One thing I love the most about working at rhum is the flexibility of working from anywhere. As a Talent Partner based in Montreal, I genuinely enjoy the dynamic of my role by helping my clients to find the right candidates for them. But this winter, I decided to spice up the dynamic of my role by working remotely from Mexico City.

This experience has been transformative, not only on a personal level but also in how I see remote work as of today. We open Instagram and see all these influencers and digital nomads who seem to be thriving remotely and who make remote work anywhere so easy and accessible, but it’s not what it seems.

Here are a few lessons I’ve learned about the challenges and opportunities of working remotely in another country:

Challenges

1- TIME ZONES
I collaborate with many people on a day-to-day basis. While conducting interviews, meeting with clients, and even meeting with my own team, I struggled a bit with the time difference. Organizing a meeting with someone located in Vancouver and someone in Europe while I was in Mexico City just made me think of that meme:

It definitely challenged my organisational skills and ensured clear communication with my colleagues, as I wouldn’t always be online when they were. However, it’s important to remember that working remotely is a privilege provided by the employer, so the key is to adapt; no one should even realise that you’re away.

2- LESS PROXIMITY WITH MY TEAMS!

I love to create connections, and I also love to maintain them. Working remotely from another country has definitely led to a lack of spontaneous conversations and face-to-face interactions with my colleagues. While digital communication is effective, something feels missing—perhaps the creative synergy that arises from working with people you see almost every day? Additionally, being in-person offers many opportunities for spontaneous learning; you can gain much more from a colleague and share knowledge while at the office. Of course, these opportunities also exist remotely, but they are more limited.

3- LONELINESS

As Britney Spears once said, "My loneliness is killing me." For me, it didn’t, but I did feel it. Sometimes, you can underestimate the importance of your support system. This trip made me realize that being far from my friends and family is harder than I thought. Although I definitely took that hardship as a learning experience, I sat with myself and this feeling. I journaled about it and realized that part of life is missing the ones you love.

OPPORTUNITIES

1- QUALITY OF LIFE

Working in Mexico City this winter enhanced my overall quality of life. Winter in Montreal can be a bit overwhelming and long, which can affect my mental health from time to time. Deciding to escape winter for a warmer and sunny place really increased my level of happiness. Discovering a culture and visiting beautiful places had a great impact on how I showed up to work, I felt inspired and soothed.

2- PERSONAL GROWTH

When you travel alone, there is always an opportunity to learn more about yourself. While working abroad, I’ve learned more about my flexibility and adaptability skills. I knew it was in me but, I pushed it to another level. This flexibility is not just about when and where you work, but also about how you choose to live your life.

OPPORTUNITIES TO TRAVEL

Mexico is a beautiful country that offers a lot of different vibes. While working in Mexico City, I saw a vibrant city with amazing food and architecture. The beautiful thing about this city is that you can take an hour-long flight, and you’re at the beach. So, I decided to seize the opportunity of being in another country to travel a bit, of course, while working. This made me realize the importance of nature and how it can ground you as an individual. Of course, the city is nice and the pace can be fun, but sometimes all you need is to slow down a bit and have a small change of scenery. The beauty of all of that was that I had the opportunity to continue working while enjoying myself by the beach.

To conclude, if you want to work remotely in another country, you should consider it! The experience has been enriching, and it blended professional challenges with personal fulfillment. Yes, some days aren’t easy, but we don’t grow in easy, we grow in challenges and learnings.

Thank you for your reading! Hasta pronto! :)

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