The Identity Earthquake: 3 Tips to Rebuild Confidence and Career Clarity After Relocation
- Dilek Süzal
- 6 days ago
- 2 min read
When I moved from Turkey to Europe, no one warned me about the invisible identity shift that comes with relocation.
It wasn’t the paperwork, the language, or even the job search that shook me the most, it was the loss of who I was in a professional and social context.
Now my coachees tell me:
“I used to be seen.” “I had a rhythm, a network, a voice.” “Now I feel small, like I’m starting from zero.”
This is what I call the ‘Identity Earthquake’, and it's one of the most common, yet unspoken, struggles of international professionals, especially women.
Problem: When professionals relocate, they often lose more than just a job or address. They lose mirrors; systems, titles, and feedback loops that reflected their worth back to them.
Solution: Identity is not fixed. It’s flexible and rebuildable. You’re not lost. You’re in transition. And transition has a structure.
One of the best guides I recommend is William Bridges’ “Transitions: Making Sense of Life's Changes”, a 1980 classic that maps out the 3 phases:
💎 Ending, Losing, Letting Go
💎 The Neutral Zone
💎 The New Beginning
If you feel lost in this transition you are likely in the second phase where the old is gone, but the new hasn't fully formed. This stage can be uncomfortable but is essential for personal growth and reorientation.
Here are 3 tips to rebuild confidence and career clarity abroad, the kind I wish someone had shared with me earlier:
🔹 #1 - Build Your Personal Advisory Circle
Surround yourself with mentors who has been there, and who reflect your future. Join one local or online community related to your interest or career path (e.g., LinkedIn groups, expat meetups).
🔹 #2 - Redefine Success for This Chapter
Let go of outdated definitions of achievement. Your success doesn’t have to look like your past life, or anyone else’s! Track one small win each day for 7 days as starters, every personal and professional adaptation counts!
🔹 #3 - Speak Your Identity into Existence
Clarity comes from action. Practice saying who you’re becoming and how you are growing due to this change, even if it’s still a work in progress. Share it with a friend or your coach for feedback.
And if you're navigating this shift and want to do it intentionally, you don’t have to “figure it out” alone, let’s do it together.
It is never too late to rebuild the next version of you, grounded, confident, and clear.
And if you know someone who can benefit from reading this, please share this blog post with them!
Warmly,
Dilek
Official Collaboration Partners:
★ Lead Coach at the global coaching platform BetterUp based in USA.
★ Executive Coach and Trainer at SparkUs based in Turkey and Netherlands.
★ Impact Partner for coaching, training & facilitation projects at leadership experts Think Beyond Group based in Austria.
★ Leadership Coach at Percoms AG, based in Switzerland.
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