This time I will share my first work/life experience in a different continent. I had an interesting job in Brazil challenging me towards different directions. I was working as a medical doctor in clinical trials and medical and regulatory affairs. In parallel I had a career as an assistant professor of chemistry and pharmaceutical sciences. I was juggling too many balls and still dreaming of building a medical practice. I could not anticipate that a successful accomplishment in regulatory affairs would call the attention of headquarters in Switzerland, and that was when I got an offer to work in Europe.
At that moment I had to make one of the hardest decisions both in my professional and personal life. It was a difficult choice. Relocating to Switzerland with my wife in the early years of our marriage meant stepping away from family, friends and colleagues. In hindsight it was scary. I felt insecure about how we would adapt to a different culture, and how I would succeed in a new environment that involved foreign languages that I was not completely familiar with. When we arrived in Switzerland, we found out that the reality was much more challenging than we had first anticipated but it was also rewarding. We had to navigate through different foreign languages and nuanced cultural differences.
Over my 6 years tenure in Basel I had two different jobs. One in global drug regulatory affairs and another in global medical affairs. I learned from my mistakes, and they were not a few! Those mistakes gave me great learning experiences that expanded my world view and opened new professional opportunities alongside personal growth. Looking back, I want to acknowledge that had it not been for the support and guidance of the mentors I had both in Brazil and in Europe, I would not have accomplished so much. I want to share some of my learnings.
- Don’t underestimate the power of being uncomfortable, be open to fresh perspectives.
- Global experiences aren’t just career moves—they shape who you are as a person.
- Dealing with new languages and new cultures gives you opportunity to improve your communication skills.
- You learn to see failures as feedback, not as defeat.
- You realize that a new and unfamiliar environment helps you to be independent.
Have you ever made a move that felt risky—but turned out to be transformational? I’d love to hear how it changed you.
