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Globalization and Your Career: Building Career Resilience

by Terrance Malkinson

"What do you want to be when you grow up?" We all remember being asked that age-old question when we were young. The question was difficult to answer then, and today, in our increasingly interconnected world, it is even more difficult to answer. Most of today's jobs did not exist when we were young, and tomorrow's jobs are unknown at the present. No one can predict the future with certainty. Globalization has increased the flow of goods, services, money, people, knowledge and jobs across geographic and political boundaries. Technology has brought us instantaneous communication with the remotest regions of the world. Today, all business is global, competition comes from everywhere, and jobs are borderless.

Does globalization affect your career? Yes. But there is nothing to fear or avoid. Humans have adapted to change from the beginning of history and will continue to adapt to change — in perpetuity. Change is exciting, essential and beneficial. Without change, we would not have the standard-of-living that we enjoy today. We would have a very boring existence. Like a meandering river, globalization requires adjustments to our career paths to meet changing landscapes. Career building is a continuous activity that requires awareness, and adjustments to take advantage of rapid changes in local, national and international conditions. Rather than meandering aimlessly, you must maneuver, which requires focus and strategy.

Several strategies that you, as a career activist in our globalized work place, can employ to improve your prospects for the future include:

• Ensure your employability by evaluating continuously the currency and portability of your skills. Ensure that your skills meet global industry and professional standards. Develop a universal work identity (skill set) independent of your current job and employer. Become a member of international professional and trade organizations; participate actively in those organizations, networking with your peers around the world.

• Identify your key skills and areas of competence — what is your passion? Changing career paths to meet the challenges of globalization often means simply reconfiguring existing skills and experience in new ways. Career resilience means ensuring that you have choices. Perhaps, working internationally is something that you choose to do at the start of your career, before you settle down with family responsibilities. Conversely, it may be something you plan to do once your children have grown up and left home.

• Learn how to market yourself effectively. Successful marketing means letting key people know about your skills and how you can contribute value. Build a diverse network of contacts. Associate with people well above and beyond your own boundaries — people who are global movers and shakers in your field.

• Broaden your interests by reading journals, magazines and national and international newspapers. Explore the writings of futuristic thinkers — read magazines such as The Futurist (www.wfs.org). The most recent issue [January 2006 40(1)] has two articles of interest: “Update on the State of the Future” (pp. 20-24) and “Thinking Ahead: The Value of Future Consciousness” (pp. 45-50). Explore other cultures and ideologies. Consider an internship or co-op work term abroad.

• View globalization as an opportunity to develop and prosper, rather than as a threat to your career. Take time to rest, build friendships, engage in introspection, and keep healthy through good nutrition and physical activity. A sense of wellness can help provide you with the judgment to make good career decisions, the ability to keep things in perspective, the resilience to withstand disappointments, and the ability to effectively handle stress. Always discuss international career possibilities with your family, realistically exploring benefits and challenges.

• Be self-confident, yet humble enough to listen and learn from the ideologies and practices of other cultures. Value multi-cultural experiences and competencies and leverage them with your employer. Travel internationally, and while doing so, survey the business environment. Develop friendships with nationals from other countries, and maintain these friendships after you have returned home. Learn another language — perhaps not enough to be fluent, but enough to function at a basic level. Keep in mind that some languages are easier to learn than others.

• Encourage your K-12 and post-secondary education leaders to incorporate international knowledge into the curriculum, so students will become informed citizens and well prepared for globalization. Customs and business practices vary widely from country to country. Be a role model to your children on being a "citizen of the world."

• If you are seeking a position in another country, take the time to become knowledgeable about that country and its customs. Check out the embassy website. Investigate employers' expectations for your résumé — important differences from what you’re used to will be likely. Learn how to conduct yourself during an interview and social gatherings, as other cultures may have different standards and norms of behavior and etiquette. Check out the requirements associated with entering and exiting the country.

• Always have a fallback plan, should something unexpected happen with your current job or with global possibilities that you might pursue. Develop multiple income streams. Always maintain a minimum of six months of financial assets to bridge the gap between jobs. This savings will provide you with the flexibility to reflect and the time to search out the best opportunities that will meet your needs.
  

Career success favors those who plan and those who are prepared to take advantage of change and serendipitous career opportunities. Career success favors those who take the time to become informed through reading, discussion and travel. An excellent place to start your research on globalization's effects on careers is the most recent issue of IEEE Engineering Management Review (Volume 33, Number 4, 2005). Fifteen reprinted articles by some of the leading thinkers in the globalization field appear in this issue. John Saee's book, Managing Organizations in a Global Economy: An Intercultural Perspective, provides another comprehensive source of information on globalization and how to achieve career success. IEEE-USA Today’s Engineer archives contain a number of articles for your information. Another source is the U.S. Department of State [www.state.gov]. Most post-secondary educational institutions have information for your use. A small selection of additional information sources is provided below.

Career success favors those who engage in continuous learning and place their trust in their own capabilities. Career savvy people do not fear or avoid globalization — they accept it and adjust their career path to take advantage of exciting twists and turns that globalization might bring. Perhaps globalization might contribute to world peace by increasing tolerance and understanding among nations.

Further sources of information:

T.M. Begley , "The Need for a Global Mind-Set," MIT Sloan Management Review, vol. 44, no. 12, pp.  25-32, 2003.

J.J.S. Buckeridge, "A Y2K Imperative: the Globalization of Engineering Education." Global Journal of Engineering Education, vol. 4, no. 1, pp. 19-24, 2000.

S. Christie, Vault Career Guide to International Careers, Vault Inc., ISBN 1-58131-270-9, 2004.

W.R. Dodson, "Virtually International: Managing Globalized Project Teams," PM Network, pp. 29-31, April 1998.

P. Engardio, "Smart Globalization," BusinessWeek, pp. 132-138, 27 August  2001.

M. Javidan and R.J. House, "Cultural Acumen for the Global Manager: Lessons from Project GLOBE," Organizational Dynamics, vol. 29, no. 4, pp. 289-305, 2001.

R. Komisar, "Goodbye Career, Hello Success," Harvard Business Review, vol. 78, no. 2, pp. 161-174, 2000.

N. Mueller, Work Worldwide: International Career Strategies for the Adventurous Job Seeker, John Muir Publications, ISBN 1-56261-490-8, 2000.

J. Saee, Managing Organizations in a Global Economy: An Intercultural Perspective, Thompson Corporation, ISBN 0-324-26154-3, 2005.

T. Sanders and V. Stewart, "International Knowledge: Let's Close the Gap," Education Week, p. 44, 28 May 2003.

G. Vickery, Globalization of Industry: Overview and Sector Reports,  Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development, 1996.

Terrance Malkinson is a proposal manager/documentation specialist; an elected Senator of the University of Calgary; a Governor of the Engineering Management Society; international correspondent for IEEE-USA Today's Engineer Online; editor-in-chief of IEEE-USA Today's Engineer Digest; and editor of the IEEE Engineering Management Society Newsletter. The author is grateful to the Haskayne School of Business Library at the University of Calgary. He can be reached at todaysengineer@ieee.org.