply a burden to take them with you.
I went ahead of my husband to London as he had some work to finish up and was waiting on his visa to arrive. If I could do it over again, I would not go alone. It turns out it’s really not glamorous hauling three enormous suitcases and two carry-on bags out of Heathrow on your own.
I then began the process of getting set up in the city, as I started work right away and so didn’t have much free time for flat hunting. I was surprised to discover some unusual rules in the U.K.: you can’t rent a flat or house without paying a fair amount upfront, but you can’t open a bank account until you have a permanent address. It’s also incredibly difficult to move money across the ocean. I’d assumed I could just transfer cash as I always had, but suffice to say it’s a bit trickier than that and made for some tense moments.
After a few weeks, I started to get things sorted. I found a flat, bought a couch and bed and opened a proper bank account. Starting over with new banking, no credit, a new home rental and learning a new currency has a way of making you feel 21 again. It really is starting from scratch, from getting your finances set up to finding a new doctor and figuring out the best place to buy groceries.
My amazing colleagues here at LinkedIn in London helped me schlep my bags up to the flat when the lift broke down, took me out to pubs, gave me advice and then made fun of the way I spoke to really make me feel welcome. (The best example of this is a home goods store here called Argos. I saw the word and immediately thought it would be pronounced in a similar fashion to the CFL team, but I was way off. It’s pronounced “Ar-goss” and my colleagues are still bringing it up months later.)
From a work perspective, the transition was quite seamless. I have a wonderful team here and the work I do hasn’t changed. London is an easy city to love. We’ve met some incredible people and my husband is now a huge football fan cheering for Arsenal.
What’s struck us most living in London is the incredibly social culture here. Everyone is eager to get out of their homes and spend time with friends in the pub or meet up after work to share a drink and catch up on the day. While we miss our family and friends in Canada, this feels like home a little more each day.
Danielle Restivo is head of global programs on the communications team at LinkedIn
