If you are an expat relocating from overseas, or even if you are relocating from Melbourne, Sydney, Brisbane or Perth, you will most likely need to make new friends.
One of the toughest parts of any expatriate assignment is making new friends, and starting a new social network.While doing so, it’s easy to become disappointed at how different everyone is. You often start to miss your old friends as well. Often expats might also find themselves using their free time to Facebook and Skype, those back home. This can make them even more home sick.
It’s great to keep in touch, however it can make it even more challenging for the expatriate to succeed at making new local friends, if they are constantly thinking about, and calling home.
Whilst it’s natural and perfectly okay to miss your old friends, you have to make a much bigger effort to make friends now that you are in a new city or country.
One of my top tips for expats relocating to Australia is to be persistent. Think about how much effort you put into securing your new job. Well, making friends is similar. You really need to be prepared to step out of your comfort zone and be persistent to make new friends. If not, moving overseas (or interstate) can become a lonely experience.
My Top Tips for Expats Relocating to Australia includes:
Say YES to every invitation you get.
Make time to have lunch with your peers. I know that when I worked in corporate world, I was always too busy to have lunch. Most of the time, I ate at my desk. Don’t fall into this trap. You need to invest time into forming new friendships.
Join a local organisation. Do you like to cook, go hiking or bike ride? There are loads of different groups that you can join. You may be surprised to find that there will be communities of expats and locals who feel the same way. Find a group online with similar interests.
Take a class in something you’re passionate about. Whether it’s cooking, language, or dance, you’re sure to meet people who have similar interests as you.
Struggling with the language difference. Take a language course.
Remember, it takes time to settle in and form friendships. So don’t get disheartened. Be persistent and be prepared to step out of your comfort zone. I hope these tips for expats relocating to Australia is helpful.