Where Inspiration Can Take Us
Why building a new dual career narrative leads to transformation
I remember the moment when the idea of creating a community for global professionals struck me. This was 8 years back, during a very vulnerable time in life, in the midst of the Central Asian mountains – far away from my corporate ‘safe space’ and closer to my family than ever.
We were in Kyrgyzstan because it was where my husband's career path led us and, as a family, we wanted to explore and contribute to this beautiful country.
The pure joy of living in a beautiful country in Central Asia and exploring the outdoors as a family.
As an ‘accompanying spouse’ - trailing spouse or accompanying partner, as you’ll find most information online making reference to it - you are bound to reflect on your identity and how you spend your time and energy.
A part of me was missing something
A part of me was missing something. My colleagues and purposeful engagement besides my role as a mother of three. I missed my professional identity and ways to build my skills set. I was afraid of the CV void and the challenge of re-entering the job market, once we were bound for Denmark again.
Would I be able to find a job again?
What would be my story after x years in a far away country in Asia?
Enter here we are…
…and the ecosystem of people and organisations working together to ensure that dual career couples can live fulfilling and meaningful lives, no matter where life takes them.
We built the organisation focusing on community hand-by-hand with a professional networking emphasis, which a lot of us, when we say yes to new professional opportunities, miss when settling into a new place, location, culture, moment of our lives. Our time abroad.
Thinking in a holistic way, what we need as humans and as career-driven individuals, is a sense of purpose. And so, together with visionary organisations, NGOs and start-ups supporting us in the beginning; our professional global ecosystem activates in you, and in the adventurous global talent, the curiosity to explore opportunities to learn, work and volunteer.
All within the framework of global impact and a thought through tool - the here we are Competency Matrix - to welcome possibilities, collaborations, as we love to call them, co-creation.
All of this within a caring network that walks by your side wherever life takes you.
Why FOCUS
Fast forward to 2023. We recognise the growth of our professional community, spanning several countries and continents.
Professionals from all areas and years of experience make up for the global network inspired to co-create, collaborate, and promote initiatives with a global and local impact - they find and/or discover their unique sense of purpose as Focal Point volunteers, conducting events on professional and personal development, online and face to face.
Together, we have created a sense of belonging for many accompanying partners and for individuals flying solo to explore international opportunities.
This fills the heart and the mind of the Jannie who was struggling to find a new solution to the identity loss and the real struggle of facing the CV void 6000 kilometres from home.
While no longer myself an accompanying partner, I feel strongly about challenging the ways we perceive and speak about people who make a conscious choice to embark on an international assignment or relocate to a foreign country.
Whether that is the brave, intentional, and adventurous individual, accompanying partner, and/or the International Career Couple (ICC).
How we label men and women who take the deep dive into a series of relocations, without having a clear cut job contract: The trailing spouse, the wife or husband of…can directly and indirectly influence a person’s own perception of self regarding their professional talents and how they place themselves in their own narrative. This is why creating a new dual career narrative is a must in 2023.
Now is the time to rewrite our story, our global narrative, of how we as human beings move across borders and make sense of the transitions, the challenges and the opportunities that are tied together with the experience of global mobility.
Snow. I picked up skiing in Kyrgyzstan with family and friends. I even coined the hashtag #skiingonawednesdaybecauseican.
Throughout my career as an international HR professional, it has always been my intention to create a new solution to the well known ‘dual career issue’: the challenges companies and organisations face when deploying employees, because of concerns for the career path and development of their partners, as well as other areas pertaining to family life.
While there is no silver bullet to this issue, here we are global dares to suggest that a more existential and long-term perspective is crucial to ensure that the next generations will also say YES to international assignments and opportunities across borders.
It is the conscious global citizen in all of us that pushes us and inspires us to invest our time and energy in developing new ways to approach complex topics like that of a dual career, conscious decisions in partnership, moving us to contribute to our community with resources, support, and a mobile global network.
And this year, together with the here we are global Management Team, we continue to develop here we are global professional resources from a holistic point of view.
Helping you rewrite your global career narrative
So how do we do it? In essence, we ensure that accompanying partners, international career couples, and the professional on their own, embrace an international opportunity with eyes wide open.
Our global initiatives, both free and paid (FOCUS Membership) provide you with practical and self-exploration tools, inspiration from our professional global network and from your own ambitions derived from your curiosity.
We know that the knowledge from peers and experts who know how to strategize and think in the long term consequences of:
#1 Career breaks
#2 CV gap
Will help you get on the right track to build a professional career narrative that will benefit you during your stay abroad to mitigate the reported feelings that can arise if the experience is not fulfilling for one - or both - of the partners.
Professional global development with a holistic approach
In our continuous development of shaping here we are global, a few things have struck me. Doing your inner work is crucial for living a fulfilled life on the move.
What do I mean by this?
First, aligning your expectations with yourself – and your partner – in the story you will write about yourself is vital for your well-being.
Second, taking action is key to continuing developing a career wherever you are.
If you are curious to learn about our mindful mobility solution, sign up for our newsletter here.
I’ll share more information with you soon in another blog post.