I’m glad it was helpful.

Have a happy and healthy New Year.

- Greg

Thank you for sharing personal insights and those of others. These perspectives will be useful as we contemplate international expansion of the firm.

Best regards,
Michael Sarlitto
Managing Partner
SummitPoint Management
(312) 441-1400
msarlitto@summitpointmanagement.com

I agree 100% respect goes a long way.

Please feel free to link my blog.

- Greg

We have successfully placed a number of international expats with several organizations on the continent. I would like to share that it pays to treat people with respect and that friendliness and humility do go a long way. I believe true greatness is humble ala Federer, Ghandi, Mandela and both parties have a wonderful opportunity of exchange – the knowledgeable expat with skills and knowledge and how to impart and the company and adopted community with a fantastic, rich environment, culture and customs for the expat to learn from.

I could share a lot of stories of the successes we have had in international placement of foreign nationals, but I would like to share the story of a placement that went wrong. A candidate was invited for an interview and flown in for a face to face meeting and psychometric evaluation with our client for a high-level Engineering Management opportunity. It meant a lot to us financially as well as reputation if we were successful in placing such an executive and challenging position, so he was prepped very well. However from the moment he arrived at the airport he complained about EVERYTHING. Why he didn’t get treated this way and not that way, that the drinks were too hot and the food too cold. He went on and on about how ‘in my country’ we are treated like this and this way, he used a lot of ‘you people’ and ‘them’ and the ‘3rd World’ and the ‘1st World’ in his language as well. His arrogant behaviour did not stop there, but continued to the clubhouse and the hotel he was staying at. Unbeknownst to him, however, his behaviour was noticed by several executives on the plane and the airport and the club house as well as the very psychometrist who was to evaluate him the very next day. Needless to say he did not get the job. In this part of the world attitude is everything and it pays to have a giving, knowledge-sharing, humble one.

P.S. Greg I too would like to ask for your permission to link your discussion on my website at http://www.sgrrecruitment.com and http://sgrjobs.blogspot.com I just need to get the go-ahead from my Business Development Manager International as well as fix up our corporate website and we’ll be good to go.

Thanks and Kind Regards,

Tinashe Hove (AIRS) CIR, ACIR, CDR, CSSR

Wow! Thanks a lot for sharing your story.

- Greg

Most interesting article… I enjoyed reading all points made.

My family and I have been living and working abroad since 1972 and I must note the Ex-Pat life can be your one of your greatest experiences OR it can be some of your worst if you do not quickly understand and appreciate the fact that “you are no longer in Kansas”. So often our Expat colleagues and their families spend inordinate amounts of time attempting to create a local version of their little corner of America and they miss the vast number of wonderful experiences available to them or worst of all they fail professionally and must return home.

I will not disagree that language is very important… I speak conversational versions of three Asian languages. While my language skills are very limited, they have served me well including supporting me in several university and corporate lectures. Nonetheless, I believe respect for local customs (religious and secular) are most vital. People will forgive a language gaff or two they normally appreciate your willingness to make the attempt; but they find it very offensive if you disrespect their religion and/or their national treasures. We must remember as Americans we have freedoms, privileges and customs the citizens of many other countries do not and we all too often take them for granted or attempt to impose them on others in an inappropriate way. Leave this task to the politicians.

My family and I have been blessed with experiences that most will never understand… and we thank God for them each day.

Dr. Richard G. Mulles, PhD

Good points. Thanks.

- Greg

**

The truth is that most people I know went overseas in mid career just sort of fell into it. For young people in the US the best way to go overseas is either as an English teacher or through the Peace Corps. Often those who are business oriented overlook these possibilities but I know of many who started out that way and then went on to big careers. MBA programs usually have an international track as well, so that’s another option.

For those of us who are older, it’s a bit harder. One obvious way is going through a multi-national corporation. Most global companies encourage executives to spend some time overseas.

Another thing you might want to look at is becoming a USAID contractor. The US government spends billions on foreign aid and most of that money is spent through private contractors. You can go to their site to find a list of projects.

- Greg

As someone who is interested in working in places other than the US (having spent my career up to this point working in the US healthcare IT market, including the last 10 years as a CIO), I’m interested in what you and others have to say about the following questions:

1. If you started your career in the US, how did you move into the ex-pat world? Was it through an overseas assignment with the company you were already with, a change of companies based in the US with an opportunity to work overseas, or a wholesale move to a position with an overseas company.

2. For those of us who have never worked overseas but are interested in doing so, what things do you recommend us focusing on to gain a foothold into careers overseas.

Thanks again for a great post.