Article: The case for global mobility

Life @ Work

The case for global mobility

Why an employee should leave the comfort of his home country to pursue an international career? How does being a globetrotter benefits your career? Read on to find.
The case for global mobility

You are well settled in your current home and in your current job. Living happily with your family and near and dear ones. You are comfortably placed. So why leave a comfort zone and take an extra burden by being parachuted to a different country, different city, and go through the process of adapting to different cultures and people. This change is not only for an employee but impacts his or her spouse, kids and parents too. So why do we see people uprooting from their area of peacefulness and voyaging for an unknown challenge?

If you want to grow and come up the ladder an overseas job can help you achieve that. Working abroad offers a slew of benefits, both professional and personal. One of the best things you can do for a career is finding a job abroad. It doesn’t matter whether you are a college pass out or a professional in your mid-career. Your ambition will help you to venture into different markets, develop skills that global organizations require and be competitive in a rapidly changing market.

How being a globetrotter will benefit your career

Showing flexibility gives a positive signal to the management of your dedication to the organization. Working abroad shows that you are adventurous and willing to try new challenges.

Every country has its own set of rules and values that dictate social and professional behavior, whether they are mannerisms, customs, or traditions. Even an organization can have different rules and customs and work cultures. Adapting quickly is the key to success. Adjusting fast becomes all the more important. By putting yourself in such a position, a job abroad can boost your adaptability skills multi-fold.

If the job market in your country is competitive or saturated, either way searching for jobs abroad may increase your chances of finding your dream job. This may increase your chances of getting absorbed into a high-level position which under normal circumstances, it would take a lot more time to elevate yourself to the same level. Not only might you find a better job abroad, but the experience that you will gain may help you compete in the job market back home once you return.

You will come across a new culture and experience, what life is like somewhere else. This exposure will allow you to interact with people from completely different parts of the world and to learn about a different culture, interesting traditions, and events. Some countries have beauties that are barely imaginable, and they are picture perfect. You will enjoy new food, new people, and many new experiences. You also might learn a new language which can also help you in future jobs. 

Working in a different country will save you money if the cost of living is less. Alternatively,  companies are also willing to do benchmarking and pay you as the locals in that job role or position. Also, most of the organizations have the home-based approach which aims to maintain assignees’ home country purchasing power, so you are no better or worse off while on assignment in the host country than if you had stayed at home. There are certain other benefits that the organizations provide which you will not avail being a normal local employee.

Working abroad gives you the opportunity to build professional relations in your field on a global forum. It will give you an opportunity to be good at networking which will surely help you in your career.

Last but not least, if you are traveling with your spouse or kids, they too will have global exposure. Especially the young ones will become more adaptable and get familiar with the changing environment and learn a different culture and language.

Finding the right job overseas takes a little extra effort, but it can be done. Preferably look for a long term assignment which is minimum for one year to three years, but also short term assignments will give you valuable experiences. If your company is encouraging you to work overseas do grab the opportunity. There are so many advantages to working abroad that if you can do it, you should. Global exposure is always a smart career move.

Why Global Mobility is a necessity for employers

Today, services have changed and business is increasingly assigned on a global basis. Even in an era of virtual meetings and collaborative tools, the needs of the clients and stakeholders have increased, which demand heavy investment in moving more of talents across the globe.

Mobility helps employers enhance their workforce. It creates fresh perspectives and exposes their people to new brands, consumers, all of which brings about career development, cross-market and cultural learnings, which help to create more innovative and insightful campaigns for their customers.

Mobility remains beneficial for skills transfer and talent development in emerging markets. It helps in boosting the organization’s efforts to win business from global clients. It helps to put the best people on the job. It helps the leadership teams understand people better, wherever they might be based and it helps deliver better service to the clients. Each day, industries are strengthening their global presence and identifying new opportunities in countries that are promising next-gen centers of commerce. By sending employees abroad to areas that are experiencing this mammoth growth, the company can make sure it does not miss out on establishing a presence in a mushrooming industry.

Sending an existing employee abroad can help streamline operations. An in-the-system employee has the company knowledge and experience to quickly implant themselves in business actions in the demanding market abroad. In addition, a shortage of talent in the local area can have an inverse effect on overseas operations. This makes more value to move talent from one market area to another to excel the business.

Moving employees globally helps a company remain relevant and competitive in a dynamic world. Thus global mobility reflects the attitudes and values of the wider business and should be at the forefront of shaping it. After all, the business leaders are mostly international assignees first.

 

Read full story

Topics: Life @ Work, #Career, #GuestArticle

Did you find this story helpful?

Author

QUICK POLL

How do you envision AI transforming your work?