What happens when a secure, tenured career in your home country is not the place you expected to stay? In this final episode of International Career Journey, I talk with a professor who made a mid-career move abroad after a few casual conversations, a late job application and one family discussion.
I chat with Tolga Can, a teaching professor in the Department of Computer Science at the Colorado School of Mines. I knew Tolga when he was my pen pal during my high school years. We lost touch after a few years of exchanging letters and moving house, and I found him on Facebook more than 20 years later. I’m grateful he said yes to being a guest.
Just as serendipity played a role in reconnecting me to my long lost pen pal, it was serendipity and chance conversations that initiated the Tolga’s career move from Turket to the US.
“Sometimes in life there are these small things. But by chance, a single conversation you have with a friend actually paves your path ahead.”
We tend to picture careers as planned routes, but many career decisions turn on moments that look minor at the time. If you’ve ever wondered whether your own path is too unplanned, or whether a big change is worth the risk, I think you’ll find a lot to relate to in Tolga’s story.
Meet the guest: From tenured professor in Ankara to teaching professor in Colorado
Tolga Can is a teaching professor at the Colorado School of Mines, where he joined in August 2022. Before that, he spent 17 years as a tenure-track and tenured faculty member in computer engineering at Middle East Technical University in Ankara, Turkey. He completed his PhD at the University of California, Santa Barbara, and he lives in Lakewood, near Denver, with his wife and two sons.
Watch on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Jan7gC_LNBA
How did chance conversations shape Tolga’s international career?
Three conversations shaped Tolga’s career: a friend’s tip about UC Santa Barbara, a colleague’s mention of a European Union research project, and a coworker who spotted the job ad at the Colorado School of Mines.
When Tolga and his partner decided to pursue PhDs in the US, they had little information about where to apply. A friend already studying at UCSB visited Turkey over New Year and recommended it. They both got in, married, and moved a month later.
Years later, a colleague in applied mathematics mentioned an EU research project in passing, and Tolga joined it. The Colorado role came the same way. A colleague saw the advertisement, Tolga had missed it, and he sent a late application. A phone interview followed two weeks later.
When I asked how deliberate he’d been about building an international career, he was honest that he isn’t someone who actively seeks connections. But what he does is to respond to opportunities that come along.
“I say yes to a lot of things.”
Why leave a tenured job for a teaching position abroad?
Tolga chose a teaching role in the US because it offered a sense of belonging and less stress than building a new research lab and chasing competitive grants in mid-career.
On paper, moving from tenure to a teaching position can look like a step down. Tolga sees it differently. In the US, a tenure-track researcher usually needs to fund PhD students through grants, build a lab and find collaborators from scratch. At this stage in his career, he said, that would have been far more stressful. In his fourth year at Mines, he feels he belongs there and loves what he does.
It was also a family decision. His sons were used to moving, having spent a year in Cyprus during a sabbatical, and they were excited about the change. Tolga also had a fallback. If it didn’t work out, he knew he could find another position in Turkey, which made a big decision feel less risky.
Listen on Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/episode/12axz28wXdltOIMF0Avlgz?si=UjRjEkOCQrOcjYJpqZbqWw
What does career theory say about chance and career change?
You don’t need a theory to appreciate Tolga’s story, but a few ideas help explain why it worked.
What is planned happenstance?
Planned happenstance is a career theory from John Krumboltz. It says unplanned events shape most careers, and that curiosity, flexibility and a willingness to act help people turn chance into opportunity. Tolga’s habit of responding positively to invitations is a good example.
Why do weak ties lead to career opportunities?
Sociologist Mark Granovetter found that acquaintances often bring us new information and opportunities more than close friends do, because they move in different circles. The friend at UCSB, the mathematics colleague and the coworker who spotted the ad all fit this pattern. So does my reunion with Tolga, an old connection that sat dormant for two decades.
How do family decisions affect a career move abroad?
Nancy Schlossberg’s work on transitions reminds us that support and context matter as much as the individual. For Tolga, a partner who had been on the same academic path since the beginning, and children who welcomed the change, made the move possible.
Is career luck really random?
Luck plays a part, but credentials, in-demand skills, a fallback option and a habit of saying yes all make it easier to act on a chance.
Tolga calls himself “a really lucky person,” and I believe the luck is real. But his luck came with preparation. He had strong credentials, a field in demand, a record of working with different people and a plan B. Those things made yes an easier answer.
He also offered a reminder for anyone starting over in a new country. Your CV gets you through the door, but you still have to earn respect through what you do once you arrive.
What can international professionals learn from Tolga’s story?
- Say yes more often. Not to everything, but to the conversations and invitations that cross your path.
- Keep your connections warm. Tolga still collaborates with a colleague in Turkey, and old contacts reappear when you least expect it.
- Make career decisions together with your family. When the people closest to you have a say, the move works better for everyone.
A personal note: From pen pals to podcast guest
Neither of us could have imagined this when we were writing letters as teenagers: that we would both pursue PhDs and build our lives and families overseas. Two pen pals ended up on opposite sides of the world as very different international professionals, and I got to record the conversation. Here’s to serendipity, and to saying yes.
Q&A highlights
What’s your favourite local food you’ve discovered in Colorado?
“We have a couple of favourite places. One is a Nepalese restaurant, Yak and Yeti. We go once a week.” He also named Bob’s Atomic Burgers in Golden, and Dave’s Hot Chicken, which has a Carolina Reaper level that requires a waiver.
What’s the best advice you’ve received about a mid-career move?
“Go for it. Don’t hesitate to embark on this new journey.” He added that if he were advising himself, he’d say to come earlier.
What advice do you have for listeners building an international career?
Your accomplishments help you step into a new place, but once you arrive, you earn respect through your actions. Don’t take your path for granted.
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About Dr Sherrie Lee
I’m a career coach and educator for international professionals and migrants navigating cross-cultural career transitions. Having made that transition myself, I understand what it feels like when your experience and value get lost in translation.
Drawing on positive psychology, strengths-based coaching and VIA Character Strengths, I help clients build clarity, confidence and strategy to navigate new work cultures and build careers that reflect who they are. I’m an ICF Associate Certified Coach (ACC), trained in positive psychology coaching, and a Professional Member of CDANZ. I write and speak on international careers, character strengths, and cross-cultural identity and belonging.
Learn more at thediasporicacademic.com. Wondering if career coaching is right for you? Book a free 20-minute discovery call.
Connect with me on LinkedIn and subscribe to my monthly newsletter, International Career Journey on Substack.
