Early morning in the Stockholm airport. Moving back from Sweden to U.S. with two kids, two strollers, and more baggage than we can move.
Take the Road Less Travelled, and Enjoy the Ride
When my wife and I, together with our two small kids, boarded the first of several flights on our journey to Sweden, we were equal parts excited and apprehensive. We were naïve about living overseas, and not yet aware of the profound impact moving abroad would have on our lives, our worldview, and ultimately my professional career.
If I were given the choice to go back in time, I would change several aspects about our overseas experiences, but I wouldn't change our decision to go abroad.
Business is global
The starting point is debatable, but Earth's population has been marching slowly but surely on a path towards globalization since the British Empire rose to prominence in the 1700s. More recently, the past forty years we see instant communications, globally networked business interests, and co-dependent worldwide supply chains increasing. Baring a worldwide catastrophe, the pace of globalization will continue, and is likely at an accelerated pace.
Businesses now operate in an environment where employees, customers, products and supplies are scattered across the globe. To be able to compete in such a diverse and immense marketplace, companies must address global supply, demand, and business relationships. With the exception of small service businesses that cater to local needs, the majority of business is now conducted in a global market.
Put simply, if you're on the Internet, you're operating globally.
Global employees are hard to find
My initial overseas assignment was like a first kiss: it was akward, quick, memorable, and educational. I was fortunate enough to be in a position where my employer allowed me to learn and work through the challenges with my new role, and giving me time to understand and collaborate with the local culture.
The transition from operating in the familiar business environment, with a single culture, bureaucracy and ruleset of your home country, to an unknown environment in a completely foreign country is not easy. The learning curve can be slow and steep. Not all employees are willing, able to, or enjoy working with foreign cultures.
Therefore, the best way for companies to quickly excel globally is to find exceptional employees that have already proven themselves as "world citizens".
World citizens:
- are aware of the differences in attitudes, behavior and appearances of different groups of people globally, and
- appreciate those differences
- can operate around and within multiple cultures simultaneously.
The local vs. global tension will continue to exist (e.g. "Buy Local!") but the reality that the world is now a single marketplace is not disputable, and the genie can't be put back in it's bottle. Since globalization is the ever-increasing norm, how can you as a leader and employee enhance your skill set to operate and thrive in this global environment?
One obvious way is to take a job abroad (outside your home country).
7 reasons to consider working abroad
Life becomes more interesting: Living abroad may not be the easiest way to live, but it is guaranteed not to be boring. Everyday, mundane experiences in your home country have the potential to be extremely challenging and exciting in your host country. This is especially true in the beginning, while you're cultivating your local language skills, building an understanding of the local markets, and developing a local network of friends and acquaintances to help you.
International experience looks great on a resume/CV: For all the reasons mentioned previously, having experience living and working abroad adds credit to your work history. Even if the work assignment is shorter term (less than one year), the international experience shows future employers you are flexible, adaptable, and can operate outside your comfort zone.
Social and professional network building: Living abroad is a fantastic way to meet diverse sets of people from different companies and industries to build your network. Expatriates ("expats") are a unique set of people; they typically have different challenges, problems, and skills than others in their home or host countries. Despite different backgrounds and cultures, they often have more in common with other expatriates. Therefore, expats love to talk to each other (especially if they share a common language). What does this mean for you living abroad? It's easier to meet others and develop meaningful connections when you're abroad than if you stay home and only interact with the same people daily.
Salary: Depending on where you relocate to, there are likely financial incentives with taking a job abroad. These benefits could range from assistance with housing, schooling, healthcare or pure percentage increase on top of your normal salary for cost-of-living or hardships incurred by living abroad.
Education benefits for children: Schooling was not one of the benefits we considered when contemplating moving abroad. But if you have children, be aware of the advantages it may bring. When living in a foreign country, it is more likely that your children will not or cannot qualify for enrolling in the local country public school system (although some do). Therefore, the default education option for expats is typically private, international or "IB" school systems. These schools often have high quality facilities, small class sizes, and can attract top teaching talent from around the world. Additionally, many employers will help pay tuition at these primary and secondary schools as part of the employment contract for working abroad.
Ease of becoming a world citizen: It is difficult not to be aware of and learn to appreciate other cultures, when you are immersed in a foreign culture 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. The repeated exposure to other foreigners and languages will naturally evolve your worldview and expectations of what is "normal".
Increased opportunities for travel: If traveling to new countries and locations is enjoyable for you, be aware that living abroad often makes travel easier since you can use your new location as a "home base" to explore other areas of the region. Instead of booking an expensive international flight to an exotic location, you can take advantage of cheaper local options and budget airlines to reach additional destinations.
Take the leap
Choosing to take on a new challenge abroad can seem like a daunting idea, especially if you need to consider other family members (such as spouses and children). However, don't let inertia or the likely complexity of changing situations deter you from seriously considering working abroad.
If you've been presented with an opportunity to work in a foreign country, I strongly encourage you to take it. The benefits I discuss above can be truly wonderful. My family and I are examples of how the experiences created working abroad can change your life in positive ways.
If you don't currently have the opportunity, talk to your management about the needs and challenges your company has abroad. Many managers assume people are not able to relocate and may be pleasantly surprised if you tell them you are open to the idea of relocating.
Take the leap with your career. Your future self will thank you for it!
Take care, and I'll talk to you next time.
Question: Have you ever worked abroad? Let us know in the comment section below.