Have you ever dreamed of working in China? India? Brazil?

The new landscape of work transcends national boundaries, which creates unprecedented opportunities to work worldwide.

Here’s how you can get started.

“Overseas stints have launched many a career because of [...]]]>

Working abroad can make you taller!? Figuratively, yes. I took this photo in Bahia Inglesa, in the north of Chile. I have definitely held higher positions and done more interesting work while abroad! And you can do it too!

Today Brazen Careerist published my article, “How to Launch Your Career Overseas.”

Have you ever dreamed of working in China? India? Brazil?

The new landscape of work transcends national boundaries, which creates unprecedented opportunities to work worldwide.

Here’s how you can get started.

Study abroad

“Overseas stints have launched many a career because of the inherent curiosity, flexibility and interest in the world they indicate to an employer,” says Stacie Nevadomski Berdan, author of the new eBook GO GLOBAL! Launching an International Career Here or Abroad.

Even if you’re no longer in school, study abroad is still an option. Consider a graduate degree or language program. The Rotary Foundation offers Ambassadorial Scholarships. ESADE and IE have international MBAs in Spain. According to Ben Apple, the Chinese government is giving out scholarships for masters’ and PhD programs “like candy.” [more]

This is the second time I’ve been featured on Brazen Careerist. The first was this interview I did with Jaclyn Schiff. 

If you’re interested in starting your career overseas, you might especially like Hilary Corna’s book One White Face, about her experiences training Toyota dealerships to implement Kaizen all over Asia. Hilary is offering a special discount code for readers of Beyond Chile’s Single Story. Go to https://www.createspace.com/3648642/ and enter the discount code “P554X5B4″

Here are some other posts I’ve written about international careers.

• How to Launch Your International Career, a review of Stacie Berdan’s eBook GoGlobal! 
• “Sometimes, I find myself set in a puzzlement about meanings of life and jobs.”
• Foreign Young Professionals in China Mini Series #3: “Why China? Because I could.”
• Adventure + Failure + Grit = Success?

I wrote the following review for [...]]]> I’ve been chatting with Stacie Berdan about international careers for more than a year. She has been very supportive of my international professional and entrepreneurial adventures. I was delighted when she sent me a copy of her new eBook, Go Global! Launching an International Career Here or Abroad.

Stacie Berdan

Stacie Berdan's books

I wrote the following review for Ms. Career Girl, Nicole Crimaldi’s excellent blog for young professional women. Here’s the beginning:

If you’ve ever dreamed of building an international career, you must read Stacie Berdan’s Go Global! Launching an International Career Here or Abroad. I found myself nodding and smiling throughout this concise, convenient eBook.

Stacie draws from her own experience to give practical, step-by-step advice. She worked for a top global public relations firm in Hong Kong for many years, during which she gained the skills and experience to skip several levels on the corporate ladder. This is her second book about international careers. Her first book, Get Ahead By Going Abroad: A Woman’s Guide to Fast-Track Career Success, was published in 2007.

(And GoGlobal is only five bucks! That’s the price of one cocktail in a college bar! Consider it a cocktail with Stacie Berdan and her network of international professionals.)

Some of my favorite tidbits from GoGlobal!: 

• You can launch an international career at home. You don’t have to move to another country, since the modern world of work is packed with international connections.
• Take an honest look at your own personality, to make sure you’re ready for the cross-cultural challenges of working in an international environment. To build your global mindset, study foreign languages, read foreign news, and watch movies from other countries.
• Avoid taking on debt. Debt limits your career options, at home or overseas. There are many ways to gain global experience without going into debt.
• As you prepare to apply for international jobs, begin by defining your global brand. From this you can craft an elevator pitch, cover letter, resume and online presence. I particularly like Stacie’s sequential, non-intimidating process, and suggestion to begin a resume with a Qualifications section that describes your value proposition and 4-5 memorable bullet points.
• Dismal events can lead to career opportunities. Uprisings in the Middle East led to new opportunities for communications firms like Twitter. The tsunami in Japan created new opportunities for construction firms. Both good news and bad news influence the international job market.

Read the rest on Ms. Career Girl! 

I met Matías from Conexo when I spoke at the Meetup in Viña del Mar, and he wrote this nice piece about my talk. 

He invited me to write an opinion [...]]]> I recently wrote my first opinion column in Spanish, for the website of a Chilean human resources consultancy called Conexo.

I met Matías from Conexo when I spoke at the Meetup in Viña del Mar, and he wrote this nice piece about my talk. 

He invited me to write an opinion column for his site. My article is called “Los cambios que ha traido La Generación Y, en el mundo laboral.

The original article is in Spanish. (Thanks Marcelo for your ideas and help with editing!) I back-translated it into English with some help from Google Translate. What follows is the English version.

- -

Leslie Forman is an American entrepreneur, who in just 27 years has traveled much of the world for her professional development.

She did her first studies at the University of California, Berkeley, then in 2005 through came to Chile to study at the Pontificia Universidad Católica. Then she traveled to China, where she lived four years, working in industries such as consulting, advertising, education and corporate social responsibility.

This year, she moved to Santiago to join a solar energy startup and be part of the government program, executed by Corfo “Start-Up Chile.” She also has served as a independent interpreter for Chinese, English and Spanish.

Generation Y (also called the “Millennials”) refers to the young people born between the late 70′s and mid 90′s. This generation is entering the workforce with different expectations than previous generations.

Marcelo Peralta, a project manager at a finance company in Chile, explains his personal point of view based on his work experience, especially in the last five years.

Generation Y has come to contribute positively to the twenty-first century job market. Characteristics that are worthy of admiration in this segment of the workforce are, for example, the familiarity with new technologies, the latest academic knowledge, openness of mind and thought, languages, etc. and these are positive contributions that are highly appreciated by companies in the modern world.

However, these same qualities could become disadvantages for businesses, particularly for the departments of Human Resources, because for they have become a difficult problem to address and solve. The latter is related to the behavior of Generation Y, whose independence and constant exposure to change, make hiring / resignations very frequent, with the consequent cost for companies.

Many times, the uncertainty of these young employees complicates the planning of more complex, long-term projects. And finally, there are cases in which the personalities associated with these professionals denote lack of commitment towards the company and / or employers.

I am part of Generation Y. I was born in San Francisco, California in 1984. I grew up in an atmosphere of infinite choice and constant feedback. I played water polo, soccer and other sports, with the support of professional coaches.

When I graduated from college in 2006, I entered a professional world that was very different than the environment I grew up in.

I’ve done many different jobs: I taught English classes at a university in China, did a corporate social responsibility internship in the Chamber of Commerce, wrote advertisements for a multinational company, worked in customer service for a software company, and more.

Opening the door of our hutong office in Beijing in 2009, as mom looks on. Is this what the new wave of careers looks like?

None of these jobs have given me the kind of feedback I remember from my experiences in sports. This situation is common among “Generation Y” at work.

I found a novel and simple idea to promote this kind of feedback in a groundbreaking book on the future of work. The book is called End Malaria and its sales raise funds for the prevention of malaria. The book has essays from more than 50 psychologists, entrepreneurs, designers and leading writers, collecting countless ideas to innovate the world of work.

The suggestion that most caught my attention was something very simple authored by Daniel H. Pink. Pink, has written four books about the changing world of work, including his latest creation, Drive: The Surprising Truth About What Motivates Us. His essay is called “What’s the Matter With Milennials?”

Here is an excerpt from the essay (as it appeared in The Telegraph in 2010 under the headline “Think Tank: Fix the workplace, not the workers.”)

Kimley-Horn, a large American engineering firm, takes a peer-to-peer approach. At this sprawling 60-office company, anybody at any time can award a colleague a $50 (£31) bonus.

Instead of once-a-year acknowledgment from a boss who may not remember your heroic deeds, these modest bonuses allow colleagues to recognise good work instantly – and that, in turn, can create an environment in which feedback more regularly bursts through the dry sands of office life. Last year, Kimley-Horn employees gave each other nearly 2,000 of these on-the-spot bonuses.

A person’s supervisor must sign off on each award. But ultimately the decision rests with peers, not bosses – which can make the feedback and recognition more meaningful. As Kimley-Horn’s Julie Beauvais puts it, giving employees a way to acknowledge a co-worker “puts the feedback control in the hands of the folks who are closest to the activity”.

The $50 solution would not satisfy all the desires of Generation Y, but is a simple, practical, and economical way to provide more feedback in the office. And that feedback could make a difference.

Here’s the link to the full interview: How to Work Abroad After [...]]]> I spoke with Jaclyn Schiff from Brazen Careerist, and she recorded parts of our conversation as a podcast called How to Work Abroad After College. Not only did Jacci ask excellent questions, but Skype cooperated for our entire chat! Awesome.

Here’s the link to the full interview: How to Work Abroad After College.

If you’re new here at Beyond China’s Chile’s Single Story, welcome! This is my personal blog about Chile, China, entrepreneurship, inspiration, energy, translation, and so much more.

In our conversation, Jacci referred to this post, My Hypothetical Certificate in Applied Modern Chinese Studies, as an interesting example of framing diverse job experiences into a coherent and compelling story.

Here are some posts in which I’ve discussed career choices and offered ideas for fellow adventurous professionals:

• How do Chilean and Chinese business customs differ? My interview with Global Young Women
• “Sometimes, I find myself set in a puzzlement about meanings of life and jobs.”
• How “Fire Chicken” is Good for Business
• Foreign Young Professionals in China Mini Series #3: “Why China? Because I could.”
• Adventure + Failure + Grit = Success?

Bahia Inglesa, Chile's III Region. I took this photo on my most recent business trip!

In one quick sentence, Lulu encapsulated my mindset in 2010. Beyond thinking about Chile, I’ve been on an occupational adventure.

Joey Ellis is a good friend of mine, a sculptor, TED Fellow, and entrepreneur.

His work has consistently communicated China’s environmental challenges, in a way that inspires rather [...]]]> I just pitched in to teach China about the importance of conserving coral reefs, through art. I hope you will too!

Joey Ellis is a good friend of mine, a sculptor, TED Fellow, and entrepreneur.

His work has consistently communicated China’s environmental challenges, in a way that inspires rather than preaches, and reaches new audiences.

In August 2009, he and his Chinese collaborators hand-carved 100 ice sculptures of children from blocks of ice. They were then placed in the blazing summer sun of Beijing’s Temple of the Sun (Ditan Park) to represent the fragility of our childrens’ future due to climate change. The ice consisted of water taken from the Ganges, Yellow and Yangtze rivers. The piece was commissioned by Greenpeace and would not have been possible without their support.

Now Joey has started a new project:

ENDORSED BY THE GLOBAL CORAL REEF ALLIANCE (www.globalcoral.org)

What I and my crew want to do:

We will translate the large international database of coral reef publications into chinese by using graphic design, animation and just plain writing as an instrument for change. Throughout the process we will reconstruct the information into public friendly design and animation that simplifies whats at stake and highlights how to rectify the problem. We will promote awareness but we will focus on the SOLUTIONS!

One might ask “why is it difficult to translate such documents and why is funding needed?

The documents we will be focusing on are the lengthy scientific ones that use science as a way to prove what works and what doesn’t. Remember our goal is to affect the minds of the people in control! To do this we need both community and government support.

YOU: What topics will you actually focus on?

We will highlight the modern techniques of coral restoration (such as the BIOROCK process) and coastal management.

Informing people of such things as…….

1. How coral reefs protect the shorelines from erosion caused by the currents, waves and storms

2. How corals build up land and extend beaches and encourage the bio-diversity of the oceans.

3. How coral reefs dissipate wave and storm energy, which as a result create lagoons and sedimentary environments favorable for the growth of mangroves and sea grasses.

4. How coral reefs help promote tourism, which is the largest industry in the world and sustains 10 percent of all jobs.

YOU: What else?

Highlighting how the economic potential of eco-tourism greatly exceeds that of fishing. In one year it can generate around 25 times more income than all of the world’s fisheries! WOW! In some areas, one square kilometer of coral reef can generate nearly three million Dollars. In comparison, dynamite fishing in the same area would yield a one time only income of US$ 15000. China is one of the worst places for the ongoing use of dynamite fishing!

All in all we need to get the chinese community involved in the international efforts and let them know how it can help the future of China. To do this we first need to make them aware (believe it or not there are no current publications that exist in China!!)

Click here to help contribute to CHANGE!

For more information please email Me@josephfosterellis.com
or Dr. Thomas J. Goreau at Goreau@bestweb.net

Project location: Hainan, China

Image Source

Suffering is not increased by numbers: one body can contain all the [...]]]> Andrea James, who I have never met in real life, always leaves fascinating comments on this little blog.  This week she posted a heartbreaking story about the news value of a death.  Her story is uncannily similar to one of mine.

Suffering is not increased by numbers: one body can contain all the suffering the world can feel.

I first read that line on a flight from Asia back to the United States, in early 2006. I’d bought a copy of Graham Greene’s, “The Quiet American,” from a Vietnamese woman at Hoan Kiem Lake, in Hanoi.

The book remains one of my favorites, for it is filled with life gems like that.

A Buddhist woman prays at Hoan Kiem Lake, in Hanoi, Vietnam. January 2006 | Andrea James

In my last post, I referred to this piece by kindergarten teacher Christina Shunnarah, who works with students from all over the world.  She describes culture as an iceberg, with a small part visible, and the vast majority hidden under the surface.

Image Source

This is one of my favorite excerpts from her excellent essay:

Developing cultural competence is a process of inner growth. In order for me to be as effective as possible with the students I work with, I must continuously engage in a process of self-reflection. To be able to know others, especially diverse others, one must know the self. So the growth of a culturally competent educator starts there. We must look within for a deeper understanding of who we are before we can adequately address the needs of our students.

This investigation should include our core beliefs, hidden biases and our religious perspectives. Developing cultural competence is also a process that comes with experience and engagement, and with sometimes painful lessons that highlight our limitations and prejudices. To learn about the backgrounds of the students in my class takes time and effort; it involves reading about their countries of origin, visiting their homes and meeting family members, connecting with parents, developing relationships with community members and organizations, and going to cultural and religious festivals. By learning about my students’ lives outside the classroom, I am more prepared to work with them in the classroom. [more]

I also find that, in order for me to be as effective as possible, I must continually engage in a process of self-reflection.  Through reading, reflecting, and (most awkwardly and perhaps most importantly) reacting inappropriately in situations in which I hadn’t realized my cultural tendencies were so different than those of the people around me, I have identified the following core beliefs that have shaped me (in no particular order).

(Ramit Sethi makes a similar point in this post about invisible scripts, and the 200+ comments are well worth reading!)

Note: This list is based on my own observations, and does not imply that one set of values or invisible scripts is better than another. I just see them as important and discussion-worthy, and I’d love to hear your own stories.

* Independence and Individualism. From a very young age, I wanted to do things my own way, and the people around me (parents, teachers, etc.) mostly supported these urges. In kindergarten, my mom recalls that I would wander around the classroom, looking at the pictures on the walls, while my classmates sat at their desks writing. Then, with about five minutes to go, I would sit down and write my story. My teacher let me do my thing, and praised me for the quality of my work. I doubt a Chinese kindergarten teacher would allow such a thing!

* Options. I think this is a product of my generation. We have always had so many options, for activities, schedules, classes, assignments, and so much more. And expect limitless options, for jobs, working styles, food, etc.

* Fusion. I grew up in a suburb of San Francisco, with classmates from all over the world. We ate food from many continents. My mom is Christian and my dad is Jewish, and we celebrated holidays from both traditions, as well as many others.

* November and December are holiday months that punctuate the year. In China people work straight through November, December, and January, and the real holiday is not until February.

* Stubbornness. This is something I’ve tried hard to mitigate, but it will probably always be there. I’m a Capricorn.

* Smile. I like to smile. I am a happy girl. This is sometimes misinterpreted as “not serious” or too flirtatious.

* Directness. We Americans tend to get straight to the point. This, compounded with the unsophisticated sentence patterns that come with limited language proficiency, sometimes makes me seem rude. Sometimes a smile helps, but that can be misinterpreted too. The best solution I’ve found is to use an interpreter, who can sugar-coat statements into more culturally appropriate forms.

What about you? What are your core beliefs, and how do they shape your interactions with other people? Has being more conscious of these traits helped you be more effective in your communications?  What else would you add?