People working overseas face a tough road. While the opportunity to move to a new country might start out like a dream come true for most people (especially for people who come from poorer countries), only a miniscule percentage actually manage to successfully settle in their new environments. The vast majority either return home, feeling like they have wasted precious time, or repeat the cycle of moving to another country, only to find that reality does not meet their expectations.

Like anywhere else, probably, survival of the fittest seems to be more of a rule than an exception. Because hard work and having the appropriate qualifications are never a sure-fire route to success, knowing what to avoid may just be as important as knowing what to do.

That being said here are a few traps third-world professionals often encounter when working in a new country.

The Currency Converter Mentality - When I first arrived in Japan (my first overseas job), I would convert item prices in my head to the local currency in my country. Not surprisingly, I missed out on a quite a few good deals that would have made my stay much more enjoyable. Foreigners working in a new country, especially those coming from third-world environments, are highly susceptible to the currency converter mentality. It does not take one long to realize that with higher living standards in place (not to mention higher salaries, usually) come with a price: higher item prices - whether it be for food, household items, or clothing. Many third-worlders who fail to come to terms with this fact often leave before the end of their first years.

Birds of a same feather - How often have we heard the saying, “Birds of the same feather flock together”? Third worlders working in a new country often congregate in groups exclusively for people who come from the same country. There will, understandably, be a desire to communicate with someone who is sharing the same experience as you are, especially one who shares similar backgrounds. However, one negative aspect of exclusively limiting one’s self to such groups is that you close yourself off from the mentality and ideas of your new world. It is also not unusual for these groups to just get together to discuss the negative aspects of their life in their new country. Without the balance of a positive outlook coming from other sources such as native friends and colleagues from other countries, newcomers eventually get tired of all the ‘negatives’ and decide it’s just not worth it.

Unwillingness to learn - Communication in another country where locals don’t speak your native tongue is difficult. Shopping and sightseeing can quickly become a nightmare if nobody in your group understands the local dialect/language. Even everyday chores can become quite taxing if you have to communicate in sign language all the time. This is one of the reasons why foreigners don’t often last long in countries where English is not the normal mode of communication. Language is not the only thing you have to learn though. Local customs and traditions also play a big role in the everyday life of any country. Failing to learn about these and insisting on sticking with the practices of your home country can often turn you into a spectacle in everybody else’s eyes.

Avoiding all of these pitfalls isn’t even necessary. All of us falls into at least one of these traps at some point in time or another. The key here (whenever you fall into one of these traps) is to realize that something is wrong and work to improve on it. Doing so will at least improve your chances at long-term enjoyment of your new environment.