The Lonely Diplomat started a conversation about how diplomats, their significant others and families balance this all-consuming job and their wish to be human and have human connections.
One of the amazing blog posts is ‘On being a male diplomatic spouse‘ in which Simon writes of the challenges of being a male diplomatic spouse, the loss of identity that men can experience from not being someone with a job, making friends as a male spouse and how the diplomatic community’s attitudes to male spouses have changed – and are changing and have not changed fast enough – over the past decades.
“The definition of a successful career is way outdated and it is time to get rid of some tiring misunderstandings about expat spouses.”
After stumbling over a German newspaper article about the career ambitions of Expat Partners in the Spiegel titling “When the career ends with the age of 27…” (click here to access) where interestingly enough the comments below the post have been even more prejudiced than the article itself, Share the Love Blogwondered why it is so hard to change the image of the expat spouse and what to do to become more recognized as what we are: amazing, brave, solution-orented glove trotters with a wide skillset?
We are super excited! Hosted in the recently openedTalent Garden Vienna, VIE LESA co-facilitated a great kick-off of HR Sandbox goes Vienna on 29 May 2019.
HR Sandbox is a new, invitation-only HR format. It was successfully introduced by here we are in Copenhagen and offers an experimental and experiential (hands-on) space for considering, exploring, discussing, developing and sharing alternative approaches, innovative possibilities and best practices for today’s diverse, flexible, mobile, “portable” and digital talents.
In line with VIE LESA’s vision of connecting like-minded spirits, we gathered a dozen stakeholders – from academia, international organisations, HR professionals and reps from other topic-related associations – around one table (set up in form of a sandbox) to *co-develop fresh, creative perspectives *co-create new, practical solutions for (Global) Dual Career(s) and Talent Management in Austria.
It was inspiring to see that everyone participating was open to share their expertise, insights, best practice, pain points etc. and interested in co-creating (even more) opportunities / turning dual career challenges into opportunities.
After 1.5hrs of intense brainstorming, we agreed this advocacy type of event should become a regular one to contribute writing a new dual career narrative in Vienna/Austria. And Talent Garden’s tables branded CHANGE – INNOVATE – SHARE – PROGRESS were perfect to capture the essence of the “outcome”.
To be continued….
Are you a stakeholder for Dual Career(s) in Vienna/Austria and interested in joining the next “HR Sandbox goes Vienna” here we are global for our next invitation-only HR event? Drop us a line to office@vie-lesa.org
“If you have an idea, start somewhere. Don’t wait to have all the answers!”
Never underestimate the power of community for your personal development and your business growth!
Listen to Tandem Nomads’ Episode 120 in which Jannie Aasted Skov-Hansen, the founder of Here we are global shares her inspiring story and insights on how to build an amazing tribe of global nomads.
VIE LESA is proud to be Here we are global’s Focal Point for Austria and to bring the HWA spirit to Vienna!
VIE LESA has started its initiative “VIE Speak Up”to speak up for Dual Career(s) in Vienna. We invite expat partners and stakeholders in Austria and abroad to share their individual challenges, highs and lows to be able to learn from each other and create a vibrant buzz for the spousal talent out there. Reach out to us, drop us a line to office@vie-lesa.org if you also want to contribute.
Last week Adriana Liendo shared her story about her decision to become a freelancer in Austria. This week she gives us an insight on how to proceed and the steps that need to be taken in order to be able to do so.
As mentioned in my previous post (click here to read it), I decided to work as a freelancer in Austria. In order to do so, I needed to accomplish certain requirements according to Austrian law. The very first step I took, was going to the Vienna Business Agency – Expat Center Vienna. There I got some basic advice and information on the next steps to take.
In my case there are two main factors to keep in mind. The first one being my field of work which is IT. Nowadays I am mainly working on website development and technical support. And the second factor being my husband who works for the CTBTO at UNO. This is important to keep in mind because as a non-European citizen it can be challenging to get a work permit. However, one of the benefits the UN offers is supporting the partners to get their permission. It was supposed to take about three months, but actually I got it about 3 weeks later. So that’s how I got my work permit, which was my first step to take.
In order to work independently in Austria, it is necessary to get a license depending on the field of work. Some require passing an exam, but in the IT sector the license is enough. The process to get this document is easy. You just need to present yourself at the Magistrate office of the district you live, with your ID, work permit and your penal antecedents. For those I needed to present the document form my country (translated to German) and the document corresponding to the time I have lived in Austria which is given by the police station of your district of residence and delivered on the same day your request it (you need to pay a certain fee on the spot, when you ask for it).
The day you go to the Magistrate to deliver all your documents, you need to fill out a form with all your information. Unless there is something wrong with your documents, you will be allowed to work as an independent from that very same day. You will receive the formal answer by mail a few days later.
You will also be automatically registered for the SVA (Social Security Service for Entrepreneurs) and the WKO (Austrian Economic Chamber) as well. Being member of the WKO requires an annual payment. And the SVA requires another payment but that’s another history, depending on different factors, so I won’t go into details here.
There is one final step that should be done: It is going to the Ministry of Finance and register for your tax records. By doing so, you will get provided an identification number that will be used to pay the corresponding taxes.
There are also some others details that everyone should take into consideration but vary from case to case.
PS: I omitted specific details because they might be different in every case.
Adriana Liendo is an experienced Freelance Web Developer with a demonstrated history of working in the computer software industry and an invaluable resource for VIE LESA when it comes to IT questions. Thanks a lot for your great support!
Link: https://www.adrianaliendo.com/
VIE LESA is proud to have had Adriana Liendo as a valuable part of our non-profit association from the beginning. And we are happy to keep you posted on her journey here in Vienna!
Through VIE LESA’s initiative “VIE Speak Up” we aim to speak up for Dual Career(s) in Vienna. We invite expat partners and stakeholders in Austria and abroad to share their individual challenges, highs and lows, to be able to learn from each other and create a vibrant buzz for the spousal talent out there. Reach out to us, drop us a line to office@vie-lesa.org if you also want to contribute.
Today, it is Adriana Liendo’s story. In Adriana’s words.
Adriana Liendo (right) in a meeting with Verena from VIE LESA
My family and I moved to Vienna end of 2017 when my husband got a new job at the UNO headquarter. Coming here was a huge opportunity for the whole family. Our daughter was 2 years old girl at the time and had never been in a Kindergarten. Back “home” my mom used to take care of her to help us (of course she didn’t speak or understand neither English nor German); and we had a baby boy of 3 weeks who had left his mom with a lack of haemoglobin after his birth and so she was slightly weaker than usual – and yes, that’s me!
So not the easiest grounds to start from, but today – a little bit more than a year later – I’m even more sure, that coming to Vienna was our best decision ever. By origin, we are from Venezuela and if you have read the news about our country lately, I am sure you’ll understand and agree.
Considering that I didn’t speak a word of German and that we arrived here with two small children, we both knew that our best choice was for me to stay home and take care of the kids, at least for a while. But I should mention that I am kind of hyperactive, and it drives me almost crazy not to have a professional challenge. Don’t get me wrong, having a baby and a toddler is – without any doubt – also a challenge and demands a lot of time, but I also felt, needed and wanted to do something else, something for myself! So, after a few months I decided that my best choice was to work as a freelancer, believing that it gives me the freedom to organize my time to be able to do both – taking care of my family and advancing my professional career at the same time.
What have I learned so far from this experience? To start with – it’s okay to be afraid of a big change in our lives, but if well planned with your partner (boyfriend, husband or whoever you share your life with) and supporting each other, each one can succeed in their individual paths. Second that we don’t need to be alone. Although we didn’t know anyone in Vienna at the time, joining and becoming part of some associations, based on my interests, has helped me grow my own network – definitely something I would highly recommend to anyone in a similar situation!
Adriana Liendo is an experienced Freelance Web Developer with a demonstrated history of working in the computer software industry and an invaluable resource for VIE LESA when it comes to IT questions. Thanks a lot for your great support!
Link: https://www.adrianaliendo.com/
VIE LESA is proud to have had Adriana Liendo as a valuable part of our non-profit association from the beginning. And we are happy to keep you posted on her journey here in Vienna!
The Lonely Diplomat started a conversation about how diplomats, their significant others and families balance this all-consuming job and their wish to be human and have human connections.
If you don’t know Georgie, you certainly know the type of person she is. Everyone needs a Georgie in their lives to call them forward when they’re not living up to their potential. Every diplomatic mission either needs, or has, a Georgie in their community – be they a posted diplomat or a spouse. The Georgies of the world – and this Georgie, in particular – are those who muck in, do what needs doing and make sure that everyone is well looked after. Diplomatic missions can run on the goodwill of these diplomatic spouses who do what needs to be done to get it done.
What Expats Can Do (WECD) is a wonderful non-profit project by Claudia Landini (founder of Expatclic.com), Christopher O’Shaughnessy and Cristina Baldan with the goal of promoting awareness in the expat community about the skills expats have that our communities desparately need = THE POWER OF EMPATHY, the ability to create, promote and spread it!
Candian Expat Mom’s new book ‘Life on the Move’ is due for release in June 2019. VIE LESA is proud that one of the amazing stories from women across the globe is our co-founder’s Sandra Glück-Taglieber.
…..Despite differences in industry, country, leadership expectations and local team, there are three steps companies can take to help their expats be successful and achieve a strong return on their Investment:
Choose Wisely
Support the Family:
Research shows expat family adjustment issues are the leading cause of assignment failures and compromises. We’ve all heard the maxim, “happy wife, happy life.” A better adage for male and female expats is “happy kids & spouse, happy house.” When children have difficulty adjusting to school, a spouse misses family and friends back home or the family is unable to connect and fully engage in their new life in the host country – the challenges impact everyone.
Unfortunately, expatriate programs are generally deficient in structured support for the family. Needs range from practical/logistical issues such as finding housing, schools and grocery stores to understanding local cultures and managing language barriers to forging relationships with local and other expat spouses and families. If your Human Resources team is unable to provide these services, it’s important to partner with organizations or individuals who can.
Provide Coaching
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