Navigating career:

Changing countries and cities

Moving to another country or city may be stressful, even if the relocation is clearly beneficial for your life or career. But it can also work miracles and let you see and create opportunities in places you never thought to look for inspiration. Two top designers told us their stories, sharing the motivation and challenges behind their relocations.

Relocating from Australia to Germany has been a great move forward for me profession-wise, mainly due to the drastic timezone difference between my country and the rest of the world. I decided Berlin was my first go-to choice, and this move essentially opened the doors to working with brands from Europe, America, and Asia, and positively contributed to my career and to where I am today.

It wasn’t an easy move, coming from the other side of the world with no contacts in Berlin at all. Moving abroad alone can be a constant rollercoaster of emotions and comes along with a lot of tough hurdles to overcome, personally and professionally. I can still clearly recall the feeling I had in the pit of my stomach when I came from the airport. I was suddenly marinating my own cesspool of uncertainty, isolation and a constant mental reminder of, “Why on earth did I think this was a good idea?” But in the end, this move to Berlin was the best decision I made, and I wouldn’t change this decision for the world.

Carla Palette:

A Brand identity designer and Art director currently working in Berlin. She moved from Australia to Germany in search of a larger design market, which had played very well in her favor.