You can’t tell enough people, often enough, about your desire to go overseas. —Diane, DuPont
Landing your first international assignment is typically the hardest part of launching your global career. Once you’ve decided that working overseas is right for you, you need a plan to make it happen. Given the competitiveness of the global job market today, securing an international assignment is not necessarily easy. However, if you have a combination of top-notch professional skills (or the equivalent in academic terms), perseverance, and some plain old-fashioned good luck, you can do it.
There are, of course, many things you can do to increase your chances of “getting lucky.” You can show up at more meetings, raise your hand for more assignments, make contacts with international leaders, and network. And of course, be willing to give 100 percent all the time, even if it means long hours and sacrificed weekends.
Making It Real
I was lucky that my Russian tutor had such great connections in Moscow. She helped me get a visa, which was extremely difficult in 1990—especially for journalists. —Patricia, New York Times
If I hadn’t been in the personnel meeting (I was filling in for my boss) that day to hear about the opportunity in Europe, I wonder if I would have ever gone international. —Diane, DuPont
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