Top Ten Tips for Working Abroad

by Aisha Barry 

April 2011

In 2004 I was asked by my company to move to Beijing, China to establish a local organization. The offer to do this came quickly, and frankly I had little time to think through this decision and the ramifications of this career opportunity.

Despite being pleasantly surprised with the experience on a personal and professional level, I realize in hindsight there were many questions I didn't ask and many parts of my experience that were "sub-optimal" not due to any fault with my company, but as a result of my limited thought on the topic of living abroad. 

Following are 10 areas to consider about an international assignment.

Decide if an overseas assignment is part of your career objective. 

Many people talk about an international assignment as something they would be "ok" accepting if the opportunity arises. From personal experience, I can tell you that offers of this nature generally arise very quickly and a well thought out professional (and personal) position are required to answer in a way that doesn't impact your career in the short or long term. You should take time to know your company and understand how international assignments fit into career progression.

Do you cap your career potential at some point if you don't move international? Do international experiences open new avenues to you? Are international assignments reserved for development candidates? How will an international assignment shape your internal and external resume?

All of these questions should play a role in helping you frame how such an opportunity would fit with your career objective.

Proactively seek opportunities.

I was fortunate that a key manager noticed I enjoyed international travel and felt my skill set would be a great match for an international assignment.

What I later discovered, is that many people make having an international assignment a priority. They are seeking opportunities rather than waiting for them to come to them. There were many motivations for this behavior including higher earning potential and greater exposure to senior company leaders.

Demonstrate interest in working globally. 

If you have a passport, studied abroad, know other languages or have an interest in a region of the world, share this information with your organization. Top prospects for working internationally are employees who want this experience.

I was known in the organization for traveling to places no one else wanted to go. This was a key indicator that I could thrive in a foreign culture.

Since then, I have learned another language to ensure my resumes "shouts" that I have expertise and interest in global work.

Define a support system to enable your success. 

One of the key reasons people fail in international assignments is that they don't build a strong support network. The most important figure on this team is the manager who sends you out on assignment.