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Expat Experience Is Overrated

ex·pe·ri·ence

 noun \ik-ˈspir-ē-ən(t)s\

: the process of doing and seeing things and of having things happen to you

: skill or knowledge that you get by doing something

: the length of time that you have spent doing something (such as a particular job)

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It is always interesting to look around at the expats living in Nicaragua. They are an odd lot, certainly more odd than our circle of friends and associates back in the states. Having a website and publishing a community newsletter to help expats and expat wannabes, I get to meet more expats than most people. Often I troll the various expat blogs to see if my experience can help someone make a more informed decision. I always tell them that I am only giving my opinions since there are no experts on Nicaragua.

Why are the expats such an odd lot? Well, it takes a special kind of person to pack it all up and move to somewhere like Nicaragua. A great many of them are Type A personalities and when you put a lot of people with dominant personalities together, sparks are going to fly. In general, the expats here have a hard time working together since there are too many leaders. Even the NGOs seem to have a difficult time working together. Not all of them but a significant portion. Of course, people move here for different reasons:

  • A sense of adventure
  • Low cost of living
  • Wanting to help others
  • Start a business
  • Their spouse made them move here
  • Moved here to get away from spouse(s)
  • Find a wife, girlfriend(s)
  • Hiding from someone, something or a government agency
  • No other country would take them

This list of reasons obviously would bring together a rather diverse group so people tend to drift into their own niche of friends. I spend a lot of time working with people so I try to observe them and see how they adapt to Nicaragua. This brings us back to the topic of experience.

When I was in the corporate world I had to hire a lot of people. Of course, the applicant had to have some basic knowledge for the field in which he/she was seeking a job but I would often discount the need for much experience. The area which I managed, often used cutting edge technology so you would not get a lot of experience before the technology was outdated. Besides, a good worker with a great attitude often was a good worker even in another position. It is the same way down here.

Every expat blog or guide book will tell you to learn Spanish, only start a business if you have the experience, go slow, live with the locals for a while and discuss with seasoned expats if you want a chance at survival. Sounds like good advice but if you look at the expats around you, it does not seem to hold water. We have expats that have lived here more than a decade yet still boggle many opportunities and barely survive. Then there are many expats that only learned a few Spanish words and immediately started a successful business or NGO with no experience whatsoever. Expats with very little Spanish and no experience often seem to be doing quite well and are well liked by their neighbors, peers and local friends.

I won’t name names but I remember when a young couple started a restaurant a few years ago with no prior experience and is now one of the top restaurants in Granada. Yes, one of them was fluent in Spanish but everyone was saying “another restaurant in Granada and no experience?”. In an area near Granada, no one could get building permits but then a new expat arrived, went straight to the alcadia and walked away with building  permits. Another person arrived and wanted to build some quality homes. He had construction experience, hired a young woman to be his assistant and interpreter, hired his own crews and built several beautiful homes that sold immediately.  He still can barely order a beer in Spanish. And I could name dozens of NGOs started by someone arriving with a good heart, a good attitude and a dream. On the other hand there are expats that have lived here for many years yet still cannot seem to find a reliable business partner, get a project going or hire good employees. So much for experience.

Not sure why we are surprised by these facts. A good idea, a good work ethic and a great attitude will always beat people with money and experience. Microsoft, Apple and WalMart were all started by people with little or no business experience but they had the right attitude and a great idea.

So don’t wait to fulfill your dream in Nicaragua. Come on down and just do it!

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