Dipo's relocation journey
After returning to Nigeria from two years working in the US, I knew that I wanted to continue learning about different cultures and experience working abroad again, so when my wife had the opportunity to relocate to the UK, we decided to go for it, and I found a role with Grant Thornton. I’ve lived much of my life in capital cities where the hustle and bustle and long commutes can be quite overwhelming, but I also really like the cosmopolitan and multi-cultural environments you get in cities, so Manchester felt like a good option for my wife and me and we were both excited to have a new cultural experience. We arrived in September, and quickly learnt our first lesson about life in the UK – always carry an umbrella with you, as even if you leave the house in the sun, you never know when it’s going to rain.
When we first moved over, we decided to leave our young son with my mother-in-law whilst we got ourselves settled. This was a hard decision for us and seeing him via videocall was tough, but we were lucky to have family and friends that were able to support us both back home and in the UK. When we first arrived in Manchester we stayed with a friend in the city whilst we flat-searched – which took longer than expected so it was a good decision to only bring our son over when we were settled in our new home. Finding accommodation was one of the hardest parts of our relocation, because we’d moved over with my wives relocation we didn’t get the initial support Grant Thornton provide – my top tip for anyone relocating is to start the search before you land in the UK and get as many viewings lined up as you can.
We’ve been here for over two years now, and one of the highlights for me is the people. Both in work, and in life outside of work I have met and I’ve been helped by so many people, from strangers to people managers. Working in tax, there was a lot for me to learn as UK tax laws are obviously different to Nigerian tax laws. I’ve had to be patient with myself, but the firm has been very supportive with my exams and people managers, have guided me on how to be my best, giving me a strong foundation to progress.
Another thing that has stood out to me since joining Grant Thornton is the understanding the firm has of cultural differences and how open people are to discussing them. In Nigeria, up to 15 minutes early would be normal for joining client calls so no one is left waiting, however colleagues shared that Teams alerts everyone to you joining a call and there is no expectation for you to be there early. You read a lot about a firm’s culture before you join, but I don’t think you really ‘get it’ until you experience it. The culture here is great, but again there are some differences which I had to get used to. Before joining the firm the idea of going for lunch as a group was alien to me, I was used to this being a solitary task so was confused when multiple people would all stand up and go off together, until someone explained people would take their lunch breaks together, which is a really nice way to getting to know your colleagues. The openness of the office was also something I wasn’t used to and having partners and directors so accessible, sharing desks with you was completely new to me. I was used to them being hidden behind doors and you needing to book appointments to talk to them so talking to them without prior preparation didn’t feel comfortable at the start and this is something I’ve had to ease into, but something I can now do confidently.
Joining Grant Thornton in the UK has really opened up my career, I have had much more exposure to international clients than I had previously, some of my clients now operate in 10+ countries and this all helps to build my professional knowledge and technical expertise.
My advice for people relocating is to have an open mind. What you read in the news or online, is one thing, but you might have a different experience when you are here. So, have an open mind, focus on the good and don't take things personally. I believe that whatever your mind wants to do, that is what will happen, so, if you go into the experience with an open mind, expecting to have a pleasant time and integrate well, then you are setting yourself up for success.