Building a career, confidence and belonging in a new country

Written by: Faryal Raza Bhatti, marketing manager at Norton Insurance Brokers 

Moving to another country for your career is exciting. It is also one of the few experiences that can make years of professional experience suddenly feel uncertain.

You do not just leave behind a job. You leave behind your professional network, the reputation you have spent years building, and the confidence that comes from working in an environment where you understand how things work, and where you know you can thrive.

For many professionals, moving countries can feel like starting again. Not because your experience has disappeared, but because you are learning how to apply it in a completely different context.

That was certainly my experience when I moved to the UK, and it changed the way I think about careers, confidence and belonging.One of my biggest concerns was whether my international experience would translate into the UK job market.

I quickly realised that every market has its own expectations. Understanding what employers were looking for, identifying my transferable skills, tailoring my CV and clearly communicating the impact I had made all played an important role.

My experience had not changed. The way I communicated it had.

That was one of the first lessons I learned: adapting to a new market does not mean changing who you are.

It means learning how to communicate your value in a way that connects with others. Finding a role was one thing. Finding belonging was another. Starting a new role brought a different set of challenges.

Before meetings, networking events or walking into a room full of unfamiliar faces, questions would quietly cross my mind: Will my accent change how people hear me? Will my ideas be taken as seriously as everyone else’s?

Will I be able to find where I belong, and will there be others who understand my experience? Looking back, I do not think those questions were really about my accent or where I had come from.

They were the voice of imposter syndrome, the feeling many of us experience whenever we step outside our comfort zone, whether that is starting a new job, joining a new team or moving to a different country.

What I have learned is that confidence rarely comes before action.

It grows through small moments: introducing yourself to someone new, contributing an idea in a meeting, asking questions, attending events and choosing to speak up even when it feels uncomfortable.

Over time, many of the worries I had built up in my own mind never became reality. My accent did not stop people from listening.

My background did not limit my opportunities. If anything, it gave me a different perspective to contribute.

The importance of the right environment

Confidence is not built in isolation. The environments we enter and the people around us play an important role in helping us feel that we belong.

I have been fortunate to work at Norton Insurance Brokers, where I have felt welcomed and supported from the beginning. I have been encouraged to share my ideas, contribute beyond my day-to-day role and become involved in wider business initiatives, including supporting the engagement team and its focus on diversity and inclusion.

Being in an environment where different perspectives are valued has reinforced something important for me: belonging is not just about being accepted into a workplace.

It is about feeling able to contribute, grow and make an impact.

That sense of belonging has also grown through being part of Future Faces. At events, I see people from different cultures, industries and backgrounds coming together, each bringing their own experiences and perspectives.

During my Future Faces Awards interview, I shared a belief: “Inclusion is something you share with someone, you give them a chance to learn it and respect it. And it goes both ways.”

Nobody can be expected to understand every culture or every lived experience from the outset. But when we are willing to ask questions, listen with curiosity and share our own stories, we create opportunities to learn from one another.

What starting again taught me

Moving to the UK taught me far more than how to adapt to a different workplace.

It taught me resilience. It taught me confidence.

It taught me that experience does not lose its value when you cross a border.

Most importantly, it taught me that starting again does not mean starting from nothing.

If there is one thing I would say to anyone beginning their career in a new country, it is this: Trust the value of your experience.

Your skills do not disappear because you have moved, they simply need to be communicated differently.

Take time to understand the market.

Learn what employers are looking for, identify your transferable skills and think about how you can
demonstrate the impact you have made.

Do not let imposter syndrome speak louder than your ability.

Self-doubt is common, especially when you are navigating unfamiliar environments. Remember that
being new does not mean being less capable.

Keep putting yourself out there.

For me, confidence came from small moments, introducing myself at events, asking questions in meetings and sharing ideas before I felt completely ready.

Be open to learning, and allow others to learn from you. Belonging is not about fitting into someone else’s mould. It is about helping create an environment where different experiences, perspectives and backgrounds are valued.

My experience is only one story, and everyone’s journey will be different. But if sharing mine helps someone who is starting over feel a little less alone, a little more confident, or a little more willing to believe in the value they already bring, then it has been worth telling.