Diane Lemieux - Helping Expat Partners to Determine What a Mobile Life Means

It can be easy to downplay the value of experience gained through international relocation as the expat partner.

For many the move abroad leads to a career break or rethink. The time away from work, while living in a new international environment can impact negatively on confidence and self-belief.

We may begin to think that…

• We accomplish little through international relocation OR believe that our accomplishments are nothing special.
• The CV gap created by time away from our careers presents a challenge when it comes to future career development.
• The experience and personal development gained from voluntary positions is irrelevant in the ‘real world of work’.
• While we have plenty of funny tales and experiences to share, few stories can be related to the world of work.

In this interview Diane Lemieux shares why she knows the opposite to be true. Co-author of four books including The Mobile Life. Diane’s life has been truly international.

Diane has lived abroad as a child, a teenager, a student, an assignee, a wife and a mother, living in 11 countries across 3 continents.

If you want to identify what your international experience means to you in terms of opportunities and accomplishment, then this interview will help you to consider,

• The opportunities that have arisen as a result of international relocation OR may be out there waiting to be found.
• The value of your personal accomplishments.
• The power of your personal stories in demonstrating your personal skills and talents.
• Your value as a change manager, as Diane said,

‘We need to understand our value as change managers… and take note’.

Listen to hear Diane talk about the importance of your international experience as,

‘a step in your longer term life, it cannot just be a sacrifice, that’s just no good’

‘if you want to do more than survive, and thrive, you need to consider where this is going to be leading you in terms of the bigger picture.’

Diane also talks about her book The Mobile Life, which describes how you can plan and build a successful life for yourself, and your family, anywhere in the world. It cleverly uses the story of Sir Ernest Shackleton’s 1914 Antarctic expedition as a metaphor for your international ‘project’.

You can listen to our interview HERE. If you enjoy the interview, don’t forget to subscribe on iTunes and please leave us a review! It helps to get the podcast series noticed and we love to hear from you!

You can learn more about the book, The Mobile Life HERE and join the Facebook conversation HERE

You can learn more about Diane Lemieux HERE and HERE