World Market

In Manila, one of the world’s most densely populated cities, business is booming. The Filipino capital’s multifaceted economy, cultural landmarks, and shopping centers—ranked the best in Asia in 2012—draw more than a million tourists each year. But travel enthusiast Trent Savage, who earned his MBA at the Marriott School in 2003, didn’t head to the Philippines to dine on adobo or tour its walled city. He was there to work.

“You have to be strategic about managing your career in today’s competitive environment,” says Savage, who spent a year as an HR site leader for Procter & Gamble in Southeast Asia. “Overseas assignments definitely provide an edge.”

But finding the right position in the right place can be difficult as lagging economies force would-be expats to queue for available slots.

“Luckily there are preparations people can make today to obtain work internationally tomorrow,” explains Simon Greathead, a Marriott School assistant teaching professor who worked in England’s consumer-goods sector for five years. 

Understanding the evolving globalization of the business world, learning which type of foreign assignment is right for you, and building an international network are the first steps in transforming a case of wanderlust into a global career.

Small New World

While Savage bid paalam to the Philippines in 2011, the time he spent in the Asian nation was transformative—and it helped him land his current job at Amazon.com headquarters in Seattle.

Millions of others are following suit, hoping to boost their résumés with overseas experience. 

More Americans than ever before—around 6.4 million—are choosing to work or study outside of the country. In a two-year polling period, the State Department found the number of U.S. citizens who expressed a desire to move overseas surged by 25 percent. Although pinning down a reason for this exodus is difficult, there is a simple answer: the world is shrinking. 

London-based Curtis LaClaire—Honeywell’s HR director for organizations in Europe, the Middle East, and Africa—began to understand the potential impact of globalization as an undergraduate student.

“More and more of our discussions were based on the influences of a global economy,” says LaClaire, who earned a JD/MBA from BYU in 2004. “I felt the ability to grow in a career would be largely based on my international capabilities.”

For LaClaire, who has spent the past decade working as an expat, joining the right company made it easier to get the international experience he wanted. “Choosing a large, multinational growth organization presented opportunities I just wouldn’t get otherwise,” he says. 

Travel Assignment

Due to the lingering effects of the recession and an increasingly well-trained local workforce, securing a position in a far-flung city isn’t as easy as it used to be. There are simply fewer positions available. However, the three traditional types of assignments have remained the same, LaClaire says.

Expat on international assignment—you’re typically sent abroad for a defined period of time and usually given the same benefits and rights you have as an employee at home. 

Expat on local assignment—you’re paid in USD but don’t have the perks of a full international assignment. 

Local hire—you’re paid in the local country’s currency, and benefits and ties to the United States are limited. 

“Employees need to indicate early on that they are interested in working internationally, because every company does it differently,” he says. “Ask your supervisor how you should position yourself so you’re qualified.”

Major organizations, including Shell Oil, GE, Honeywell, and Walmart, have offices around the world and offer training programs for individuals who show a high degree of acumen to work internationally. Typically an employee is considered qualified after five to ten years of experience, particularly for middle-management roles. 

“Those positions can provide excellent résumé-building experience,” Greathead says. “Mid-level management roles abroad are more strategic in nature because there are fewer resources than back in the head office.”

Manner of Speaking

Sixty-eight percent of Marriott School students speak a second language. Another 12.5 percent are trilingual. Refining those language abilities postgraduation, through online tutoring or continuing education courses, can translate to more international opportunities, Greathead says. And if you’re considering picking up a new lexicon, think about Mandarin or Spanish. Their growing importance makes them a safe bet for business-minded globetrotters.

Work Your Web

Becoming an American in Paris is a dream for many, but 2007 management alum Kristen Hill was determined to make it a reality. 

Now a senior analyst of corporate business planning and investor relations at Euro Disney, she was the first American hired who wasn’t in upper management. The trailblazer’s secret to success? 

“Since I was working in corporate finance for the Walt Disney Company, I networked with all the contacts I had outside the United States to learn more about their positions and how they had been able to move abroad,” Hill says. “I was lucky enough to get in touch with someone who was open to hiring an American.” 

Hill advises those yearning to work abroad to be persistent. “All of the necessary approvals took a very long time, but I stuck with it because I was so committed to going,” she says.

As Hill’s journey illustrates, networking at the global level is crucial. She recommends developing a web of alums and professors who have links in global business. Hill also grew her contact list by reaching out to the international HR reps listed in her company’s directory. “The connections just expanded from there since most of the people I reached out to would connect me to others,” she says. 

And job seekers shouldn’t be afraid to use contacts they already have.

“If you served a mission in Taiwan, keep in contact with people there and with individuals in the United States who have an interest in Taiwan,” Greathead suggests.

Passport to Success

While practically every job helps shape your résumé, nothing builds moxie like working abroad.
 
“I can’t begin to describe how much I learned about myself, my leadership approach, and how I impact others,” Savage says of his time in the Philippines. “It was an accelerated learning experience that helped me become a better leader. Many of my experiences simply couldn’t be replicated in the United States.”

For LaClaire, in addition to accumulating business experience he wouldn’t have gained working at home, he was able to share the adventure with his family. “Living in London has presented once-in-a-lifetime opportunities,” he says. The LaClaire family is just a short flight—or a quick drive—away from most of Europe’s capitals. That’s one job perk you can’t find in the States. 

Change of Address

Though working abroad brings many rewards, the initial adjustment can be difficult, both at home and the office.

“Cultural norms are so different,” Hill says. “In the United States we eat lunch at our desks, send emails to people sitting next to us, and even set documents on coworkers’ chairs—all of which I quickly learned were not the norm in France.” 

Hill adjusted to the new culture by embracing it: she ate lunch and took breaks with her coworkers, tried foods they loved, and practiced the language. “I did everything I could to learn about France and to understand why the French live the way they do,” she says. “All those efforts definitely accelerated my adjustment period.”

Taking the time to learn cultural differences is key. “Americans typically are more direct while Filipinos prefer a more indirect style of communication,” Savage says. “I had to learn how to adjust my style if I wanted to be successful.”

When working overseas, Savage recommends finding two or three people you can trust and asking them for feedback to ensure you aren’t acting out of place. “These relationships really enabled my success,” he says. “I would suggest having people above and below you in the organization provide this coaching.”

Some multinational companies offer programs to train families on lifestyle and culture before an overseas move. Before departing for an international assignment, Greathead also recommends speaking with expats who work for the company or live in that country.
 
For LaClaire and his family, adjusting to a new culture simply took time. Even though the United States’ roots are in England, LaClaire and his family encountered more differences than they anticipated. “It has been interesting moving to a country where English is the native language but where several words have different meanings,” he says. “We have to be thoughtful when we tell our kids to go put pants on.”

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Article written by Celia Shatzman
Illustrations by Pascal Blanchett

About the Author
Celia Shatzman lives and writes in Brooklyn, New York. A graduate of the Medill School of Journalism at Northwestern University, her work has appeared in Time Out New York, Teen Vogue, New York, USA Today, and Family Circle, among others. When she’s not writing, Celia enjoys traveling, learning to play tennis, and playing with her rescue dog, Olive.