Posted on February 24, 2010
Photo attribution to nullalux
Going international is something that is not considered gender specific. However, when pursuing an international career or experience, do women have extra barriers to entry? In our February newsletter, we featured “10 Questions for Women Who Want to Live and Work Abroad” by Elizabeth Kruempelmann that served to address these additional considerations for women.
Ms. Kruempelmann illustrates that as more women are looking to add international experiences to their careers, they need to look more introspectively at the ‘why’ and ‘how’ with a female twist. The 10 questions outlined in the article, particularly numbers 5-10, address these additional reflections. Arguably, certain areas such as cultural factors and safety may be more challenging for women, especially in countries where women in the workforce is not widely adopted. Those two factors can be large deterrents if the society they are looking to enter is vastly different from their home country. On the contrary, those areas can also serve as a mecca for expression and opportunity in other societies. For women, these considerations are part of their research before going abroad.
While it is important to point out these issues, anyone looking to enter into an international career will be faced with challenges upon entering a new culture. It comes with the territory. What it takes to have a successful international career is ambition, drive and proper due diligence on your part before leaving. Understanding the culture and more importantly, how you fit into it, are key determinants for having a successful work experience abroad. It is also important to know your personal barriers, what you will and will not tolerate and how this international experience will fit into your long-term career goals. These questions serve as guiding principles to help make the decision a well thought out one rather than impulsive. Both men and women need to understand how they fit into the global market place and find their way to make an impact.
What considerations did you make for your international career? Did your gender play a role in your reflections to go abroad?
Excerpt from article:
1. How can international experience boost my career and life satisfaction?
2. What are my best options for gaining relevant international travel, work, volunteer or study experience in this global economic climate?
3. If I want to travel and live in various countries or pursue an expatriate lifestyle, how can I set up my own mobile business that I can run from anywhere?
4. If I want a company or organization to send me abroad to work, how do I make that happen?
5. What are barriers to working globally in my profession?
6. How do global women in my profession get around barriers?
7. What are the cultural rules of doing business overseas for women?
8. How do women build an international network of colleagues and friends?
9. What international skill set do I need to achieve my goals?
10. Who has done what I want to do and how did they do it?”
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Posted by: Olga at Going Global
Posted on February 19, 2010
Photo attribution to TheAlieness GiselaGiardino²³
What do you get when you combine the elegance of European culture with the allure of South American lifestyle? None other than the sexy Argentina. Ranked as number 40 in The Economists Quality of Life index for 2009, Argentina is a top destination for anyone interested in improving their Spanish, dancing and love for the outdoors.
Famous for
Beef, Diego Maradona (soccer player), Evita Perón, tango, Tierra del Fuego, Patagonia, Che Guevara, the largest dinosaur ever discovered
Language
The main language spoken is Spanish. Head to the northwest Andean mountain region and experience the native tongue of Quechua.
Idioms native to Argentina
Even though there are over a dozen countries around the world that share Spanish as their native language, each country personalizes their language with distinctive expressions. These are a few examples of Argentinean expressions to help you in your everyday speech.
- Pibe/Piba: (Boy/Girl) “El Pibe” (The Boy) “La Piba” (The Girl).
- Che (This is pure Buenos Aires is similar to the Australian “Mate”)
- “Que haces Che ?” (how are you Mate?)
- La Vieja: (Old Lady) Very loving way to calling one’s mom.
- El Viejo: (Old Man) Very loving way to calling one’s dad.
Climate
Photo Attribution to Stuck in Customs
Neighboring land locked Bolivia and stretching to the tip of South America, Argentina encompasses a wide variety of climates. From beaches like Mar de Plata, to deserts like Monte Desert, to glacier carved landscapes in Patagonia, to a metropolitan soccer mecca in Buenos Aires, Argentina offers its natives and travelers a host of activities within a several hour drive.
Multinational Companies
Here is a list of multinational companies that have satellite offices in Argentina. To find a more comprehensive list to scope out potential employers, use the AMCham website (US Chamber of Commerce in Argentina). The website is written in Spanish however just type “translate web page” along with the url into Google and voila!
WAIT! There is more to read… read on »
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Posted by: Olga at Going Global
Posted on February 15, 2010
Photo attribution to Bernzilla
As your international coach, it’s important for us at Going Global to keep you on track towards your international adventure. The Must Do Monday series is designed to help you go abroad while building the foundation for your career. These tips are applicable for any type of international experience, regardless if it is directly related to working abroad.
Today’s Must Do Monday is focused on auditing your progress to building your international foundation. The advantage of these tips is that they are broken down in manageable chunks that can easily be added to your weekly activities. As you reflect on what you have accomplished, focus on how this is helping you get to the next step of going abroad. Even if there is an area that you haven’t completed yet, that’s ok! Remember that going abroad is something that is unique and takes planning. Focus on all the milestones that you have achieved.
Have you completed all these weekly steps and want to share your story? Do you have any that you would like to see in the next coming weeks? We would love to hear your feedback.
The Must Do Mondays are shown in the order of most recent posts first. It is up to you as to which one to start with. As with any goal, it is always wise to have a sequential order for your upcoming tasks. That way you have the ability to track your progress as you accomplish each milestone.
- Seek Out International Advice
(The best people that can help you get abroad are the ones that have already been there, done that. Learn how to find them and build a relationship with them.)
- Write Your Resume
(The most important document of your professional career. Learn how to approach writing it in a manageable yet effective way.)
- Building Your LinkedIn Profile
(LinkedIn is rapidly becoming the calling card of all professionals. Start your international career on the best foot by creating your LinkedIn profile. It looks great on a business card and demonstrates your skills and accomplishments to the whole world.)
- Start Building Your Network
(The say ‘Rome wasn’t built in a day’. It wasn’t built by one person either. Having a network of colleagues, mentors, friends and anyone who endorses you is your most powerful asset throughout your professional career. The best time to start building it is now.)
- Make a Timeline
(Knowing where you stand in your quest for an international experience is vital to getting there. Having a plan with due dates helps you to organize yourself and provides you with a road map for your trip. The added benefit is that you build up the anticipation for your trip!)
- Take the Plunge
(While most of the Must Do Mondays are tactical, it all starts with making an internalized choice to go abroad. Do your own self audit and assess ‘why you want to go abroad’ and ‘how this will fit into your long term plans’?)
- Make Friends with the International Programs Office
(As you plan for your trip abroad, start by reaching out to the professionals. Utilize the resources that you have available on campus through the International Programs Office. It never hurts to introduce yourself and your international mission.)
- Get a Passport
(Your passport is vital to going abroad. It is very easy to get and with these simple steps, you can finish the process in one week.)
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Posted by: Olga at Going Global
Posted on February 8, 2010
Photo attribution to Here Be Dragons
They say that it takes a village to raise a child. On the flip side, it also takes a village to go international. We often think of an international experience as something that we do alone. In reality, many people that go abroad seek counsel from more seasoned travelers, expats and people who have already had that international experience. Lucas Franchi, our guest who is teaching English in South Korea, recommends, “ seeking advice or counsel from every source you can conceive. Everyone you meet every day can teach you something; learn from them all.”
This week focus on talking to 5 people who have already gone abroad. We have outlined 10 key questions to ask them and where to find these pillars of international wisdom. When Kevin Kurkjian decided to take a gap year (an interim year after college to travel), he was clueless about how to embark on this adventure. He asked everyone he could about how to budget and plan for the trip, where to go, how to get there, etc. Because of their advice, he was able to travel around the world on less than $15,000. This challenge may seem daunting especially if you are not used to approaching strangers. Consider this your training bootcamp for going abroad. When you are in a new culture and country, you have to be flexible and ready to ask questions, no matter how silly it may seem to you.
Where to find your international counsel:
- International Clubs
- Language Classes
- International Chamber of Commerce (check your cities listing)
- Irish or British pubs (Yes…lots of foreigners hang out there)
- Meetup groups
Questions to ask:
- Why did you decide to go abroad?
- How did you choose where to go?
- How much money did it cost you? (Be a delicate asking this. Not everyone is as open about this.)
- How did you save money to finance your international trip? (e.g. a certain percentage a month, high yield savings account, cookie sale)
- What service did you use to book your flights and accommodation? (STA, Student Universe, Kayak, HostelWorld.com)
- What was your favorite and least favorite part of the trip?
- What resources did you use to research before you left?
- What kinds of things did you pack for your trip?
- Do you know of anyone in the (country/countries) where I am going that I could speak to?
- Who could you recommend that I speak with that has gone abroad as well?
What kind of advice did you get when you went abroad? How did you find it?
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Posted by: Olga at Going Global
