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What´s a Trailing Partner To Do? 7 Pieces of Advice That Might Help

© Tracy Bowens

"Why are all of the foreign women here so miserable?" a friend of mine once asked as we sipped coffee in a local cafe and compared our experiences in our new country.

"It's because," I responded after giving her question some thought, "the men come here with a purpose. Sure they run into problems and have their share of frustrations, but at least they have a final goal in sight. And it's their own goal. The women, on the other hand, come because their mates do. Most of them previously worked outside the home, but here there aren't any jobs, so they can't. There aren't even places where they can take classes or grow their own garden. There's simply no outlet for them to derive a sense of satisfaction or accomplishment. Then, on top of that, they have to deal with adapting to a new culture which views the role of women a bit differently than their home countries and the frustrations of those around them."

Some may look at the problems faced by the trailing partners in my host country and say, "Well you live in a Third World country, so what do you expect." But the above scenario is found in developed countries as well and even though the term "trailing spouse" traditionally has applied to women, this term can now apply to men as well.

So what's a trailing partner to do, when the other half of the duo gets a great foreign assignment or has dreams of starting a business abroad? In her article, "What's In a Name? A Demeaning Label: Six Job-Search Tips for Expatriate Spouses" Maureen Minehan offers six pieces of advice that I have found to be quite helpful. Below you'll find them intermingled with my actual experiences.

Waste no time in starting your job search.

As soon as you hear any words implying that you may be moving to a new country, start investigating job opportunities. If you work in an international company with offices in your destination country, you may have a big advantage. I have known many people who managed to be transferred to a foreign office. I think this is a great scenario because it gives the trailing partner a good base upon which to build.

If you don't work for such a company or can't arrange such a transfer, start researching companies in the destination country and applying to those in which there is a fit.

The copyright of the article What´s a Trailing Partner To Do? 7 Pieces of Advice That Might Help in International Job Search is owned by Tracy Bowens. Permission to republish What´s a Trailing Partner To Do? 7 Pieces of Advice That Might Help in print or online must be granted by the author in writing.