Who does not know tune from the
famous Disney ride?
The song was playing in the back of
my mind when last week I was talking to a group of bachelor students on the
importance of international experience. To my surprise, only 3 out of a group
of 50 were interested in an international student exchange program. It goes
without saying that I have spent the following hour delivering a passionate
plea to broaden their horizons and see the world.
But is international exposure really
such an asset in today’s job market?
Over the last 10 years, technology
has changed the world dramatically. Doing business on an international level in
the nineties carried a high cost, financially but also on a personal level,
whereas now you can talk to the world from your office within the blink of an
eye.
New business challenges arose
following the economical crisis. Companies needed to reorganize and reinvent
their business in order to survive.
Following these changes, people were
forced to be more agile and more resilient but they also needed to develop new
capabilities.
Gaining international experience
helps you to build those capabilities that are highly valued by employers:
- · Flexibility and adaptability to adjust to a new situation, to handle and manage change
- · An open mindset to accept differences within a team and to see them as an opportunity but also to seize the opportunity when problems arise
- · Creativity and resourcefulness to find solutions to problems that you have never encountered before
- · Cultural sensitivity enabling you to deal with people with a different background, ethnic origin or religion
Overall, international exposure
will give you tools to survive and be successful in an ever-changing business
environment. It will allow you to see things in a broader perspective and continuously
challenge your own mindset.
Does this mean that we all have to
pack up and relocate? Not at all, you can gain international experience and
exposure in different ways: through working on international projects, through
accepting job opportunities with a multi-country scope but also by having a
multicultural circle of friends and by travelling the world.
So go out and look for ways to
broaden your horizon because … it is a small world after all.
Isabel
Through a personalized and
tailor-made approach, Ingenium Executive Search aspires to assist you in
attracting the right talent that matches the DNA of your company
Follow me on Twitter
@IngeniumSearch
