Many of the partners and senior managers I encountered worked outside of their home country at some point. With that being the case, I couldn't help but think there was something to international experience. I didn't stay with the firm long enough to qualify for an overseas stint. That's fine. There's still time. Besides, I probably would've just ended up working in London for two years.

One thing you might add is that parents with young children should not be afraid to take their kids along on adventures like these. I was two years old when my father, a merchant mariner, took a harbor pilot's job in Saudi Arabia, & a few days shy of three when my mother and I were allowed to join him. We were there for ten years.

Though Rub al'khali is not a place I personally would choose to bring up a child, growing up overseas was an enriching experience. I saw a lot of the world before I got to high school, with the result that my perspective on many things is different from most Americans'. And yes, I did get a job offer based on that experience, even though it happened while I was a child.