Success Tips for Expat & International Careers

Culture Crossing: A Valuable Resource for Expats Living & Working Abroad

Culture is an essential part of life and how we make our way in the world. Our beliefs, traditions, values, communication styles and biases begin to develop as soon as we are born, and continue to evolve as we learn and are raised by our parents, our teachers, our community. Our cultural identity guides the way that we live, think, interpret the world and engage with others.

When we are operating in a culture in which we are raised, we can often rely on engaging with others who share similar beliefs, values, communication styles and biases. This means that there are much fewer opportunities for miscommunication and misunderstanding than when one is operating in a different cultural setting.  In a culture other than your own, you are not operating with the same set of rules - conventions you depend on to communicate and navigate through life may not apply or a meaning you ascribe to something at home may mean something very different in this new environment.

Therefore as an expat, it is important that you not only understand the culture in which you are operating, but understand how your own cultural identity affects the way you interpret and engage with the world around you.  By seeing that there is neither right nor wrong - only different ways of doing, thinking and seeing - you are in a place to start learning how to thrive in your new home.

For Expat Bloggers: Thoughts about Expat-Blog.com from its Founder

It's important for both expat professionals and entrepreneurs to recognize that prospective employers and clients are making hiring and purchasing decisions based on what they find about people online. Because of this, working to generate large amounts of content online that reflects your unique promise of value is an important component of any successful career or business strategy.

Blogs are an excellent way to quickly and effectively generate highly relevant information online that showcases your expertise, experience and personal brand - and hence can help you not only be found, but engage those you are looking to connect with most.

I believe that blogs are such a powerful tool for building one's personal brand online that a branded blog is usually part of my clients' overall brand communications plan. (Though not as a rule of course - if a person hates to write, or their target audience could be better reached by other means, for example, blogging wouldn't necessarily be part of their strategy.)

Given the importance that blogs have on the online reputation and careers and businesses of thousands of expatriates around the globe, I sought out someone who clearly is passionate about expat blogs to share his views on the subject: Julien Faliu, founder of www.expat-blog.com.