5 Reasons to Consider Working Overseas
March 29, 2012
By: Mona Abdel-Halim
If you’ve considered working in another country, now might not be a bad time to do so, particularly with today’s job market still looking dismal for young professionals. In fact, over the past five years or so, the rate at which Americans are leaving the U.S. has risen sharply. The number of expatriate Americans in 2011 was around 4 million, and the number continues to rise.
Plus, these opportunities to experience new cultures and gain unique work experience will certainly set you apart from your peers in the future.
Check out these reasons to consider heading overseas for your career:
New career opportunities. Whether you currently have a job or are searching for something new, heading overseas is a great way to open up new doors for your professional life. For instance, if you’re already employed, it’s possible that you’ll meet new people within your current organization who could be influential on your future career, and you also might be up for more promotional opportunities because you’re able to stand out more in your new environment.
See the world. As a young professional or recent graduate, it’s likely that you aren’t tied down by a family life just yet. It’s quite difficult to choose to work overseas when you’re concerned with uprooting a family, so if you’re interested in traveling and working abroad, now is a great time to discover new places and people.
Save money. Tax rates and cost of living in many countries is lower than in the U.S., so even if you’re earning less than you would here, you’ll be able to have more disposable income and savings in the end.
Gain independence. Step out of your comfort zone. If you’ve moved back home after graduation, cut the cord from Mom and Dad. You’ll be happy to learn that many expatriate work scenarios provide housing or an allowance, making it even more intriguing to work in another country.
Learn new languages. The exposure to a new culture and other languages is priceless. It’s also a great resume booster and talking point during future career opportunities. You might even become fluent in another language during your experience!
Have you spent time working or living overseas? What has it done for your career?
Mona Abdel-Halim is the co-founder ofResunate.com, the only resume tool used by top business schools worldwide. You can find Mona on Resunate’s Twitter chat (#Resuchat) and onFacebook.
Does MBA = The Big Buck$ ?
January 22, 2012
I don’t read Forbes magazine with any regularity. If there is a copy in the dentist’s office, then I might pick it up and look at the cover, but will rarely be enticed to actually open it and read an article. However, as is becoming ever more apparent, the age of print media is ceding tremendous ground to its virtual counterparts. As proof, I come across an interesting Forbes article online with some notable frequency. Here’s the latest eye catcher:
“The MBA Megabucks CEOs” has a title I just couldn’t pass up. Maybe it was the timing—GMACs’ 2012 Alumni Perspectives Survey Report was recently released and in it we learned a couple things about remuneration trends with MBA degree holders. Anyway, it reads almost like an article out of People; full of straw-man evidence and blanket statements that get folks comparing themselves to others in useless ways. Still, that kind of thing is entertaining, no?
As it turns out, forty out of the 100 best paid CEOs in America during 2011 hold an MBA degree. The article also gets into some patterns among the world’s ultra-rich and, interestingly, that list contains a bunch of people that dropped out of school.
So to answer the question in the article’s title: Sure, it could. But we knew that already. While the promise (or better-than-average chance) of seeing a return on our investment in graduate education is an important factor in our decision to go, I hope it is not the only factor you are considering. Don’t get an MBA just to get a bigger paycheck. Have more purpose than that. As sentimental as it may sound, I hope you pursue an advanced degree mainly out of a desire to become a better person. That way, if you do end up with the Big Stack, you’ll do some good with it.
MBA job prospects
January 7, 2012
In a recent post, I brought you some welcome news about the 2012 job outlook for MBA hires. Well, good news is a wonderful thing in such an economic climate and WSJ’s MarketWatch threw together some interesting bullet points from GMAC’s report you might want to peruse.
With 2011 behind us and so many of you clamoring to get the GMAT out of the way before the test change in June 2012, it’s sometimes hard to lift up our heads and have a look at what happens after this whole grad school thing is over. Well, now is a good time to do just that ‘cause it sure looks like roses.
