3 Ways to Get Ahead When You Work Abroad

Growing up, my family moved to five countries in 13 years for my Dad’s career as an American Diplomat. I quickly developed a love for cultures around the world, and since then I’ve spent the majority of my career working abroad. If you want to work abroad, remember that international companies look for people who think globally. To have a global perspective, I suggest you start by focusing on three things: your emotional intelligence, a strong work ethic, and marketable skills that make you better than the local competition.

1. Master Your Emotional Intelligence

When I started my career with Marriott, I took a great course on international cultures. I was arrogant in thinking I already knew everything there was to know about living abroad.  About a year later, I was skimming through the book and read the chapter on how people perceive Americans. I found it interesting to learn that Americans are perceived as caring more about business than themselves or their respective families. 

Think about it—the first thing an American will ask when meeting someone new is “what do you do for a living?” We talk business first, then sports and family. In Latin America, it’s the complete opposite. You are expected to talk about family and sports first to build a relationship, then talk business. If you’ve been to Thailand, you’ll observe that people giggle when they are embarrassed, and smile always—even when they’re mad.

 Your emotional intelligence (EQ) is more important than your IQ in leadership. When you understand how you’re perceived by others, you can understand how you should conduct yourself around others and how you should guide and read people. A strong EQ will help you learn how to read other people, especially if their culture’s social cues differ from yours.

2. Have a Strong Work Ethic

Education and brains are important, but I’d say they’re worth only 20 percent of what makes you an excellent candidate overseas. The other 80 percent is work experience. Nothing beats a strong work ethic and experience. When you work abroad, you’ll work longer hours, but you’ll get farther.

Companies look for people who see living abroad as an adventure, rather than the “this isn’t as good as my country, the people aren’t the same" attitude. Yes, there are tradeoffs working internationally, but successful people look for the good in everything and see it as an adventure.

3. Develop Marketable Skills That Make You Worth It

Americans are the most expensive employees to send overseas. So why would companies hire an American versus a local? If you want to work internationally, you have to have something that the company wants that the locals don’t have. It makes no sense for a company to spend extra time and money hiring you if someone locally can do it better. And let me tell you—the locals work extremely hard, so you need to do something to set yourself apart.

The thing that sets me apart is my desire and drive to learn. The business world has changed drastically from 25 years ago, and there is always a new concept or skill you can master—especially with the changes that the Internet and social media have brought. That’s why I’m currently enrolled in an eight-week Advance Management Program at Harvard Business School. I feel like I am drinking from a fire hose, but I am learning something new every day.

Now, you want to develop marketable skills that set you apart, but beware of the arrogance of education. You can learn a lot from people who are not as educated as you. For example, in order to improve sales from our minibars,  I asked the housekeepers what guests were consuming the most from the minibars. They mentioned that Evian bottles always sold. After learning this, we put four bottles of Evian instead of just one and as a result our sales skyrocketed. You’ll learn a lot more from the people around you if you’re humble in the way you do it.

As you master your emotional intelligence, demonstrate a strong work ethic, and develop skills that set you apart from the local competition, you will be well on your way to becoming an international executive. What else is important to consider when working abroad? I would love to hear your thoughts in the comments below.