Always appearing with the brightest smile and exuberant energy, Sanya Mittal - our Katalian from India unfolds her discovery of cultural hybridity with so many exciting experiences of moving to a foreign country. As many as the difficulties anticipated, it is lovely to know how inclusive and welcoming she feels about Vietnam, Katalon, and her beloved teammates.
Q. Why did you decide to relocate?
Sanya: A lot of people have asked me this question. Before moving here, my life was perfect back home in India, where I had everything - living with my family and having their all-time support. Then I got the opportunity to work at Katalon. My prior manager is French and told me he was also an expatriate living in Vietnam. He talked to me about the culture and how lovely the country was when I still hadn’t known much about Vietnam back then. And somehow, it made me feel confident.
The biggest motivation must be my eagerness to explore not only the country itself but also the cultural differences, and most importantly, the experience of independence of taking responsibility for my own living.
Mainly for my career development, moving to Vietnam has given me a lot of exposure in just two months on an international scale. Instead of working remotely, get up and start working without the need to dress up. Now I enjoy working in the office and meeting my colleagues every day. It is a fun move.
Q. Whether taking advantage of new opportunities or adapting to the constantly-changing world, relocating is a fantastic opportunity to get out of your comfort zone. What challenges/opportunities did you take when moving to another country?
Sanya: What I said earlier must create a scenario full of opportunities. In fact, not many people know there is a back story of how difficult it is to cope with the new environment. The inevitable challenge, I would say, is the language barrier, (definitely) not when working, but in general daily communication with the locals. I usually use the translator or simply show them the picture of what I want. Another thing that I have to adapt myself to is the cuisine. Indian food is all about strong and spicy flavors, but Vietnamese food is very different. I love Pho so much. Still, using chopsticks is the next level for me. If you could ever see me eating anything with chopsticks, it’s a real struggle *laugh*.
Q. What do you consider an inclusive workplace environment? How is cross-cultural sensitivity important in terms of its impact on professional work?
Sanya: First of all, no matter where you come from, you should never feel left out. Even if I work remotely from another country, let’s say India, I should always feel like a part of the team. To achieve that, the sense of welcome when joining is a crucial foundation. In my case, I didn’t expect many people here to help me out so much. All of my teammates, even those from other teams like Sales or Revenue Operations, came to greet me. Up to now, they still order lunch for me like the very first day when I moved here.
While working at the Vietnam Office, I realized that apart from me, many other colleagues are also expats. Even in my team, we are from different nationalities and cultural backgrounds. It creates and nurtures hybridity. I don't want my colleagues to perceive me as someone from the outside. Luckily I really feel included and welcomed.
In terms of its impact on work, everyone brings diverse experiences and distinct cultural influences to the table. Sometimes there are dissimilarities and opposition in how each individual works and communicates. Again, it is essential to be aware of cultural differences and manage to work together towards the same goals. I always look from a positive perspective that differences are good for a team’s growth because what I am not good at, my teammates are good at, and vice versa so that we can all learn from each other.
Sanya: It may sound a bit dramatic, but I wouldn’t be able to live in Vietnam if it wasn’t because of my colleagues. I want to give a big shout-out to my team for supporting me exceedingly. I can’t even imagine how I could manage all the challenges without their help. They help me order food, talk to the Grab drivers, and do many other smallest things. I also appreciate the HR team so much for assisting me with my personal documents from A to Z and making the whole complicated process so much easier. I am thankful for all of that.
Q. The energy you bring is amazing. What makes you feel better at work every day?
Sanya: I always want to spread positivity and happiness to the people around me. And if I can receive those back from my colleagues, it is how the energy inside me is charged up.
Given that we spend more than half of our day at work, to me, my colleagues are like my second family. I am happy because they acknowledge, respect my differences and make me feel included. They are one big reason that motivates me to come to work every day.