International Professional Experience is More Important than Ever

By Gabrielle Rapke Hoffman

There has been debate recently over the career value of working abroad. Considering the ease and frequency with which executives travel the world, is it necessary to spend time living in another country? “True” international experience is not a two-night trip spent in luxury hotels, being chauffeured from meeting to meeting — it is facing the same challenges locals face on a daily basis. It is immersion in a business environment and daily life different from your own. In addition to the obvious benefits for those who aspire to have a global career, even for those who plan to work solely with their own domestic market, international experience provides extensive benefits in critical areas of professional development.

International experience is practically mandatory to become CEO of a global corporation. Seventy-five percent of Fortune 100 CEOs today have international experience, compared to less than half ten years ago. Considering that ever-growing portions of corporations’ consumer base and supply chain are global, it has simply become too risky for global corporations to have leaders without international experience. However, although the international experience is increasingly required for senior managers looking to rise in a global corporation’s ranks, it is not necessary to become a “serial expat.” Most individuals will not become CEO outside their country of origin. Rather, a study from IE Business School shows that executives actually may be more likely to advance their careers by returning to their home market.

Challenge yourself and refine your skills by working in an unfamiliar environment. Working abroad will improve your problem-solving and management skills in a way that no domestic assignment would, because of the additional layers of complexity inherent in doing business outside your home country. You will be challenged in new ways, as you need to perform functions that were already complex within an unfamiliar framework, often contrary to the norms you are used to. You learn to play by a new set of rules and begin to question things you believed to be unquestionable. That improves your flexibility and encourages you to think innovatively. Leisure travel and short international business trips can give you a taste of these benefits, but living in another country will develop these skills over an extended period of time.

Your EQ will thank you. If you are looking to develop your emotional intelligence and ability to successfully communicate, collaborate, and negotiate, working internationally will challenge you at a whole new level. On the international communication continuum, the US is considered to be a “direct” culture. By spending time abroad, particularly in a culture with significant differences from your home culture, you will become aware of these nuances. As a result, you will improve your ability to “read” people and will be better able to adapt your communication style to your audience and the situation.

Opportunities may be greater than those available at home. This is especially true in rapidly-growing markets, where opportunities often exceed the number of people trained for them in the local market. International assignments may enable you to work on high-profile projects that would not be available to you at home. You may also be able to attain higher levels of responsibility more quickly. While on an international assignment, your knowledge of your home country and your network there will be an asset. In the eyes of your new colleagues, you will already have valuable international experience (in your home country) from the day you arrive.

International experience may make you more successful in the US as well. The percentage of the US population that is foreign-born is at a high for our lifetime, and has been on a continual upward trend since 1970. This means that all people – including customers and potential customers, coworkers, and fellow citizens – are more likely to come from different countries today than was the case just a couple of decades ago. Individuals who have experience understanding other customs and cultures, and interacting and collaborating with people with diverse backgrounds will be well-prepared for success not only working in international business, but when collaborating with the diverse and international population living in the US.

First Steps on the Path to an International Assignment

While the value of international experience may be clear, it is often not so clear how to best go about obtaining that experience. Even for those working at companies with an international presence, positioning yourself to be selected for an international assignment can be a lengthy process that requires a strategy. At a minimum, this strategy should include investing time and effort to gain knowledge, expertise, and a network in the area of the world you are targeting. If there is an international component to your current job, or a division within your current company that is international, that is the easiest place to start.

Seek additional assignments or suggest new ideas related to the international area of your company, and begin networking with people in that area. Build your knowledge of issues related to the international component of your company, and expand your network to include people not only in your own office, but also in the countries you are targeting.

Combine work and play. If you are planning a vacation to a part of the world where your company has offices, take the opportunity to network with colleagues there. Ask questions that will allow you to gain a pulse on the office’s short- and medium-term plans for growing their teams, and try to envision where you might fit in. Ask your colleagues for introductions to other expats in that country, either within your company or elsewhere. Be sure to follow up with those contacts, and arrange in-person meetings if scheduling permits. Once you are back home, stay in contact and seek out opportunities to collaborate with your new contacts.

Refresh your language skills. Many of you may have taken several years of a foreign language in high school or college. If you already have basic knowledge of a language, sign up for a course online or at a community college to refresh your skills. You will be surprised how quickly your knowledge will come back. If you never studied a foreign language, sign up for a basic course and invest the time in developing this important skill. Even if you are not fluent, conversational knowledge of a foreign language makes you a much more attractive candidate for an international assignment.

Express your interest. Once you have taken steps to position yourself as a candidate for an international assignment, make sure that your interest in such an assignment is known to the people in your company who can make it happen, such as Senior Managers and Human Resources, both in your own office and in your target country.

If the benefits you can gain from international experience resound with you, start developing your strategy for obtaining an international assignment. With the right outlook and some flexibility, it will likely bring you a few steps closer to achieving your career goals.