Traveling is like getting a tattoo or piercing; once you have your first taste of culture, excitement, and utter freedom, you spend your time fighting back your wanderlust. The main issue stopping you from jumping on that plane? Money.
RELATED: 5 Job Search Tips For Landing A Job Abroad
But what if you could get paid to travel? I’m not talking the typical pilot or flight attendant jobs, I’m talking the not-so-obvious career options for people who get the travel itch if they stay in one place for too long. So, without further a-do, start packing your bags, call a Travel Agent such as Corporate Traveller, FCM, or Globe Trotter and get ready to explore the world with one of these cool jobs:
{{ subpage.title }}
As global moves become commonplace, relocation and corporate professionals have gained a better understanding of the phenomenon of culture shock. Yet relatively little attention is paid to cultural issues when relocating employees within a country. RELATED: How To Deal With Culture Shock When Working Abroad When it is acknowledged at all, domestic culture shock is treated as more of a punch-line than a problem. Colleagues might tease the Houston executive about his upcoming move to New York City, or the Milan professional moving to Palermo, but intra-country culture shock is no laughing matter. It is real, and as with international culture shock, there is potential for failed assignments and relationships and the loss of valued employees. While there is no readily available hard data on failed domestic assignments due to culture shock, relocation professionals know it exists through anecdotal and informal comments from clients.
The Reality
According to Dean Foster, President of DFA Intercultural Global Solutions, culture shock is simply the physiological and psychological phenomenon that occurs when the individual is required to deal with cultural differences that challenge their beliefs, expectations and even identity. “I think that the more prevalent linguistic and cultural similarities that exist in domestic moves sort of blinds us to the impact of the differences that are there, and they can probably be even more profound than some international moves,” Foster says. Sean Dubberke, Director, Intercultural Programs at RW3 CultureWizard, concurs. “Domestic culture shock most definitely exists, especially in large countries where linguistic differences can make it difficult to communicate and interact with locals.” A transferee might encounter differences in beliefs, geography, climate, attitudes and protocols, differences that exist in most countries, regardless of size or location. According to Foster, most countries can point to significant north/south differences, whether large (the U.S., India, Brazil, Russia, China) or small (Germany, Switzerland, Belgium, Italy, Vietnam, Ireland, Egypt, Mexico, Spain); east/west differences (the same large countries plus many of the smaller ones); or ethnic regional differences (Israel, Sudan, Nigeria, Indonesia). Intra-country moves between rural and urban regions can also be profoundly dislocating. He notes that if you combine several elements that make for differences, such as geography (i.e. north/south) and economics (i.e. rural/urban), you increase the affect of these differences—and culture-shock—exponentially. So a move between a rural village in southern India to Mumbai would require significant adjustment. But even in economically mature markets like Canada, the U.S. or the U.K., intra-country moves with several culture differences are likely to be much more difficult. For example, moving a Canadian Francophone family from Montreal to the Athabasca oil sands area in Alberta; moving a single, 20-something man from a small town in Nebraska to New York City; or moving a London-based family to a small town in Scotland. As with international culture shock, if the assignee is accompanied by family, the effects increase markedly. “Each family member is experiencing his or her own cultural challenges, and the family is also experiencing these aggregate challenges together,” said Mary Beauregard, an Intercultural Consultant at Global LT.Lifestyle Vs. Work Style
For intra-country moves in many developed countries, the bigger culture shock issue, and the one that will likely be of more concern to employers, is work-style differences. DFA’s Foster said, “While intra-regional moves may not affect lifestyle issues to the degree that these issues may be affected in some international moves, they certainly affect work-style issues, which, if not managed successfully, can profoundly affect job and project performance.” RW3’s Dubberke adds, “In a country like the U.S., regional work-style differences that might appear to be surmountable can present true challenges. For example, the brusque, task-focused approach typical of New Yorkers would be very frustrating for a person from a place with a more laissez-faire style, like Southern California.” Conversely, Northeasterners can find Angelinos maddeningly blasé, lacking any sense of urgency to close deals and do business. And some topics that would constitute polite workplace conversation in one place would be puzzling or even insulting in others. “‘What church do you attend?’ would be an unremarkable question in many Southern U.S. communities but would likely garner a response of ‘What?’ in the Northeast U.S.,” said Global LT’s Beauregard. There is a real risk of alienating colleagues and potential business partners with a work style that is deemed inappropriate for the location. In international business, we expect some faux pas and make greater allowances for cultural differences and misunderstandings; within a country, and with fellow nationals, we are more likely to expect colleagues and partners to be like us, and to judge them more harshly when they do not behave as we expect. As with international moves, to succeed in the new location it is important to have an understanding of the local cultural norms.Assessing, Training, And Mentoring
Beauregard notes that many of the adaptability and suitability evaluations that are conducted for international moves would be applicable to intra-country moves as well, for example:- How flexible is the candidate?
- How open is he or she to facing and asking about things that are unfamiliar?
- Will the candidate be confident and self-assured, but not arrogant?
Related Posts
Moving? 3 Helpful Tips For Your Relocation Job Search 5 Job Relocation Tips For Changing Cities How To Find An Out-Of-State Job Photo Credit: Shutterstock
SHOW MORE
Show less
Are you about to enter the job market from college and nurturing a dream of landing a job abroad? Your dream may be more attainable than you think. Thousands of recent college graduates (as well as many working professionals) are finding short and long-term job opportunities abroad. Whether you're looking for adventure before settling down to a career or plan to stay abroad for several years, finding a job in another country may be easier than you think. Before beginning your job search, assess your attractiveness to employers. Do you have special knowledge and skills, an advanced degree or professional experience that will justify an employer hiring you? Don't forget to consider your English language skills – in many countries this will be a plus.
Job Search Tips For Landing A Job Abroad
Here are five more tips to get you started on your job search and help you land a job abroad:1. Identify Your Objectives
Spend time brainstorming about the type of companies you'd like to work for and the type of jobs that match your qualifications. Knowing where you want to go, the type of work you'd like to do and how much money you expect to make will simplify your job search. At the same time, it helps to remain flexible about your options2. Begin To Network Early
You can start to make connections abroad months before you're ready to begin your job search in earnest. Research the job prospects in your country of choice and meet professionals in your field by reading blogs and following up on social networking sites like LinkedIn and Twitter. Don't forget to let your local network of contacts know about your plans. You never know when a connection from your past can help with your future.3. Learn The Ropes
Familiarize yourself with the customs of your destination country and find out about visa requirements for foreign workers. A good place to begin your research is on the U.S. Department of State's Resources for Working Overseas. You can also visit the websites of U.S. embassies for individual countries for information about living, working and traveling abroad. It also helps to visit expat websites to find out about the experiences of other Americans who have worked abroad.4. Conduct An International Online Job Search
Monster.com has job listings for counties all over the world. GoAbroad.com and TransitionsAbroad.com also provide international job listings, as well as travel guides. You may also want to check out international job placement services like InterExchange. When you contact prospective employers, be sure to get as much upfront information as possible to avoid unpleasant surprises when you reach your destination.5. Stay Positive
People may be surprised to hear about your plans to work abroad and some may even fail to offer much encouragement. Chalk this up to inexperience on their part and don't let it diminish you enthusiasm for your dream. One final tip: If you have a career objective but you're not sure how to break into it in another country, consider completing a four-week TESOL certificate program and accepting a short-term position teaching English as a second language. Once you are working your destination country you can begin to network in your chosen field and continue your job search. You'll find a wide range of online resources with information about ESL training and jobs. This post was originally published at an earlier date.Related Posts
Working Abroad: 5 Steps To A Stress-Free Relocation Options For Working Abroad Is Working Abroad For You? Photo Credit: Shutterstock
SHOW MORE
Show less
So, you’ve finally bagged that dream job overseas. Your contract has been sorted out and the weeks are approaching for you to pack up and ship out. Moving overseas, especially for work, can be a very exciting time in your life. New experiences, people, a possible a new language and discovering a completely new city can be amazing. Related: 5 Things To Consider When Working Abroad But what about the stress that comes with it? There is a lot to sort out when you are relocating and it can quickly become a stressful time. That said, being organized and planning ahead can make it one hundred times easier. If you're planning on working abroad, be sure to check out these five steps to manage your relocation stress-free.
1. Make A List & Talk To Expats
It sounds boring, but it’s one of the best pieces of advice that you can take. Until you actually start getting ready to go, you probably won’t realize how much there actually is to do. And you will realize that this becomes list-worthy very soon. Talk to friends who have been in the same situation or expats you know. There are also a large number of expat forums online, which can assist with meeting expats. They will be able tell you everything that should be on that list.2. Get All Of Your Paperwork Sorted Before Departure
Even if your company is looking after your paperwork for you, make sure you know exactly what they are organizing and what you need to organize. Having to organize paperwork in a foreign country can be one of the worst experiences of travelling and you really don’t want to deal with this when you are starting a new job. Some of the most common paperwork you need to be on top of are:- Up to date passports
- A signed work contract
- Appropriate working visa for yourself
- Visas for your family
- International Drivers license
- Travel insurance
- Lease agreements
3. Research Accommodation Before You Leave
If you’re lucky, your company may be providing you accommodation for your entire contract. However, that is not always the case. Often, a company will put you up for a few weeks in a serviced hotel and then give you an accommodation allowance for something more permanent. Make sure you organize your permanent accommodation before you go. There are many relocation professionals and websites that can help you with this and you will appreciate the extra time as it can take a lot longer than you think.4. Ship Your Goods In Advance
If you have a shipping allowance, be sure to research exactly what that entails. If your are only covered for sea freight, it will take up to three months for your possessions to arrive, so you will need to organize this well in advance.5. Store Your Possessions Properly & Organize For Your Return
Even though something like a three year contract seems a long time, you need to be ready to return at some stage. Be sure that you store your possessions appropriately so that they are accessible and undamaged on your return. Work out someone you can stay with when you come back for visits too as this is the last thing you need to stress about! This post was originally published at an earlier date.Related Posts
Is Working Abroad For You? Working Abroad: 4 Career Options For Expats Options For Working Abroad Photo Credit: Shutterstock
SHOW MORE
Show less
Maybe you've just earned your degree as an English teacher, or maybe you've been teaching for some years and are starting to feel that your career isn't progressing as fast or as well as you'd hoped. You might even have the same misgivings about your present job, even if it is not in an academic field. Related: Working Abroad: 5 Steps To A Stress-Free Relocation Whatever your situation, you will find that teaching English in Europe can not only be a stimulating and enjoyable challenge, and a wonderful cultural experience, but it can also be the sort of "gap moment," allowing you to develop a fresh approach that will further your career at home. Here are just a few of the benefits:
1. More personal understanding of the learner's difficulties
Whether or not you're an English teacher, you will quickly find that teaching English as a Foreign Language is just not the same as explaining English to native English speakers. Moreover, since you will probably be teaching adults (which is the case for the vast majority of English speakers teaching in a temporary position abroad), you will get much more immediate and direct feedback about their learning difficulties than you would with children. Also, unless you are already very fluent, you will have to gain at least a fair mastery of the local language. This will help you understand the difficulties of learning new languages, which will help you better teach your students. You will see their questions through your own eyes. This sort of sympathy can help you better devise learning strategies for your classroom.2. Introduction to different methods and learning strategies
Although the basics of language learning are the same all over the world, each country seems to have its own national flavor in developing them. You will be presented with official programs, classroom strategies, the use of different audiovisual and IT media, and teaching or professional philosophies that may be very unusual for you. All of these aspects will add to your own experience as you will be asked to apply them in your own teaching activities.3. Challenge of your capacities for teamwork, creativity, and adaptability
Working in a foreign culture requires a lot of flexibility. Not only will you have to adapt to new educational systems and approaches, but you will also be expected to work as full member of the teaching staff. There are quite often a lot of meetings, extracurricular activities, and administrative tasks that may be asked of you. Moreover, if you are teaching adults, you will be placed in classroom situations ranging from general language classes in the evening to business or other specialized classes with made-to-measure schedules and programs (which also may mean frequent driving or public transport to get to the companies themselves). And if you are indeed working in-company, you will acquire a lot of experience with the vocabulary and procedures applied in various business and industrial sectors. All of this will require you to bring out your highest organizational and human relations skills, as well as your ability to take initiatives and be creative in developing individualized curricula for classes of from one to up to 25 students or more.4. More refined personal culture
French author Marcel Proust once said, “The real voyage of discovery consists not in seeking new landscapes, but in having new eyes.” That will be one of the most valuable benefits you will get from teaching or working abroad. You will be thrown up against new ideas, new social structures, new laws, even new food. More importantly, your upbringing will quite probably be challenged by the outside view of what people think about your country and your fellow countrymen. You will be asked about where you are from, and have to explain the hows and the whys of your society's structure, function, culture, lifestyle, and beliefs. You may be very surprised, perhaps even shocked, at the reactions to your answers, but you will also come to compare your home country to the ones you visit and work in. All of this will give you those “new eyes.” You will take home not only new techniques and ideas to use, but also the habit of discussing and questioning what is being done, and offering solutions for improvement. As you can see, the advantages of teaching abroad are numerous. This sort of experience will greatly further your career because you will have obtained new skills that will help you diversify your work, develop your adaptability, and enhance your leadership qualities. All of this will add extra flavor to your work when you get back home, as well as that very special touch to your resume.Related Posts
What Students Should Know About Teaching English Abroad 5 Job Search Tips For Landing A Job Abroad 5 Things To Consider When Working Abroad Photo Credit: Shutterstock
SHOW MORE
Show less