GOING GLOBAL
We

UIfastforward It’s often when we take risks, however small or
planned, that things we could not possibly have foreseen
happen. Taking a job abroad, even a temporary position,
can lead to other opportunities, in this respect it is a
great way to kick start your career or add much needed
did it!
enthusiasm and challenges if they are missing from your
job in the UK.
ection to
Still need a push in the right dir
? W
e talk to
Working abroad – the lows dust y
our passpor
t of
f
Bear in mind that working abroad often involves being
some per
sonal assistants who
away from family and friends for long periods. If you om the UK, and
made the mo
ve fr
can’t picture being away from your friends for more than
a day or two then the move abroad is probably not for
ha
ve ne
ver look
ed back
you, although you may find that you have a queue of peo-
ple wanting to visit you if your new job is in a particular-
ly nice location!
Working abroad will almost certainly involve having
to deal with a new language, or at the very least learning
Name: Katherine Flaherty
local colloquial terms. Learning a language doesn’t have Moved to: To kyo
to be a chore and for many it’s a plus point but your suc-
cess abroad may depend on you picking up a new lan- How did you go about finding
guage quickly. work abroad?
Holidaying in a foreign country for a week is usually For my first job, as a PA in a global finan-
fun. Immersing yourself in the local customs, eating local cial institution’s Japan office, I was lucky
food and dealing with local people are a novelty and even enough to be offered an internship
the worst experiences can be laughed off because you’re through a home connection. After the
on holiday and you’ll be home in a few days. Working trial period, I was taken on full-time.
abroad is completely different and you need to be
resilient and resourceful. Has there been a downside to working abroad?
Working abroad as a PA offers many opportunities Not really! The visa process is long and bureaucratic, but that’s
both on a professional and personal level. It is widely about it!
known that employers favour candidates who have trav-
elled and if that travelling involves some work experi- What have been the benefits of making the decision to
ence then you will immediately stand out from the work abroad?
crowd. Working abroad also demonstrates great person- Meeting interesting people from all over the world, the ability to use
al attributes. It shows maturity, a sense of adventure and both English and Japanese on a daily basis, and learning every day.
a desire to make things happen rather than wait for them Living in one of the world’s most exciting, yet safest, cities... escaping
to happen to you. England’s coldest winter in 100 years!
If you are considering working abroad the best advice
is to do the research. Make sure you are in full possession How has your life changed since working abroad?
of the facts about the job you are looking at and the place Since my first job was abroad, I think many of the significant life
it is located. Perhaps most important though is to weigh changes I experienced were the same as those faced by most new
up the pros and cons. The biggest reason for people mov- graduates – learning independence. My social and professional net-
ing abroad to work is not economic it is to improve their works have expanded and diversified too, and travel has become more
work-life balance, make sure this is paramount in your frequent.
thinking every step of the way. It’s one thing being
unhappy at work with the support of friends and family Have you experienced any cultural or language barriers
it’s quite another thing to be unhappy at work in a for- in your job?
eign country… happy hunting!
E
Language barriers haven’t been a problem so far, as I’m fortunate
enough to speak the local language. In fact, in cases where I haven’t
understood something, in a meeting for example, asking for an
explanation has sometimes helped to break/cross barriers. Cultural
differences do exist – learning how to navigate a Japanese office
involves a lot of ‘reading the atmosphere’ (kuuki yomi) and some-
times feels like learning the steps to a secret dance. But as long as you
don’t consider these things to be ‘barriers’, you can turn them to
your advantage I think.
Do you have any advice for people considering
working abroad?
If professional success is your primary motivation, I would advise
becoming as qualified as you can be, with big name schools and
companies on your resume, before you begin looking for work
abroad (or in Japan at least). Foreign brand names carry quite a lot
of weight here.
38 » www.executivepa.com » Feb/Mar 2010
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