Your Experience Does Not Lose Its Value When You Cross a Border – An Interview with Gaelle K.O

Years of professional achievement can be difficult to communicate in a market where employers do not recognise your former company, qualifications, or job title. Drawing on an HR background and firsthand experience of rebuilding a career in a new country, Gaelle K.O coaches international professionals on making their experience understood and valued.

In this interview, Gaelle explores why capable candidates get overlooked, how to translate overseas accomplishments for local employers, and what to consider before accepting a role below your previous level.

Gaelle K.O, Certified Life & Career Coach

What does a successful landing look like for an internationally experienced professional entering a new job market?

For me, a successful landing means more than finding a job. It has three parts: recognition, contribution, and compensation. Recognition means an employer understands the value of your international experience. Contribution means your expertise is valued in the role and you have opportunities to use it meaningfully. Compensation means receiving a package that reflects your worth – not just base salary, but benefits, time off, a pension plan, and other forms of support. Together, these elements show that you have not simply found work you have established yourself in the new market.

How do you help clients separate a temporary loss of confidence from the actual value of their experience?

The first thing I do as a coach is put myself in their shoes. Having gone through a similar experience as an international professional entering a new job market, I can relate to many of their feelings and doubts. I then help them separate what they are feeling in the moment from the evidence of what they have accomplished. We look back at their professional journey – the results they achieved, the challenges they overcame, the strengths they developed, and the feedback they received. This reminds them that a temporary loss of confidence does not erase the value of their experience; it simply reflects the difficulty of adapting to a new environment. From there, we can identify how that experience translates into value in the new market and rebuild their confidence on a foundation of evidence rather than emotion.

What has your HR background taught you about why strong international candidates are sometimes overlooked?

In my experience, international candidates are often overlooked because hiring decisions are influenced by familiarity. Recruiters and hiring managers may not recognize an overseas university, understand the reputation of a former employer, or know how responsibilities and qualifications translate into the local market. When those signals are unfamiliar, we may find it harder to assess the candidate’s experience and default to applicants whose backgrounds they understand more easily. As a result, international professionals may not receive full credit for the expertise and achievements they bring. Although global hiring practices are slowly improving, employers still need more consistent ways to evaluate transferable skills, verify international credentials, and recognize experience gained in different markets.

Where do employers most often misunderstand or undervalue international experience?

I believe employers often misunderstand international experience when they focus on where someone worked rather than what they accomplished. They may be unfamiliar with an overseas employer, job title, or qualification, making it harder to recognize the scope of a candidate’s responsibilities and achievements. They can also undervalue the adaptability, cross-cultural communication, and problem-solving skills developed through working in different markets. From my perspective, the key is to look beyond unfamiliar labels and ask: What challenges did this person solve? What results did they deliver? How could that experience contribute here? That shifts the conversation from whether their background looks familiar to whether their expertise is relevant.

How can someone translate overseas achievements into language local employers understand without diminishing their experience?

Translating overseas achievements starts with understanding how the local job market evaluates experience. International professionals should research the hiring process, workplace culture, networking practices, and the qualifications employers prioritize in their field. They can then describe their achievements in familiar terms by focusing on measurable results, the scope of their responsibilities, the challenges they solved, and the skills that transfer across markets. For example, if local employers place greater emphasis on practical experience than on education, a candidate can lead with relevant accomplishments and use their degree as supporting evidence. This is not about minimizing their background; it is about presenting the same value in language that makes its relevance – clear to local employers.

Where should a professional begin when they feel pressured to accept work far below their previous level?

In my coaching practice, I have worked with clients who have been in the job market for a long time and feel they have no choice but to accept an offer that does not reflect their worth. I encourage them to begin by identifying what matters most to them and evaluating the opportunity through three lenses: recognition, value, and compensation. Does the role recognize the level of experience they bring? Will their expertise be valued and used meaningfully? Is the overall compensation fair for the responsibilities and their circumstances? Sometimes accepting a lower-level role may be a necessary or strategic short-term decision. If so, the professional should be clear about what the role offers – such as local experience, financial stability, or access to a new network – and set a timeline and plan for moving toward work that better matches their experience. The goal is to make a conscious decision based on priorities, not one driven only by discouragement or pressure.

What would you want an experienced professional who feels invisible in a new job market to remember about the value they already bring?

I would remind them that being unfamiliar to a new job market is not the same as having no value. Moving to a new country and rebuilding a career can be daunting, especially when your experience is not immediately recognized. But the results you have delivered, the challenges you have overcome, and the expertise you have developed do not disappear when you cross a border. You are learning how to make that value visible in a different context – not starting from zero. Begin by reconnecting with the evidence of what you have accomplished, then practice explaining how that experience can help a local employer. Your confidence may take time to recover, but your worth is not defined by how quickly you find a job or by one employer’s response.

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