Working in Vietnam and Cambodia was an irresistible challenge

Introduce yourself in a few sentences..

Hello! My name is Valentina Belcheva, mother of two daughters, master's pharmacist and doctor of medicine by education, soul, calling, and work.

I have been working in a multinational pharmaceutical company almost exclusively in my 20 years, which I have dedicated to the pharmaceutical industry.

I teach pharmacy students as part of my moral commitment to pass on my experience.

In which country and city do you currently live and how did you end up there?

I currently live in Ho Chi Minh City (also known by its old name – Saigon) – the largest city in Vietnam and its economic center.

I ended up here as a result of the classic development of professional growth for anyone who embarks on the path of ExPat career. After about 11 countries, with which I worked directly in Europe, the last of which were Greece and Cyprus, and another 7-8 indirectly, my company offered me the irresistible opportunity to find myself  in the heart of the world's economic tiger, as Asia is called, and specifically in Southeast Asia, with responsibilities for Vietnam and Cambodia. It was absolutely irresistible to accept the challenge, which took me and my family out of my comfortable living zone in good old Europe, but also provided me with a career opportunity that far exceeds standard commercial operations, and included responsibilities for the full cycle – R&D, production and commercial operations. Not least – to take on one of the Top 4 business locations for the company, and Top 10 in terms of absolute business size. All this at a historic moment of separation from the parent company and the creation of a new Top 3 global player in Consumer healthcare business.

What were the biggest challenges you faced at the beginning of your stay?

The climate! I will never forget how, stepping out of the airport in November, after 18-hour flights, I was hit by the warmest wave I had ever felt in my life (and I had claims to being experienced with the heat of Athens). The humidity made the feeling even stronger.

I quickly realized that the pictures of crowds of people in Asia are the very reality. Everywhere, at any time, the noise of the crowd is part of the landscape, and at the same time, this apparent chaos works and things happen.

I realized that the concept of "fresh air" is impossible in the urban environment of this tropical part of the world. I noticed that I hadn't seen the sun for 2 months – hidden behind a thick layer of smog, which is the result of millions of scooters that are on the roads around the clock. In fact, "walking" on the streets here does not exist as a concept.

I also had to accept that it is impossible to drive here, especially since my company prohibited it for safety reasons.

A few encounters with the meaning of "spicy" reminded me to be very careful about what is written in the menu.

And so on ….

How did you overcome the language barrier (if there was one)?

In no way could I overcome the language barrier. In other countries where I have lived, I started courses, I had basic knowledge. For Vietnam, my employer explicitly emphasized, that part of my role is to help the team improve their English skills. In the first months, communicating with people who claimed to speak English, but with a strong accent was a challenge in itself.

In my personal time, Google Translate with options for simultaneous text translation solved a large part of the challenges of the language barrier.

What resources or networks (local communities, colleagues, organizations) In helped you adapt?

Colleagues expat-and gave me some guidance, a lot of reading posts in expat groups and in the network gave me additional information, but that does not help you adapt. It only happens with time. And different people accept changes in different ways.

Rather, in my conversations with foreigners, I calibrated my feelings with what they shared, so I knew I was not alone.

Sometimes the differences in culture and environment are so great that you just accept them and learn to live with them. There is no need to "adapt" because that means you have to change in some way. And sometimes that is impossible.

What are the main differences between the work culture in your current country and that in Bulgaria?

In fact, the differences are general – starting from the super hierarchical approach, which is deeply rooted here and reaching the very strong unions that make the work environment quite secure and protective for workers, contrary to our perceptions of existing exploitation of labor in this part of the world. The dynamics of the labor market is so great that especially in large economic centers, the competition for  better career opportunities and better pay is in unison with the speed of business development – double digits. From the perspective of someone working now in Asia, I have the feeling that the development of  Europe has stopped or is very strongly slowed down.

What values and practices in the workplace impressed you the most?

Having worked for one company for almost 20 years, there were not many unknowns for me, because our corporate values are global. But the local practices, which are expressions of the local culture, both fascinated and surprised me. There was no need to motivate the team to come to the office more often – they enjoyed the opportunity to be together. Every special moment is captured with a professionally quality photo – Asians just love to be photographed. But I also inevitably encountered a reminder that I work in a country that is communist in its political orientation, with all the inherent procedures of this system – many formalities in meetings, solemn signing of documents, etc.

Have there been situations where cultural differences have hindered you?

Oh yes. But the difficulty is when you are not aware of the cultural difference. Once you understand about a particular feature, there is no problem managing any situation. The challenge is that there are quite a few differences, but people in Asia definitely like Europeans, they understand that many local customs are incomprehensible to us and are willing to help.

How does finding a job differ in your current country compared to Your homeland?

I don't know if I am the right person to answer, I myself have not looked for a job or hired people in Bulgaria for years. But I definitely think that the difference is in the scale – a country with a population of 100 million, which is a priority market for every global company and a huge number of local companies, definitely makes a difference in career development opportunities and diversity.

Did you have to go through any additional qualification courses?

No, not for taking any position. Qualification courses are part of our corporate culture and are regular and related to the career aspirations for development of everyone.

Have you encountered prejudices or obstacles due to your foreign origin?

Definitely yes – from the most negative to the most positive. I can say that in Asia, no one emphasizes the difference between different European nationalities – you are a European and that in most cases is very positive. Truly negative prejudices I have encountered in Europe and with Europeans based anywhere in the world. Everyone who has worked in Asia begins to realize why Europe is declining in population, in economic growth and influence in the world, and this is deeply related to the mentality of people on the old continent.

What would you advise people who want to take such a step?

Go boldly forward!

If you could go back, would you choose the same path?

Oh, yes! I would even accelerate, because now I know what the factors were that slowed me down on this path.

What do you miss most from your homeland in professional and personal terms?

My home! To walk on the streets, without crowds and without the danger of being run over on the sidewalk. To be able to eat ajvar whenever I want. To go to the theater!

I have no professional shortages – in fact, that is why I have to live outside Bulgaria.

Have you considered returning and under what conditions would you do it?

That is always an option – if a professional opportunity arises that is at least at the level of the current one – I would gladly do it.

What do you think about money? What is its influence on your life? What is your advice to people who often ask themselves questions related to money and how sufficient they are?

The topic of money has never been my motivator, nor driving force. I have refused numerous offers focused mainly on money and I think I have made the right choice for myself. I have always been a strategic player with a long-term perspective – money is a short-term asset. 

If for someone the amount of money is what makes them happy – I cannot give advice there. This one-dimensional model of happiness is not my specialty.