Success Tips for Expat & International Careers

Ask the Expat & International Career Coach: 10 Tips for Aspiring Expats on Negotiating Your Relocation Package

Amy Hoak of MarketWatch in Chicago is a real estate and personal finance expert who helps people get what they need to make smart financial decisions. She recently wrote an article in the Wall Street Journal about questions to ask before taking on an overseas assignment.  

Specifically Amy addresses issues related to how currency fluctuations can affect your earnings, managing your money while abroad, taxes and spousal employment.  She puts forward excellent questions that any aspiring expat should be asking before taking on a post overseas.

I'd like to add some additional suggestions to build on what she has recommended, as well as build on a previous post on the topic.

10 Tips for Negotiating Your Relocation Package

Here are 10 additional tips on negotiating your relocation package to insure choosing to work abroad does not have a negative impact on your financial situation: 

1) Companies are having to do more with less and so expatriate packages are being cut back.  Many of the benefits that have historically been provided are no longer standard. You need to be ready to be proactive during the negotiation process.  

2) You need to educate yourself about all aspects of the transition - but finances and cost of living in particular - so that you can equip yourself to be your own best advocate. Talk with other expats about these issues - people who are there and living the experience you will be having. They will give you a much more complete picture of what you are looking at expense wise. Do not depend on HR to paint a complete picture for you.

Ask the Expat & International Career Coach: How Do I Build a Career Abroad When I Don't Speak Another Language?

This is the next post in my "ASK THE EXPAT & INTERNATIONAL CAREER COACH" blog series. 

Today's question is very common one I get when speaking to people considering building a career overseas. Some are overseas already but feel predominantly held back professionally because of their lack of language skills. 

 

"HOW DO I BUILD A CAREER ABROAD WHEN I DON'T SPEAK ANOTHER LANGUAGE?" 

Only speaking your native language obviously significantly limits the number of job opportunities available to you in other countries where your mother tongue is not spoken.  

This not only has an impact on your chances of building a professional life but also being able to enjoy living in that country from a lifestyle perspective. Of course many expats take language classes before or after they've arrived in their new home to develop a functional fluency which does allow for engagement but not immersion into their new home culture. If that approach works for you and your native language is the one you are looking to depend on professionally, you still have options. 

 

The first and obvious option is to find other countries where your language is spoken. When I ask people how many countries speak their language, very few can give me an accurate number. People are generally surprised to find out how many countries from which they have to choose. 

 

Ask The Expat & International Career Coach: How Do I Make Sure I Get a Fair Relocation Package?

This is the next post in my "ASK THE EXPAT CAREER COACH" blog series that I started in 2009. You can read my very first post in the series: "Why Work Abroad?".

Today's question is another very common question I get when expatriates are trying to cost out whether or not taking a job abroad is right for them and their family.

"HOW DO I MAKE SURE I GET A FAIR RELOCATION PACKAGE?"

Despite the global economic crisis, the demand for highly skilled professionals still exists. Many companies realize that they must must still pay their professionals well if they want to stay ahead in the war for good talent.  If you are clear on your unique value (or personal brand) and have communicated it effectively to the decision-makers, then you should feel confident about negotiating for a relocation package from a position of strength.

However a recent study in International Journal of Human Resource Management reports that companies globally are not recognizing the importance of compensation to in expat retention.  To reduce mobility costs, some companies have been moving to localize their expats or provide local plus packages (traditional expatriate compensation package with reduced benefits).  This has often created the drive or the need for the expat to look for higher paying employment elsewhere.

Ask The Expat & International Career Coach: Why Work Abroad?

I often get the same questions about expatriate careers from people through a variety of my online and social networks.  In the interest of answering these questions so that more expats may benefit, I've decided to create an "ASK THE EXPAT & INTERNATIONAL CAREER COACH" blog post series. I'll start with one of the most common questions I get asked:

"WHY WORK ABROAD?"

Working abroad can give you invaluable experience that will not only help you differentiate yourself from your competitors (a key element of a strong personal brand), but will help you develop skills sets valued by employers.  

Most employers value the initiative demonstrated by those who pursue work abroad, and the demonstrated ability to handle ambiguity and new challenges. With workforces becoming more multicultural and diverse, learning new languages and to develop cross cultural communications skills abroad can also serve you once you've returned home. And living and working in another culture not only helps you be more flexible and adaptable, but develops your aptitude for looking at systems and problems from new and different perspectives. Studies have shown that living abroad enhances your creativity and negotiation skills.

As today's markets are becoming more and more global, having experience working in different markets, within different business systems, operating under different types of regulation, will be seen as an asset and gives you a breadth and depth of experience that few others will be able to claim.  It also helps to broaden you network globally, another valued and potentially differentiating asset.