Some people believe networking is about going to conferences or events, being social, making conversation and when appropriate letting people know about their career or job search interests. They attend events thinking - how can these people help me get what I want?

This approach to networking rarely gets the kind of results one gets when thinking exactly the opposite - how can I help others get what they want?

You see effective networking is really about giving first, not taking. It is about using your unique value and your own network to help others get what they want. As we are more keen to help those who have helped us or others, regularly giving to others opens up the channels for people to help you back.    more ...

Most people know that networking is critical to international career advancement and the international job search. However not everyone is familiar with networking strategies that can help them reach their expat career or job search goals as efficiently and effectively as possible.

One of the most important but often overlooked aspects of effective networking is setting specific goals for any event or experience – online or offline - in which you may be participating. Having clear goals makes deciding where to invest your time and energy and how to go about networking much easier. It also increases your chances for building mutually beneficial relationships that will help you achieve those goals.    more ...

Today’s world of work is a much different place than just a few years ago. Many previously proven international job search and career management tools and strategies are no longer relevant in this new digitally oriented and dynamic global employment climate.

Those that recognize that international job search tools and strategies must be tailored to the changes going on in markets across the globe to be effective will be set up for success. Those that continue to try and play the job search game using an old set of assumptions and rules will struggle to realize their aspirations for an exciting global career.

Here are just some of the new realities of the global employment climate:

• There is a global war for talent on with massive skill shortages in many countries across the globe. This means in a time of high unemployment worldwide there are still many opportunities for those with the right set of skills.    more ...

Having 20 years experience in career, organizational and business development in 40+ countries, I can tell you that the world of work is going through some dramatic changes right now. Companies and organizations worldwide recognize they must expand outside their borders if they want to survive, but must do so with less resources. International assignments (and their compensation packages) are being redefined to minimize costs while meeting staffing needs overseas. A complex and dynamic global economic climate means things change quickly and organizations must be able to adapt and respond accordingly.

Current career and talent management strategies no longer work

There are incredible skill shortages and an unmet demand for talent worldwide. This is leaving companies unable to fill positions necessary to drive growth outside their borders and capitalize on opportunities in new and emerging markets. Organizations are trying numerous strategies to attract and retain their talent while developing their global competencies. And yet we have high jobless rates and reports showing that 30+% of expat professionals and executives are actively looking for new jobs while abroad and a third of them leave their company within a year of returning home.    more ...

Your online identity is what the results say about you when you type your name into a search engine. Not important? Think again.

Building and maintaining a strong branded online presence is critical to success for the expat professional, executive and entrepreneur. Studies have shown that just under three quarters of employers through out North America, Europe and many parts of Asia use information about candidates they find online in their hiring decisions. Colleagues and clients also use information online to make assessments about a person's credibility.

Business survival means not only getting found online by clients or customers, but engaging with your target market through various platforms and media. How many businesses would you hire or buy from before looking at what Google had to say about them first?    more ...

Without conducting regular check ups on your personal brand, career management and international job search activities, you run the risk of wasting time, energy and resources doing things that are not in support of (or even worse working against) you achieving your professional goals.

Building your personal brand to support your efforts to land new work abroad without the luxury of in person engagement or feedback makes it much easier to feel uncertain about which strategies you are employing are actually effective.

And rarely does anyone develop a personal brand, career management or international job search plan which does not need some tweaking along the way. Without setting up some metrics to assess your efforts from the start, it's extremely difficult to know what's working and what's not.    more ...

A portable career is a career that you can take with you, wherever you go. It gives you the freedom to choose where you want to live and can provide flexibility in how, when, where and with whom you work as well.

Why a portable career or business?

Choosing a portable career or business can help someone overcome the obstacles preventing them from enjoying life abroad while doing what they love at work.

If a lack of language skills was preventing someone from finding work in their country of choice, an internet connection would allow them to work with and reach those that speak their language. A work permit is no longer needed if they can sell their products or services online or their delivery is not location dependent.    more ...

In today’s dynamic, competitive, global marketplace where employers are seeking out talent across the globe, to succeed professionally we must understand how we create value in the world - and insure that the people that need that value are aware of it. We must be visible to right decision makers so when those choice projects and job opportunities come up we are well positioned to secure them.

But understanding what it is exactly that we have to offer can sometimes be a challenge, given we often define who we are and what we offer based on our job titles or areas of expertise and knowledge. For this reason, personal branding is what any current or aspiring expat should be using to guide their career management or international job search.

Personal branding is about clarifying and communicating what is unique and different about yourself and using it to reach your personal or professional goals.    more ...

It’s important to understand the challenges you will face if you decide to pursue an expat career. I always recommend making a list of these obstacles so you can develop a plan to address them. This will set you up for success as you start your search for jobs overseas.

Those who have been considering work abroad for some time are likely aware of many of these challenges. However I’ve found that many people are not aware of all of the solutions available to overcome these obstacles and realize their dream of living and working abroad.

For this reason I’ve shared possible solutions to the some of the most common challenges:    more ...