Professional Reinvention Abroad
What I'm Exploring This Month
With insights from:
Aitana Arias, Fractional CMO | Spain → Malaysia
Connect with Aitana on LinkedIn
Sometimes I still catch myself scrolling through LinkedIn job boards, imagining the possibilities. It's curious behaviour for someone who claims to be building a portfolio career, but there it is—that familiar pull towards the security of traditional employment.
When I moved to China with my family, I had a very clear professional vision. I was building a career in tech, imagining myself climbing the ranks, motivated by the chance to work with colleagues from around the world. Then life intervened—I became pregnant and made the tough decision to leave my corporate role. Suddenly, my well-planned professional path dissolved.
What followed wasn't a planned reinvention. I restarted Wed& (my platform for wedding couples), launched Woven, trained as a coach, and deepened my focus on health and wellness. It gradually dawned on me that I was building something entirely different from the linear career path I had imagined. It wasn't until I discovered Portfolio Careers Asia and researched the term that I realised I was actually creating a portfolio career—despite not having a formal corporate structure to report to.
But here's what's been weighing on me: when people ask what I do now, I find it hard to explain in a way that makes sense to those who haven't gone through a similar process. The usual response to my coaching journey is questions about why I'm not focusing solely on Wed& or other areas. Sometimes these conversations feel as if I'm trying to convince myself as much as them.
This challenge isn't unique to me. When I asked Aitana, a Spanish marketing professional now living in Kuala Lumpur, about traditional career advice, she perfectly captured the shift: "The mindset shifts from 'employee thinking' to 'business thinking,' especially when you're operating across markets and adapting to different business cultures.”
Starting Over with Your Professional Identity
What I'm discovering is that professional reinvention abroad forces you to question everything you thought professional success meant. When I left my tech role to build multiple ventures, I had to let go of the identity I'd been carefully constructing—the woman climbing the corporate ladder, with clear promotion pathways and measurable achievements.
Relocating abroad added another layer of complexity. The professional confidence I had built over years in Singapore's business environment didn't automatically carry over. Suddenly, I was rebuilding not just my career but also my understanding of how professional relationships function, how credibility is established, and what success looks like in a new cultural setting.
Aitana experienced something similar when she shifted from corporate marketing roles to fractional work: "I framed it as a progression, not a risk. I spent years in senior marketing roles, and going fractional was a natural evolution." However, what struck me was how she had to completely redefine what professional security meant—moving from a stable salary to multiple income streams, and from a clear hierarchy to network-based relationships.
This isn't just career pivoting—it's a reconstruction of professional identity. And it demands a courage that most career advice completely neglects.
Skills You Didn't Know You Were Building
OOne thing that continually fascinates me is how living abroad enhances professional skills that don't fit neatly on a CV but become your greatest competitive advantages. When I launched Woven, I drew on abilities I hadn't realised I was developing—cultural translation, international networking, and the capacity to build trust across different business cultures.
These skills developed out of necessity. Restarting Wed& while living abroad needed understanding how wedding customs vary across different markets. My coaching practice involved adjusting communication styles for clients from diverse cultural backgrounds. None of this was formal training — it was learning through experience in an international setting.
Aitana expressed this beautifully when describing how she explains her work: "When people didn't understand the term fractional, I'd say: 'Think of it like a part-time CMO for startups that don't need or can't afford a full-time one.'" That's not just communication—that's business translation, cultural adaptation, and strategic messaging all developed through international professional navigation.
These "soft skills" have unexpectedly become my competitive advantages.
Real Impact vs. Impressive Job Titles
What intrigues me most is how international professional reinvention often demands choosing authenticity over traditional credentials. When I tell people I am a coach, a platform founder, and a community builder, it doesn't align with their neat professional categories. There is no impressive company name or familiar job title to provide instant credibility.
But this has compelled me to demonstrate value through real impact rather than institutional support. When potential clients cannot depend on my previous company's reputation, they must assess my actual expertise and results. It's both terrifying and liberating.
Aitana articulated this well: "Results speak louder than job titles." When conventional indicators of professional success are absent or irrelevant, you must establish credibility through real expertise and sincere value creation.
Questions I'm Genuinely Sitting With
All of this exploration has raised questions I am still contemplating:
How can I explain a portfolio career to people who have never needed to reinvent themselves professionally? When family and old colleagues ask what I do, how do I communicate the value and purpose behind multiple streams without appearing scattered or unfocused?
Does browsing LinkedIn involve seeking real opportunities or is it driven by outdated professional habits? When I look at job postings, am I exploring real possibilities or simply seeking the comfort of traditional employment?
How can I build professional confidence when the rules are constantly changing? Each project, client, and cultural context demands a slightly different professional presentation. How do I stay authentic and confident while continually adapting?
What makes some people excel in professional reinvention while others find it difficult? I know women who have smoothly shifted to portfolio careers abroad, and others who constantly feel unsettled. What is the difference? Is it mindset, resources, timing, or something entirely different?
How do I know if I'm building something sustainable or just reacting to circumstances? Sometimes my portfolio career feels deliberate and strategic. Other times, it feels like I'm merely making the best of an uncertain situation.
What's Coming
Over the next few weeks, I am delving further into these questions. I will explore the unseen risks of professional reinvention abroad—the challenges that career advice often overlooks, such as the emotional toll of rebuilding professional identity and the systemic barriers that compel reinvention. Subsequently, I will present a strategic framework for women managing their own professional reinvention on an international scale.
But for now, I am interested in your experience. Have you reinvented yourself professionally while living abroad? Do you find yourself explaining your career path more often than you would like? How has your understanding of professional success changed?
Share your thoughts—I'm genuinely working through these questions and would love to hear how they resonate with your own journey.
About this series: This month, I am exploring professional reinvention abroad through personal reflection and stories of women who have navigated this complex journey. Each week builds on the last, progressing from exploration to analysis and practical guidance for women developing new professional identities across borders.