What does it take when I say gaining global experience

When I was 23 years old and barely over a month since I first moved overseas I, and along with many others, were the victims of fraud.

This happened suddenly.

And it came at the worst time.  It was only just weeks before were I packed up all my belongings, said my goodbyes, and moved to London. I was also in the middle of looking for work.  I have put in as much savings as I possibly could and while the British Pound to the Australian Dollar was going really well, I was still set back with the cost of living there.  A few freelance leads also fell through.

I had no one in the UK to contact to seek help with accommodation.  I did not want to contact my parents asking for emergency funds (a friend, in that situation, did and was promptly given €10,000 by his parents). I considered what the options were.  I was able to continue to afford rent but it was too risky.  I decided to fly to Dublin to stay with my relatives and to meet my cousin’s new baby.  Others that were also renting ended up finding new places to live but I’ve lost contact with them.

While in Dublin, I was still in contact with a recruitment agency.  They have been very helpful in helping me continue to seek work.  The only thing was that I hadn’t told them about the issues that I’ve had.  I didn’t know how to deal with this.  I was 23 and I don’t know how to deal with what had just happened.

Perhaps they thought that I suddenly wanted a holiday in Ireland?

Who knows.

But I am so glad that my brief departure from London didn’t affect the interviews that I had.  And, not long after, I did interview and went through with a new role and continued on with building my life in the UK.

In my professional profiles, I listed these as “building up experience in the UK and European markets” or “gaining global experience” .

But this is just my professional side.  My “CV” side.

This statement is like a swan.  It seems so effortless.  Like some sort of throw away line.  It’s not all about conference meetings on Waikiki Beach, networking in helicopters over Monaco, conferences in Dubai or whatever it is that I have done in the past.  A lot happens behind the scenes.  And like in that situation that I found myself in at age 23,  having that line on my CV comes with sacrifices, dealing with uncertainty and yet also conviction of what I am capable of.