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Rachel Smets shares her confidence hacks for moving abroad
On this episode Rachel Smets, author of “Awaken Your Confidence,” shares her experiences of moving abroad and living in different countries. Born and raised in Belgium, she currently resides in the Netherlands. She left home in her mid-20s and moved to Spain where she landed her first job abroad. Over the years, Rachel has lived in the United Stated, India, Scotland, Wales, Germany, and France. Today she speaks six languages and helps people to develop more confidence.
In their conversation, Rachel and The Culture Guy talk about what it takes to make living in a foreign country a success. “Failure is feedback,” Rachel says, emphasizing the fact that behind every perceived flop there isn’t a fiasco but a learning opportunity. “Living in many countries for the past 15 years, I experienced many challenges such as a new job, new home, new people, new language etc. Each time, I started by searching a job to ensure an income, then moved, learned the language by self-study and then started talking to any local human being I encountered.”
Don’t just jump – plan ahead!
In order to be successful in these tasks Rachel had develop the confidence you was lacking at first as a teenager and young adult. “I needed to face my fears and take action,” she remembers. And she as a word of caution for those who think it only takes the right attitude to go abroad: “Don’t make the mistake of thinking ‘I’ll follow my heart, jump right in and everything will fall into place.’ You really want to plan ahead and be strategic about a move like this.”
Connect with Rachel via LinkedIn, Facebook, and Twitter. Please make sure to also check out her website, where you’ll find more information about her book and her blog. Rachel also has a YouTube channel, and while you’re there watch her TEDx talk.
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