Careers beyond borders

For Pia Schall, her second international assignment is part opportunity, part discovery.

She’s in the last year of her three-year assignment, enjoying her move from her home in Wiesbaden to the Human Pharma business in Paris – but even a seasoned international traveler like Pia gets nervous.

“Germany was my comfort zone, and I wanted to get exposed to diverse markets, cultures and ideas”, says Pia. “I was nervous, of course; it was like diving into cold water, and I had to remind myself – I like cold water, I know how to swim, and it'll warm up!”

Culture shift

The water is, it turned out, not that cold. She is keen to praise her new French team for easing her arrival. “They offered a lot of trust, right from the start. We have a very experienced local sales lead, and we had good discussions right away.” 

That said, it still took time to get used to the new environment. For instance, the more personal, less direct communication style that's used in France was new to Pia. “It was a little strange at first”, Pia recalls. “I would find myself wondering what was wrong with a simple yes or no. But the team here in France made every effort to help me acclimatize and to make me feel welcome. In fact, my first meetings with my new colleagues were over lunch – and if ‘lunch first, work later’ is perhaps not the way we do things in Germany, I have come to appreciate it!”

Settling in

With the early cultural shift behind her, Pia has settled in and relaxed into her new home. She’s enjoying building her professional and social networks – hiking at weekends and even singing with a local choir – and relishing the adventures and opportunities that relocations bring. “Of course, I was a little homesick to start with; that's only natural. But I knew that, if I needed it, there would be support in getting back home. “

“There's no need to fear that there's no way back; the International Mobility team understands the human element.”

Support at every step

The International Mobility team worked efficiently to manage the transition within eight weeks. There was ongoing expert support at every step. A one-week immersive language course helped Pia to get her French into shape. In addition, Pia took an introductory business trip to ‘look, see, and feel’. Property agencies helped her finding a new home, and the burden of dealing with tax and social security authorities was also removed. Pia even received advice on dealing with the Métro.

“They made sure that the move went well. There were a few little hitches, like the moving company being slightly surprised by how much I wanted to take. But the procedures are clear, it’s easy to select benefits tailored to your personal needs, and the team made sure the details were in place.”

Developing a global path

Pia understands the value of her international assignments with Boehringer – first Korea, now France – to her own career, in helping her to develop her own path. “I’m aware that Boehringer Ingelheim is a global company. Developing along with it means having a global outlook myself. I wouldn’t rule out taking on another international assignment after this – it all depends on the opportunities and timing. I would really like to continue my journey – both personally and as a leader – where I can create a strong impact on our patients and my colleagues’ development.”

And her advice to anyone considering an international assignment?

“Consider the challenges: the language, the change of network, the ways of working. But look at the opportunities, too. Ask yourself: is the job interesting? Do I have something to offer? Can I move things forward? Can I grow myself?”