Comments on: boosting your career with an overseas stint

By: Steve (Brip Blap)

Steve (Brip Blap) — Thu, 28 Feb 2008 16:36:29 +0000

@DGI: Going ANYWHERE new can be somewhat dangerous, and that would certainly apply to non-Americans coming to America. There are certainly many parts of the US that I would be far more nervous in than I ever was in Europe or Russia. Americans do seem to perceive the rest of the world as more dangerous, and for Americans it often is for a very simple reason – we just don’t have a lot of experience dealing with foreign customs, laws, etc. If you’ve grown up in Austria, for example, chances are much better that you’ve learned to be aware of changes in laws or behavior because you probably visited Switzerland or Italy or France or Portugal. In the US you get less of a chance to practice being in a new place. It means that going overseas SEEMS more dangerous to Americans, and often is because of a lack of understanding of what to expect.

The reality – for me – has always been that if you’re careful, don’t draw attention to yourself and don’t behave like an idiot you’ll be alright. Women certainly have a few more things to be careful about than men, though. But basically I would use the same rules for walking around Brooklyn that I did walking around Vladivostok or London.

By: Dividend growth investor

Dividend growth investor — Thu, 28 Feb 2008 16:09:45 +0000

BripBlap,

What if you are a foreign national working in US? Would you still consider going to a “dangerous” place ( to many people in the US anywhere outside of the US seems dangerous

By: MJB

MJB — Mon, 26 Nov 2007 07:32:10 +0000

I agree, I have been working in Indonesia for the past year. Along with learning the language, culture and meeting new people and basically feeling like everyday is an adventure, I get all those same questions when I visit home. “Aren’t there like earthquakes and volcanoes everyday?” “What about all the terrorists?” “Where is Indonesia? Is it part of South America?”

In all seriousness, you can’t top an exotic/dangerous assignment as far as an attention grabber on a resume goes. And, once you have applied for a permanant Indonesian work visa and registered with the Imigrasi and Polisi, well then you are ready for anything.

By: KC

KC — Sun, 25 Nov 2007 06:20:38 +0000

Great site and great info! I have a question regarding overseas experience. I lived for 2 years in northern Peru as a missionary. Although this wasn’t with a corporation, I still gained tremendous experience and now speak Spanish fluently. How can I make this overseas experience look valuable to future employers?