Living abroad: a truly enriching and irreplaceable experience

Working on an island and travelling at the weekends is the way of life for Jérôme and Maxime, Independent Model Reviewers at HSBC in Hong Kong (China). These two ENSa graduates, who specialised in risk management and financial engineering, took the plunge and now live far from their native regions of Brittany and Moselle.

For these two globetrotters, the experience has been different. Jérôme spent four years working in the Cross-Functional Risk Monitoring division of a major French bank before moving to Hong Kong in 2014. A year later, he helped recruit Maxime, who joined him straight after graduating.

When it comes to highlighting the importance of this experience, both ENSAI graduates are on the same page. Maxime emphasises that “travelling, discovering new places and opening up to new cultures is a real asset!”. He adds: “the cultural gap [between Asia and France] is significant but not insurmountable. You get used to it very quickly because you meet lots of people, including many French people”.

Jérôme’s view is similar: “you realise that multiculturalism is important and helps you grow quickly, both professionally and personally. The responsibilities are greater and you soon find yourself managing several people”.

The benefits seem numerous, particularly in terms of enhancing one’s CV, opening up to other cultures and improving one’s financial situation. 

Indeed, international mobility often helps to accelerate career development and increases the chances of advancement within a company. Meeting other people allows you to gain a better understanding of different ways of thinking. In the context of globalisation, this is a major asset!

However, other aspects need to be taken into account, particularly the administrative procedures and the difficulties of adapting to a different environment. Whilst large companies often take care of administrative procedures (work permits, visas, social security, insurance, etc.), this is rarely the case in smaller organisations. Furthermore, moving to a new country requires preparation: culture shock, loneliness and homesickness are the main challenges you’ll face. But there are probably already ENSAI alumni there!

Going to work abroad is a very enriching experience, but one that requires a certain amount of preparation. Companies and ENSAI Alumni can provide support with these preparations.

Alumni contacts abroad

Not long ago, we at ENSAI Alumni were wondering how many former students had moved to other countries after completing their studies. Now we know: 10% of ENSAI alumni are currently living abroad! If you too are tempted by an experience abroad and still have lots of unanswered questions, you can contact one of the alumni contacts listed below.