Posted on April 21, 2011
Jim Key - Director of Global Marketing at Intrax Internships Abroad
Today’s guest post is brought to you by Jim Key, Director of Global Marketing at Intrax Internships Abroad. Last year, Jim took us through the international job searching funnel starting by preparing for a job abroad, researching potential employers and turning those findings into potential interviews. Now that you know the process, it’s time to narrow down your focus and chose your industry. In this guest post, Jim will teach you about the fascinating world of entrepreneurship and what you can expect working in that field.
In last fall’s series of guest blog posts, we went through how to find an internship overseas and turn it into a job. This winter and spring we will look at a few different categories and why you might consider them for an international internship.
Photo courtesy of Jim Key
Our second category is Entrepreneurship. Entrepreneurs start businesses in industries ranging from high tech, consulting, freelance marketing work, HR placement & outsourcing, to any other industry you can imagine. I’ve met entrepreneurs who manage art galleries, who produce & distribute wine, and who run incubators (office complexes)…for other entrepreneurs. I’ve also met quite a few who have created and run social enterprises, which are for-profit businesses with a social mission.
So what do entrepreneurs do?
Students often think in terms of majors – is entrepreneurship more like management or accounting or finance or marketing or management information systems? Entrepreneurship is pretty much all of the above, but faster and more unpredictable because entrepreneurship is business in its rawest essence. While an intern in finance or marketing with a large organization may look for a harmonious stream of projects related to that one function, an entrepreneur (and by extension, the intern) can expect a more staccato flow of operations, sales, marketing, product development, crisis management, HR, program execution, finance, and a few more things to be determined on the fly. Students are often taught to think in terms of a Fortune 500 company – an organization that grew from the chaos of a few people working out of a garage to a mature company with a brand, a recognized logo, an office building or a campus as a headquarters, and unique departments for the different functions staffed in proportion to the amount of workflow of each function: Product Development, Engineering, Manufacturing, New Business Sales, Account Management, Marketing, Finance/Accounting, IT, HR, etc. When there are 3 or 8 or even 20 people, everyone does everything and the flow of work is often driven by specific events – a product launch, a large customer’s needs, or a conference that brings together most of your target market. For example, last time I saw one tech startup in the UK, everyone was focused on a weekend music festival (the customer) using their mobile phone app, which had been designed specifically for that festival. Since hundreds of thousands of music lovers would be attending, this firm had a lot riding on getting it right.
Why do students choose to intern with entrepreneurs?
1) Passion – in an entrepreneurial firm, you will be exposed to the zeal of the founder. The founder created the firm and the vision, so they believe in what they are doing with a passion that you rarely see in larger, more mature businesses. The business is much more personal and meaningful to the whole team. Take that passion and double it with the social enterprises – all the mission orientation of a non-profit with the passion (and urgency) of an entrepreneurial founder.
2) Real experience even, if you don’t speak the language – the entrepreneurs that I have met tend to be well-connected, internationally-oriented people. They are often targeting their product or service to a global or at least Europe-wide market. As such, they have great opportunities for interns to do meaningful work and add value even if they are not fluent in the local language, because much cross-border business is done in English. Of course each national culture (and company culture) approaches the challenge of the business environment differently, so you are still getting cultural immersion, but you can often do it even if your French needs some work.
3) Exposure to a variety of functions helps students figure out their strengths – many students are not really sure what they want to do. They often choose a major by the intro class that they liked or what others (parents, teachers, advisors) have suggested that they should do. As an entrepreneurship intern, students get to see operations, finance, sales, marketing, and put out a fire in account management – sometimes all in one day. With that experience, students can identify and gravitate towards what they enjoy and do well.
4) Understanding how organizations work – the flip side of the point above (figuring out what work you like best) is that students see the dynamic of how different functions interact in a small business. Most business classes provide a sense of how finance or marketing or accounting work on their own, but not necessarily together. Unless students take an entrepreneurship classes or discuss the interworking of functions in a strategy or case method class, it is easy to miss the bigger picture of how organizations really work internally.
5) Fast moving environment – there are some who love the structure of a larger organization and the certainty of knowing what they will be doing months before they do it. Others get bored and wonder if the research project they are working on will really impact the company or be read at all. Working for an entrepreneur, the intern often sees a more frenetic pace as she works on varied assignments that are almost always directly related to the success of a firm. Obviously every company is different, but being small often means that they are working close to the margin. What happens today means either a) success & growth or b) closing up shop at the end of the year (especially in this economy), so there is no time to drift. As one student said, “this company has the personality of its founder and its founder is definitely ADD – just like me.”
6) Job Opportunities – we have seen students get job offers and get hired by their internship company in several countries, almost always with small businesses. Why? They can make decisions. Back in the 90’s when I interned abroad in Germany with Opel (GM Europe), my boss liked me and wanted to hire me, his boss liked me and wanted to hire me, but… it was General Motors. It takes about 18 people to agree to make a decision like hiring someone, plus another five to justify hiring a foreigner (requiring all the extra paperwork). When the Founder/CEO of a small firm says “He’s doing a good job, let’s hire him,” it gets done.
In summary, working as an entrepreneur is unstructured because you are creating something new. Students who embrace that challenge can gain meaningful work experience in a dynamic environment, learn more about themselves, and get a better sense of what they want to do.
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Posted by: Olga at Going Global
Posted on April 18, 2011
Photo attribution to andercismo
Imagine working abroad for the first time, armed with all the information you need to successfully acclimate yourself to the work environment, social scene and overall cultural customs? That is where Goinglobal steps in. Goinglobal is committed to providing you with an arsenal of career information and resources to ease the transition abroad and help you be prepared before you leave. We have career country guides for over 30 countries, written by in-country researchers, aimed to help you as a professional, regardless of whether you are a novice or seasoned expat.
Every week, we will feature an insight from one of our global career guides to help you achieve your dream of working internationally.
Living in Gumball Machine, Photo attribution to 29cm
Today’s tip: Knowing your cost of living in Italy
Salaries and Cost of Living
Italy is one of the least expensive countries in the European Union. Even though the Euro has made great gains in recent years against the US dollar, average prices in both Rome and Milan are still slightly lower than in New York, North America’s most expensive city, according to investment bank UBS.
Housing
On a per-square meter basis, apartment rent is most expensive in central Rome and least expensive in Milan. Apartment rent in Venice is more expensive than in Florence,
but both are less expensive than Rome. In central Rome, a 30 square meter (323 square feet) apartment rents for 1,100 EUR (1,737 USD) per month. In Milan, a 50 square meter (538 square feet) apartment rents
for 600 EUR (948 USD) per month.
Vacation and Leave
Workers receive a minimum of four weeks of paid holiday, although many receive up to six weeks. There are also 10 public holidays, plus some half-day holidays and feast days for local patron saints. Many Italians choose to take their annual leave during August.
This is just a sample of what you’ll find in the complete Italian country guide. To learn more about Goinglobal and our other country guides, please visit www.goinglobal.com
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Posted by: Olga at Going Global
Posted on April 7, 2011
Photo attribution to Ripley Daniels
Today’s guest post is brought to you by the Ripley Daniels at Without The Stress. Ripley Daniels is an editor at Without The Stress, a passport, travel visa, and immigration advisory firm located in Los Angeles. They specialize in helping to make the visa and immigration process easier for you. What is fascinating about their post is that rarely do we consider the immigration implications when we fall in love. It’s important to know what kinds of options you have if you decide to take the relationship further and live in the same country. To learn more, visit www.withouththestress.com.
Love knows no boundaries. Thanks to the internet people are finding love across international borders every day. But a particularly interesting trend is the number of Americans who meet and fall in love with Brits on dating sites like Match.com and eHarmony and want to relocate to the U.K. However, as much as couples want to relocate, tie the knot, and start their lives together, the UK Border Agency has made the process of settling in the U.K. anything but simple.
Let’s face it, as Americans, we’ve enjoyed the luxury of globetrotting around the planet freely for decades. For those UK/US couples who have decided to take the next step in their relationship towards marriage, there is often a sense of disbelief that the process is so convoluted. The UK demands that all non-British citizens looking to relocate to the UK must apply for a settlement visa which allows them permanent residency and eventually the opportunity to apply for UK citizenship. On the surface, that doesn’t seem so bad.
A closer look at the process reveals something entirely different. Not only does the application cost a non-refundable $1,000, (depending on the prevailing exchange rate), but the application process itself has become exceedingly difficult. The UK government has dramatically tightened up its borders; a policy initiative fueled by the soaring number of illegal immigrants currently residing in the UK.
The justification is that these measures are an effective means of deterring fraudulent cases and other false relationship claims from those who are only seeking to relocate to the country for health care and other social welfare benefits. The UK consulate demands a dizzying list of supporting documentation which proves that your future or current relationship with a UK citizen is both valid and true.
Photo attribution to Ripley Daniels
Those who are serious about relocating across the pond have three ways to get it done:
- Do it yourself.
- Hire an immigration attorney.
- Hire an experienced visa expert.
For Do it Yourself-ers, it is imperative that you do your research regarding the lengthy online application, daunting list of supporting documents, and the vast array of submission policies in order to dramatically improve your chances of obtaining a UK Settlement visa. Total cost: Approximately $1,000. Total time and stress: off the charts.
For those who plan to hire an immigration attorney, you will have much less work to do, and a lot less stress. But you will pay a pretty penny. And “attorneys”, according to former UK entry clearance officer Myra McKelvie, “usually do not guarantee their work” “I’ve seen thousands of applications botched by attorneys. Its a shame too, because having a denial stamp means forfeiture of the entire application fee and a big “DENIED” stamp on your passport; something that only makes it tougher to get in on future attempts”, she added. Total cost: Approximately $3,500. Total time and stress: Tolerable.
“Another viable, but lesser known option is to hire a travel document expediter. These are firms specializing in helping travelers acquire passports and visas in a hurry”. Most people are completely unaware these firms exist”, say McKelvie. These are people with the expertise to advise clients on visa and immigration matters, but because they are not attorneys, they charge a fraction of what attorneys charge for what is, many times, a better result.
You can easily locate the website of the UK Consulate that serves your jurisdiction to find a list of agencies who may employ such experts. These folks specialize in handling UK visa applications for US travelers and US residents. “Some will even guarantee entry (with the exception of fraudulent applications) into the UK for a very reasonable fee”, she concluded. Total cost: Approximately $1,200. Time and stress: Minimal.
Linda Ripoll is a senior editor at Without The Stress, a passport, travel visa, and immigration advisory firm located in Los Angeles. Myra McKelvie is one of the worldís foremost UK Immigration experts. She is currently offering consulting services at UK Immigration Without The Stress. Prior to her current role, she was an entry clearance officer (ECO) at the UK Consulate in Los Angeles for 15 years. Myra is originally from Glasgow, Scotland.
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Posted by: Olga at Going Global
Posted on March 28, 2011
Photo attribution to Ivan Walsh
When disaster strikes in the country you are working as an expat, what is your exit strategy? Reflecting on the 2.2 million foreigners, including a good number of Americans, currently living and working in Japan, this process becomes that much more pressing.
This month, many overseas workers suddenly found themselves caught in the middle of Japan’s powerful earthquake, along with its aftershocks and resulting tsunami, and are facing the threat of radiation exposure. In another part of the world, the political crisis in Egypt and the Middle East has not only caused food and gas shortages, but Americans working there may face dangerous unrest in the streets.
As businesses expand into new global markets, 10 percent of employees who are sent abroad from the U.S. are assigned to countries that are considered dangerous or have harsh living conditions. While employment in a foreign country can be a dream come true, anyone working outside their native soil should have an exit strategy in place and be prepared for a hasty departure – even if they are working in countries that are considered ‘safe.’
Your first step should be to register with the appropriate embassy and consulate and regularly update your contact information. This will assure you will be notified and continually updated by the U.S. State Department in the event of a disaster or crisis in your host country.
Employers with overseas workers have a priority to protect their human capital abroad and should have a risk management plan in place to ensure their employees are as safe as possible wherever they are in the world. Companies should also buy travel insurance policies, monitor the movement of their employees, and hire medical evacuators and security companies to protect overseas offices.
While both the U.S. government and companies with employees overseas map out strategies to help citizens exit dangerous situations abroad, it is also the responsibility of the individual to be organized and prepared for the unthinkable. A best practice is to keep abreast of local political, social and meteorological developments, and most importantly have a personal safety plan and escape route. Keep a three-day supply of food and water on hand and your key documents in one location. Being prepared helps keep you safe.
We here at Going Global offer these tips (from our expat experiences) for staying safe in a foreign country:
• Stay on top of local political, social and meteorological developments.
• Register with the appropriate embassy and consulate and regularly update your contact information.
• Have a personal safety plan and escape route.
• Plan a way for family members to stay in contact.
• Keep a few vital supplies (food, water, flashlight, battery-powered radio, cell phone with chargers, passport, visas, local maps, emergency phone numbers, first aid kit, etc.) on hand.
• Maintain a reserve of cash in smaller denominations.
• Be aware of the ways to leave the country (planes, trains, ferries, etc.)
• Learn some basic safety skills.
Knowing how you will take care of yourself in the midst of an emergency is vital to a successful time as an expat. You may or may not need to employ that plan. Having a plan, though, is what will help you stay calm amidst potential chaos.
For employment, career and culture resources in other countries, please visit www.goinglobal.com.
Comments:
Posted by: Olga at Going Global
Posted on February 21, 2011
Photo attribution to andercismo
Imagine working abroad for the first time, armed with all the information you need to successfully acclimate yourself to the work environment, social scene and overall cultural customs? That is where Goinglobal steps in. Goinglobal is committed to providing you with an arsenal of career information and resources to ease the transition abroad and help you be prepared before you leave. We have career country guides for over 30 countries, written by in-country researchers, aimed to help you as a professional, regardless of whether you are a novice or seasoned expat.
Every week, we will feature an insight from one of our global career guides to help you achieve your dream of working internationally.
Today’s Tip: Knowing the cost of living in Argentina
By North American and European standards, the cost of living is very low in Argentina. According to a global cost of living survey for expatriates conducted by UBS, the average cost of a basket of products and services in Buenos Aires is 45 percent of the cost of the same basket in New York, the most expensive city for expatriates in the Americas.
Transportation
Due to road congestion and the high cost of parking in Argentina’s cities, most people utilize public transportation. Each of Argentina’s cities has urban bus, or colectivo, service. In Córdoba, Mendoza and Rosario, buses are supplemented with trolley buses which are powered by overhead wires. Buenos Aires has a subway system (known as Subte, short for subterráneo) as well as a network of commuter trains covering its suburbs.
Medical Care and Health Insurance
Argentina’s public health care system has been ravaged by inefficiency, corruption and the paralyzing economic downturn occurring in the early part of this century. Nearly half of all Argentines are covered by healthcare programs funded by their employee union and administered by one of many Obras Sociales. Forty percent do not have health insurance and about 10 percent are covered by private insurance plans. Those who do pay into the public plan pay six percent of the first 4,800 ARS (1,520 USD) in gross earnings plus 1.5 percent of the first 4,800 ARS of gross earnings for each dependent.
This is just a sample of what you’ll find in the complete Argentina guide. To learn more about Goinglobal and our other country guides, please visit www.goinglobal.com
Comments:
Posted by: Olga at Going Global
Posted on February 7, 2011
Photo attribution to andercismo
Imagine working abroad for the first time, armed with all the information you need to successfully acclimate yourself to the work environment, social scene and overall cultural customs? That is where Goinglobal steps in. Goinglobal is committed to providing you with an arsenal of career information and resources to ease the transition abroad and help you be prepared before you leave. We have career country guides for over 30 countries, written by in-country researchers, that help you as a professional regardless of whether you are a novice or seasoned expat.
Every week, we will feature an insight from one of our global career guides to help you achieve your dream of working internationally.
Today’s Tip: Online and Offline Job Resources in Italy
Roma, Italy
Italy’s job market offers opportunities in several growing sectors, and recent liberalization in labor laws has made employment more flexible. The advent of the Internet Age, when Italian per capita internet usage quickly surpassed that of all other European countries, has allowed the number of innovative web-based employment agencies to flourish.
Online Job Sites
Cambiolavoro.com
http://www.cambiolavoro.com/lavoro.htm (Italian, English)
This website provides a job board, newsletters, advice on CVs and other helpful information.
Cambio Lavoro
Corso Vercelli, 11
20144 Milano
Email: info@cambiolavoro.it, stampa@cambiolavoro.com
Government Employment Resources
Euroguidance Italy – Centro Risorse Nazionale per l’orientamento
http://www.euroguidance.it/ (Italian, English)
This site provides various tools including job search functions, training and educational opportunities for the Italian and the European market.
Email: info@euroguidance.it
Internship Programs
Sportello Stage
http://www.sportellostage.it/ (Italian and English)
This website is a free public service that aims to promote internships in the Italian market for young professionals age 32 and younger. It organizes weekly meetings to update students and young professionals on the current market and various job opportunities (service available upon reservation). It also has a link that allows users to search for internships all over the world (www.europlacement.com).
Sportello Stage – Roma
Via Pavia 6/8
00100 Roma
Tel: +39 064440443
Email: inforoma@sportellostage.it
Sportello Stage – Milano
Via Agnesi 3
20100 Milano
Tel: +39 0258430691
Email: info@sportellostage.it
Staffing Agencies and Temporary Help Firms
Eurointerim
http://www.eurointerim.it/ (Italian)
This is an Italian staffing company that operates mainly in Northern Italy. It has more than 10 years of experience in the Italian market and serves more than 11,000 clients.
Eurointerim spa
Viale dell’Industria 60
35129 Padova
Tel: +39 049 89 34 994
Fax: +39 049 89 35 068
Email: info@eurointerim.it
Executive Recruiters and Search Firms
Cegos Search
http://www.cegos-search.it (Italian, Spanish)
This is an international recruitment firm specialized in the sales/marketing, information technology, finance, human resources, legal and R&D sectors.
Cegos Milan
Piazza Velasca 5
20122 Milano
Tel: +39 02 806721
Email: selezione@cegos.it
Newspapers that Publish Job Advertisements
Bollettino del Lavoro
http://www.bollettinodellavoro.it/ (Italian)
This is the website of the magazine Bollettino del Lavoro (Labor Bulletin), on sale at the price of 2.00 EUR and containing more than 20,000 job opportunities. This website offers an e-newsletter for job news. The magazine provides information on job fairs and events related to employment all over the country. A fee is required for an annual subscription (21 issues).
Bollettino del Lavoro
Via Savonarola, 16
I-44100 Ferrara
Tel: +39 0532241356
Fax: +39 0532209144
Email: redazione@bollettinodellavoro.it
This is just a sample of what you’ll find in the complete Italy guide. To learn more about Goinglobal and our country guides, please visit www.goinglobal.com
Comments:
Posted by: Olga at Going Global
Posted on January 25, 2011
Jim Key - Director of Global Marketing at Intrax Internships Abroad
Today’s guest post is brought to you by Jim Key, Director of Global Marketing at Intrax Internships Abroad. Last year, Jim took us through the international job searching funnel starting by preparing for a job abroad, researching potential employers and turning those findings into potential interviews. Now that you know the process, it’s time to narrow down your focus and chose your industry. In this guest post, Jim will teach you about the advertising industry and what you can expect working in the field.
In last fall’s series of guest blog posts, we went through how to find an internship overseas and turn it into a job. This winter we will look at a few different industries and why you might consider them for an international internship.
Top Ad Agency in Madrid - Courtesy of Jim Key
Our first industry is Advertising – starting with full service advertising agencies and other firms that have similar models such as PR agencies, branding boutiques, social media agencies, and others. For simplicity, I’ll just call them “Ad agencies”, but you’ll know that term includes several other niches. In addition to meeting with ad agencies all over the US & Canada over the years (in my career before Intrax), I have met with agencies all over Europe regarding summer internships for students. These organizations help their clients (from big global brands to the local ballet) to create, plan, and deliver advertising campaigns as well as other marketing tactics – everything from reaching out to journalists in the hope of getting media coverage (PR), to improving a website in order to drive more traffic (Search Engine Optimization – SEO), consulting on media buying, direct mail & e-mail campaigns, and much more. This industry includes lots of jobs in creating messages and delivering them to an audience. The workflow at ad agencies predominantly falls into three areas:
- Account Services – managing the relationships with existing clients, new business development
- Creative – creating content, from copywriters to graphic artists
- Planning – determining what the message and medium should be for a given campaign
There are several reasons that we place quite a few students in this space.
1) Ad Agencies are fun places to work – they have a creative buzz, young teams, international staff (often), and lots going on. There are usually more projects than the team can handle – new business pitches, campaigns to create, consumers to test, etc. It just makes for a dynamic environment.
2) Ad Agencies provide broad exposure (helping students figure out what they like) – most students are still considering several options for their future: advertising, corporate marketing, creating content, developing strategy, optimizing ad placement, etc. At an agency, students not only see more than most about how their host company works, they also get a view into how their clients work. Because of their structure, the ad agency internship environment provides interns with more visibility to more parts of the business and experience that transfers to other businesses. The goals of an internship are to get experience, figure out what you want to do, and make yourself more valuable for the next internship or job. Ad agency internships can fit those goals better than most.
3) Advertising interns can add value more easily – spending a lot of time on Facebook may not help you in class or on tests, but a high level of familiarity with the medium (Facebook, Smart Phone applications, and other advertising venues) and being “tech native” can help get you up the learning curve faster in an advertising job. Nothing makes an internship fun like the feeling that you made a difference and added something to the conversation.
4) Job Opportunities – agencies can grow quickly with the acquisition of a new client or staff turnover. When an ad agency finds interns who prove themselves as hard workers with good ideas, they can make an impression. Several companies have commented to me that their North American interns showed a stronger work ethic and more initiative than some of their European counterparts. I noted above that agencies are young – in other words, they tend to have more entry level jobs than some other industries do.
Final note: Over the last few years, I have met many Communications, Marketing, Advertising and Graphic Arts majors who have told me that they have trouble finding ad agency internships in the US & Canada. Of course, finding a full-time job is even harder without experience because there are a lot of Communications and Marketing majors out there. Any international experience will give you lots of stories to share with friends. You can imagine that those students whose international experience is an advertising internship simply have that many more stories that they can also share in an interview.
Comments:
Posted by: Olga at Going Global
