The Silent Career Crisis of Expat Women: Did I Just Kill My Career?

📢 “What do you do?”

It was a simple question. An innocent, well-meaning attempt at small talk at a dinner party in Paris.

But in that moment, it felt like a wrecking ball.

I opened my mouth to answer… and then shut it again.

Back home, I knew exactly what to say. I had a job title, an identity, a sense of purpose. But here? I wasn’t working. I wasn’t building a career. I wasn’t even sure who I was anymore.

So I did what so many expat women do. I forced a smile and said, “Oh, I’m just here with my partner.”

And just like that, the conversation moved on.

I disappeared.

No one meant to erase me. But I had already started erasing myself.

And if you’re reading this thinking “That’s me”—then this blog is for you.

Moving abroad is supposed to be exciting. A fresh start. A reinvention.

But what happens when that fresh start feels more like a full stop?

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