At Beyondo, we have an insatiable curiosity about individuals who possess an international perspective and have lived abroad. We are intrigued by the transformative power of "living abroad" and how it can positively impact not only the individual but also the country they choose to reside in, such as Sweden.
We have spoken to Rutvika who moved to Sweden as a child and she is sharing her story, on how that move has shaped her as a person and becoming a entrepreneur, helping others moving abroad.
How has your experience of moving to Sweden at a young age shaped your identity and perspective on cultural diversity?
I came to Sweden as a 10 year old, without even really understanding where on the world map Sweden was. Going from a city with 5 million people to one with 30 thousand, a new language, weather, culture was definitely a big change, challenging at times, but one that has really shaped my identity and helped me realize the importance of diversity. It helped me become more open to differences in thinking, approach, solutions but also more curious to see what else is out there.
In my professional career, I chose to live and work in multiple countries across the globe from Liechtenstein to Singapore and I believe the move to Sweden has a big role to play in why I went for these opportunities. Without having experienced the adventure of moving to Sweden, I wouldn’t have known how enriching it is to live in different cultures, learn about the different ways people think, work, behave and through it shape my own identity. I feel lucky, because I have been able to pick and choose what I want to adapt from the different cultures to become my own person :)
What inspired you to pursue an international career after growing up in Sweden? Can you share some key moments that influenced this decision?
There are many different moments, some small and some big, that led to that decision but overall it was really the curiosity to explore new things. Until I came to Sweden, I did not know anything except how things were done in India and having experienced the schooling system, university, the friendships, I realized there are more than one ways to do things.
I remember this very small incident, probably somewhat funny for few, but the first week at the local school in Sweden, I wanted to use the bathroom. So like I would do back home, I raised my hand, stood up and then asked my teacher politely whether I could go to the bathroom. I remember the teacher saying, “of course, you do not need to ask for permission”. While there is no right or wrong way to do this, it just made me stop for a moment and reflect why I was doing something a certain way. And I would say it was moments like these; from writing essays to get grades in subjects instead of an exam on a book, to learning new games as a kid that we were not playing back home. These were all new experiences for me and that influenced my curiosity to pursue an international career and learn different ways of approaching the same things.
Reflecting on your international career, which countries did you work in, and what valuable lessons did you learn from each cultural environment?
My international journey started already during university when I took the opportunity to conduct an ERASMUS exchange to the Netherlands where I lived for 6 months during my master’s program. Upon graduating, I moved out of Sweden for a career opportunity and have since then worked for different assignments of different durations in Liechtenstein, USA, Australia, Singapore.
I arrived in Liechtenstein as an enthusiastic 22 year old. "During my move, I had this notion in my head that cultures within Europe would be similar which was definitely not true." From Liechtenstein and the German working culture, I learned how to be efficient in my communication (on the flip side, it ended up coming off as too direct instead when I finally moved back to Sweden). In Singapore, I learnt that spending time after work engaging in social activities is a very crucial part of the working culture for people to trust and establish a relationship with you first. Singapore is also a very culturally diverse place; I had colleagues from China to Morocco to New Zealand and this was a really interesting learning how different working styles come together and create a lot of value through the diverse thinking. The most valuable lesson here is that no matter how different someone might be from us, being open-minded is all that is needed to leverage everyone’s strengths.
Moving back to Sweden and becoming an entrepreneur - what motivated this decision, and did your Swedish upbringing contribute to your entrepreneurial spirit?
I moved back to Sweden due to the struggles my partner faced in entering the labor market and converting his dependent visa to a work visa and finally, he found a job back home. While I am very grateful for all the experiences abroad and how much I have learnt from them, there were also many challenges with each move which in my personal opinion need not really be there. And this is what inspired my entrepreneurial journey and the inception of MOAI.
During each move abroad, I had support all the way from before the move until arrival but during each move, I also realized how there is a lack of support after arrival when you are trying to balance a new job, new country, new language and complex regulations. It is things like signing your health insurance in German which I was not familiar with to not knowing how to change the registration of a Swedish car that I had driven down to Liechtenstein with or the conversion of your partner’s dependent visa to a work visa.
This lack of support after arrival is a widespread issue which I believe limits the possibility for integration of internationals abroad and this is our mission at MOAI - to improve the opportunity for integration of internationals by providing extensive and personalized support in the host country after arrival.
My Swedish upbringing definitely contributed to being able to make the decision to quit a job and embark on this journey. Entrepreneurship is spoken of very openly and encouraged in Sweden, I could see this even more clearly during my university years here where you are encouraged in projects to be creative and find new solutions. Also, the support from my Swedish employer when I revealed that I wanted to take such a step was really amazing, which speaks to how entrepreneurship is looked upon in Sweden.
In what ways did your background in Sweden influence the success of your business aimed at aiding relocation and integration, especially considering your unique international perspective?
While internationals go through multiple challenges, I have also seen what good integration can do for you, creating a sense of belonging and not feeling left out. Being able to navigate the local systems, knowing how to file your taxes, understanding the workplace culture, knowing that there is a fika break at 3pm, being able to find reliable answers on how maternity leave works or just knowing that Crayfish party is coming up, are small but crucial things in feeling that you are a part of the society as much as anyone else.
"And this I believe is the biggest influencing factor for the success of MOAI - having experienced both sides of the coin and knowing the importance of successful integration for being able to perform your best and make the most out of your adventure abroad."
Thank you, Rutvika, for sharing your story! Very inspiring!
Do you wish to share your story on your interntional move and the added value this could bring to bridging the talent gaps in Sweden? Reach to us!
