At home and at work: How to avoid the pitfalls of a first overseas posting

If you’ve just accepted a position for an international development organization in a country new to you, you’re most likely wondering about the cultural adjustments you’ll have to make ahead of and during your time abroad.

How do you decide where to live and shop? How do you adapt to or challenge local customs in and out of the workplace that might clash with your own values? While your employer will hopefully help you address some of these questions before you head out, more will likely crop up as you adapt to living and working in a different country for the first time.

Devex asked two aid workers hailing from London: Maxi, a gender specialist, and Adam, a manager in a local nonprofit, for their own experience in adapting to work in Malawi.

At home

Unless provided a set living arrangement, a priority for aid workers moving to a new post can be deciding where to live.