Assignment: Overseas
Engineers Need More than Passports for International Career Experience

by Catherine S. McGowan

The land of opportunity for today’s professional extends well beyond their own country’s borders. The expanding global economy has created work opportunities that take many engineers and others offshore for months or years at a time. Today, more than four million non-military U.S. citizens currently live and work on international soil, according to the U.S. State Department.

Most people enjoy valuable personal and career-building international assignment experiences, when they manage the assignment well and carry it out successfully. But while expertise and personal confidence are critical ingredients for success, working in a foreign country usually takes more than ability and confidence. International assignments often bring a varied set of both professional and personal challenges.

Those who have been there caution anyone considering work abroad to carefully weigh all aspects of the assignment before boarding that plane to a faraway land. But once you make the decision, work hard and enjoy the enriching opportunity before you.

It’s Not Just a Job; It’s an Adventure

Any new assignment, whether U.S.-based or international, brings with it a buzz of excitement — new opportunity, fresh challenge and potential career growth and reward. Some professionals accept assignments on the basis of personal and career challenge, regardless of where they have to go. Others will travel abroad for extended periods when the location is a desirable one, regardless of the long-term career growth potential. Most accept overseas work offers based on a combination of all these factors.

“The exposure to other cultures, ideas and viewpoints, especially those that are culturally derived, are both fascinating and valuable,” said Brian Manhire, professor of electrical engineering at Ohio University. Manhire’s international work experience has taken him to Australia, South Africa, Malaysia and Pakistan, among other locales. “My experience abroad has enhanced my professional work here, especially now that engineering education, American business and the engineering field are all becoming more globally oriented.”

“[International] assignments have allowed me to use and build upon past experiences,” said Clif Berry, owner of an international information company whose post-military work has taken him to Haiti, among other places. “I enjoy the prospect of making positive things happen, and welcome the opportunity to see things through the eyes of others. There is much to be learned from other cultures.”

Who Should Go and When?

You’re considering an offer to work on what seems to be a great project, but it will take you overseas for an extended period. How do you decide whether the assignment is right for you? Just as important, how do you determine whether you’re right for the assignment?

No hard and fast rules exist about who should accept international assignments, when they should accept them, or why. Some professionals enjoy the challenges associated with working in a different business environment. Others see their international assignments as opportunities to make a difference for others. And some simply want to take advantage of living in and experiencing different cultures.

But while the decision to work overseas is a personal one, often the decision to stay or to go isn’t simply a matter of personal preference. At the same time, making overseas work fulfilling and successful depends in large part upon what you make of the opportunity. By considering your current career status and potential growth pattern, assessing your company’s culture and status in the marketplace, and determining how marketable or transferable potential new knowledge will be, you’ll be able to make the decision that's right for you.

Accepting foreign assignments and then completing them successfully — especially early in your career — often enhances overall career growth,” said Larry Sadler, president of ThirdWave Solutions, a strategic business management firm in Reston, Virginia. “These assignments build upon and broaden knowledge, boost self-confidence, build personal character and leadership qualities and demonstrate company loyalty.” Few can argue the value of these attributes as significant contributors to career growth and success.

Sadler enjoyed foreign assignments both early on and late in his corporate career, having worked in Germany a few years after beginning his career, and then in Canada not long before retiring.

Decision Makers and Breakers

After reviewing your career status, you conclude that an overseas assignment could benefit you professionally. What other factors should you consider before making the decision to stay or go?

• Taking the family along — The idea of being separated from family for extended periods is difficult for many to swallow. As a result, people often take the family along. The factors associated with this logistic are complex, to be sure. Finding appropriate schooling and securing adequate medical care are among the top priorities for many international workers. In general, the key to making foreign assignments enriching for the entire family is to be sure the assignment needs will allow you to balance family and work. By considering all issues ahead of time, you will enhance the value gained from sharing an international adventure together.

• Financial considerations — Overseas employees must contend with a set of unique and sometimes overwhelming financial issues, including salary progression and cost-of-living. Anticipate your expected expenses and make sure your employer agrees to cover them. Also, working abroad does not eliminate Americans’ responsibility to pay state and federal income taxes, and many countries require every worker, citizen or non-citizen, to pay taxes as well. Many employees will agree to tax equalization and to some form of tax preparation assistance. Experts suggest that professionals seek the assistance from accountants accustomed to working with currency differences and other countries' tax rules and allowances.

• Home office support — Distance plays a role in offshore workers’ ability to interact with and get needed support from their home office. “Real-time” response is rare, so the work dynamic changes dramatically when professionals work remotely. In theory, everyone works together to ensure project success. However, in reality, you might face a challenges in getting the necessary support and regular communications from your home office once off-site. Often, U.S.-based supervisors won't understand your needs, because they won't be “living the situation.” In addition, they'll have their own priorities at home. “The general tendency exists for home-based issues to be dealt with first because they are visible,” Sadler said. Knowing this tendency exists enables professionals to plan carefully and anticipate delays that might occur.

• Job security — Today’s corporate climates are in a state of flux, and mergers and acquisitions are commonplace. Corporate cultures are changing more frequently. Although job security may be a difficult factor to negotiate, it’s one you should consider and discuss before you make your decision. Corporate change should not necessarily stop today’s professionals from taking advantage of international assignment opportunities, because every opportunity comes with some risk. Experts recommend that professionals look carefully at the potential for change within the company and then measure how those changes might affect job security. While this means you may base decisions on a hypothetical scenario, the decisions you make will be more thorough as a result.

• Personal characteristics — With all professional, economic and family issues considered, have you factored your own personal character into the decision equation? Anyone considering an overseas assignment must honestly appraise their own personality traits to determine whether they have the right characteristics for work abroad. Are you flexible? Can you accept what will likely be vastly different business practices and work confidently in such an environment? If not, think twice about accepting an offer for international work.

Before You Go

Preparing for your extended assignment is key to having a meaningful and enjoyable experience abroad. Of course, adequate preparation goes beyond packing your suitcases and updating your passport.

Find out how business practices will be different, and plan ways to adapt. The culture will be different; research as much as you can about the country you will be visiting — the history, everyday customs and practices, and the laws. If the language is different, take a course to learn it, or brush up on rusty skills. By preparing adequately, you will reduce the time it takes to get settled and start producing results.

Overall, prepare to be flexible, adaptable and patient. Professionals on assignment overseas will always have to deal with issues related to culture, language, social and local customs, and foreign infrastructure. In addition, they will almost always have to forego some of the comforts and amenities found at home, in favor of enjoying those found in other countries. Dealing with the differences is a small price to pay, and does nothing to diminish the overwhelming positives gained from the overall experience.

Perhaps above all else, it pays to expect the unexpected. For those who go in with their eyes open, and who anticipate a positive experience, international assignments can be among the most rewarding of career opportunities.

 

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Catherine S. McGowan is a freelance writer and editor, principal of Current Communications (Ashburn, Va.) and managing editor of IEEE-USA Today’s Engineer.