Markie's finding my community in the UK

Relocating to the UK 

There were many reasons why I decided to look for a position abroad, however a large contributor was feeling trapped by the extended and strict isolation imposed by the South African Government during the COVID 19 pandemic. I had never travelled outside of South Africa, and I knew that I wanted to experience living and working overseas. I needed a sense of freedom and feeling that I have opportunities for growth both personally and professionally. The timing felt right as I had an internationally recognised qualification and experience, and the opportunities were ample. The UK was one of the easiest countries to apply to and not having to learn a new language made it a less daunting option.  

The decision to move across the world, to leave your family and 26 years of experiences behind can only be described as stressful and emotional, but ultimately, quite exciting. It wasn’t entirely smooth sailing and took nearly eight months from applying for the job to get on a flight to Manchester, but I made it.  

Finding my community 

I initially moved to the UK with another firm and I quickly realised that, though I had experience in public sector audit, in the UK, the legislation, rules and standards were quite different. The pressure of having to upskill myself to understand the new way of doing things, added to the homesickness I experienced after the “honeymoon” phase of the move had ended, led me to re-evaluate. 

I realised that I needed a better work-life balance, a firm that is people focussed and who would accept me and allow me to grow and develop at my own pace, and Grant Thornton offered me that. I was excited to start a new role, and ready to improve on my mental health and find a sense of community. 

Growing up I had to supress my talents and interests as they weren’t seen as ‘for boys’, until I was allowed to join choirs in South Africa. Music and expressing my creativity saved me in my teenage years and has been a part of me since. That passion for singing and music, led me to the Manchester Proud Chorus, an LGBTQIA+ choir in Manchester. In the choir I find myself surrounded by people who enjoy music as much as I do, a community that supports anyone without judgement or prejudice and I have made some close friends. This has given me a sense of belonging here.  

Be brave and be strong 

My main advice to anyone thinking about relocating to the UK is to make sure that you can adapt to everyday life. South Africa is a country with very tight knit communities whereas in the UK connections with strangers are difficult to come by, but when you do make those connections, they are very meaningful. You need to be brave and be strong, and step outside your comfort zone – it’s worth it.  

There will be challenges when you first arrive here, for me I found finding accommodation and opening a bank account tricky, but there is help provided by Grant Thornton for this. It also took some time to adjust to finding my way around a new city and the difference in language and slang in UK, but be kind to yourself, you get there.  

Don’t isolate yourself, spend weekends travelling, going to social events and try as much as possible to integrate into everyday life and make friends with people that live here as soon as possible. Don’t underestimate the impact the difference in climate and weather can have on your mental state and emotions, do things that make you feel better. My journey has certainly been interesting, tough and daunting; however, I don’t regret my decision to move so far away all these experiences have taught me so much about myself, how strong I can be, and have shaped my way forward as a person and as a professional accountant.