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Oce of Career Services

Working
Internationally..
.
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a
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Surin Internationally...
Working
Cote from
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Home or Abroad
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ea

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Oce of Career Services Harvard

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& Sciences www.ocs.fas.harvard.edu
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Table of Contents

I. International is Not Only a Location............................... 2

II. Goals for Working Internationally.................................. 3
III. International Marketplace Skills ................................... 6
IV. To Work Internationally: Abroad or at Home?............... 9
V. Finding International Work at Home ........................... 13
VI. Ive Read the Booklet - Now What? ............................16
2007 President and Fellows of Harvard College
All rights reserved.
No part of this publication may be reproduced in any way without the express written permission
of the Harvard University Harvard College and Graduate School of Arts & Sciences Oce of
Career Services.
6/07
Oce of Career Services
Harvard University
Harvard College and Graduate School of Arts & Sciences
54 Dunster St., Cambridge, MA 02138
Phone: (617) 495-2595
Fax: (617) 495-3584
www.ocs.fas.harvard.edu

VII. Resources..................................................................17

I. International is Not Only a Location

MYTH: In order to work internationally you must
live abroad or travel abroad often.
FACT: In todays marketplace, you can work
interna-tionally from home.

Living, working, traveling, and learning abroad provide unique and powerful benets. No
matter where you are in your career development, seize opportunities to encounter rst-hand
global
con-texts, cultural diversity, and professional experience. There is an evergrowing need for professionals in all elds to be globally-minded, and there are myriad ways to
pursue international experiences. Many take place abroad, but you also can pursue invaluable
international experiences at home.

II. Goals for Working Internationally

MYTH: There are only a few kinds of real international work, most notably economic development
projects, multinational corporations, and diplomatic
missions.
FACT: International work is not limited to any set
of occupations its everywhere.

While relief work, global policy think tanks, and international business are certainly examples of
international work and very attractive ones to some individuals they barely begin to dene
the many possibilities for working within a global context.

Consider the following examples of international work:

International is a marketplace
reality, no matter where you are.

Every industry or organization is international in some if not all of the major aspects of its
work: serving clients from other countries, researching policies of worldwide interest, sharing
glob-al technologies, purchasing or marketing products and services, or collaborating with
colleagues from around the world. As a result, everyone, no matter where they are or what
they do, works internationally.

Art Museum design educational programs for international visitors in their native language
Consulting Firm analyze stang
needs for an overseas company working
in your country
Fashion house follow international
mer-chandizing trends
Government Agency research specic
multinational economic trends

With few exceptions, we all must think, act, write, or partner with a multitude of multicultural
and multinational institutional aims in mind. This is true for rst-year students, recent
graduates, and mid-career alums, and applies to volunteer positions, internships, and full-time
jobs in both the nonprot and for-prot sectors.

Hospital share expertise with other care

providers on new surgical techniques

So dont overlook substantive, formative international learning experiences right in your own
coun-try! These opportunities can enhance regional or language expertise, provide specialized
global training, and enhance professional development. And as the international aspect of work
continues to increase, so too does the need to keep your international skills sharp in order to
partner with counterparts all over the world. With an expanded denition of global, you can
more eectively and creatively access the vast world network of resources and collaborations.

Law rm research case law on global

in-tellectual property

Hospitality Corporation coordinate

conference services for a global hotel group

Library advise leaders on acquisition of

worldwide electronic resources for users

Major League Sports Team assist in international contract negotiations

Non-Governmental Agency fundraise
for a human rights project abroad
Public Policy Center/Think Tank analyze data on global energy consumption
Publishing House track global markets
for your companys books and magazines
Research Center collaborate with overseas partners on a potential public health
pandemic
Service Organization liaise between
ref-ugee populations in your city and
services for children
Theater Company help produce a bina-tional production of a new play
University advise international students
at a local school on visa and work regulations

In any of these positions you would be connected to the most up-to-date global issues, interact
with people from other countries in a range of situations, and have the opportunity to use your
interna-tional skills in meaningful and satisfying ways.
Opportunities abound for international careers through wide ranging professional roles (actor to
analyst, doctor to designer), using a variety of skills (language, research, technology), and within
a spectrum of environments (the list is endless!). How do you choose? The best place to start is
by consulting your own goals for a satisfying work life.

These goals are based on a continual assessment of:

the SKILLS you have that you enjoy using and those you would like to develop, for example:
edit-ing, making public presentations, time management, teaching, data analysis, or working in
teams;
your intellectual and personal INTERESTS, including academic specialties, professional topics,
and avocations; and
the VALUES you hold for the kind of work environments in which you thrive, from
personal notions of compensation, free time, location, good colleagues, and available
technology, to fame, altruism, creativity, wealth-building, ethics, and many more.

Here are some examples:

Skills: facility in a variety of languages, cross-cultural communication, global web or archival
research.
Interests: refugee services; environmental change, cooking/foods, religion in the 21st
century, international monetary systems, child advocacy.
Values: working with global cutting-edge technology, inter-culturally diverse work environment,
justice.
Your assessment is personal and self-dened. It is also likely that some of your aims with respect
to the skills, interests, and values in your work life will change over time; your international work
will also evolve naturally as your experience grows and priorities shift.

MINI-WORKSHOP I:
Assess your international career goals
1. What international experience have you acquired
so far? Does this experience point you toward a next
step in any way?
2. What international elements might you imagine
having in the work you do next?
3. How can you acquire related experience at home
during the term or summer, or through professional
development opportunities, to build your international career path?
4. What kinds of international jobs at home exist
in your eld(s) of interest?
5. What international dream jobs might combine
these elements to satisfy your goals?

III. International Marketplace Skills

MYTH: The world is getting smaller and everyone
does business in the same way.
FACT: The world is more complex than ever
before and requires both a multi-cultural global
mindset and a new array of responsive practical
skills.

The range and scope of the examples discussed so far signals that everyone has to have a global
perspective in todays marketplace. Acquiring international skills will have an enormous impact
on professional eectiveness and career success for everybody.

International is not business as usual,

its a whole new way of working.
Everything language, expectations, technologies, institutional hierarchies, monetary systems,
policies, and even humor are greatly aected by your social, political, economic, and cultural
environments. Thats an international challenge for any employee!

The following skills will help you to bridge international

dierences and forge dynamic, cross-cultural working
relationships:
Language skills: Learn another language or take the non-native language(s) you speak to a
new level! Language skills are a key ingredient to working eectively and eciently with
international partners. While some of your global partners may speak English and/or a
number
of
European
languages, many of the greatest innovators today are writing articles and collaborating with commu
-nities in less widely spoken languages, and developing new global enterprises with local
resources. Without language skills you will have to rely on someone else to translate a portion of
your profes-sional world for you. Language skills allow you to partner with your colleagues
directly!

 Sensitivity to cultural dierences and connections: Many of our most cherished beliefs,
expec-tations, goals, and mannerisms are shaped by our cultural environments. While
they seem com-fortable and familiar to us, norms vary widely from country to country
and can have a signicant eect in building and maintaining professional relationships.
International partners working on a project or issue may have diering perspectives that
spring from deeply held cultural values; these dierences can sometimes lead to moments
of misunderstanding. Keep an open mind and cultivate a non-judgmental attitude.
Recognizing and accepting dierences allows partners to communicate eectively and nd
connections.

informed about new, worldwide developments in your eld. The most cutting edge work may
be coming from countries other than your own. Professional journals (every eld has them!) are
particularly helpful, especially if you speak another language. In addition, international
professional associa-tions bring people together around the most important and newest issues.
Their web sites are an invaluable resource to get and share information, make contact with
colleagues from other parts of the world, and nd out about employment opportunities. Using
networks to which you have ac-cess, including the Harvard alumni/ae network, Crimson
Compass (accessed through the Harvard Alumni Association web site) can also be a great way to
get a global perspective on your work.

Flexibility: In addition to language skills and cultural sensitivity, exibility is a key

attribute of eective international leaders. It both requires and fosters the ability to
recognize, approach, and analyze - often in novel ways - a variety of new and unpredictable
situations that may be informed by multiple perspectives or goals.

This is only a brief overview of the kinds of skills that are valued in international enterprises. In
reality, the strategies that help build and maintain eective international working relationships
also foster success in any professional enterprise or position.

Technology: At home, you may be used to certain ways in which data are handled and
informa-tion is shared. However, countries do not all have similar approaches to
conceptualizing and ana-lyzing data or the same technologies to distribute it or
incorporate it into their work. Learning the many forms of the tools of your trade
around the world will broaden your professional perspec-tive and make you more eective
with international partners.

Field knowledge: One of the best ways to enhance your career is to keep yourself

IV. To Work
Internationally: Abroad or at
Home?
MYTH: If I dont work abroad at the beginning
of my career or right after graduation, Ill never have
an-other chance.

MINI WORKSHOP II:

Skill Base

FACT: The timing of your international

experiences, whether abroad or at home, responds
to an array of factors and opportunities that span
your entire work life.

1. Have you developed a complete list of your

current skills?
2. Which skills are applicable to your career interests
and values? How can you acquire the skills you
dont already possess?

Why do some people choose to work abroad?

3. What skills appropriate to international work

have you been developing through work, study, and
extra-curricular involvement?

Reasons for working abroad often include:

4. Which additional skills do you want to acquire or

develop further? How might you acquire or enhance
these skills?

Satisfying cross-cultural interests

Learning about and gain experience in the global
aspects of their career eld
Adding an element of
adventure Practicing or
acquiring languages
Living in a culturally dierent environment

There are also reasons that involve a dierent kind of choice, for example:
Accompanying a family member, friend, spouse,
or signicant other abroad
Conducting on-site research
Being transferred by your employer
Relocating to the country where you can nd the
seminal work in your specic eld being done and/or
the best mentors in your area

Why do some people choose not to work abroad?

Many people derive the exact same professional benets and personal satisfaction as those mentioned before from international collaboration at home. However, there may be other reasons
why individuals pursue international work at home, such as:
Gaining home oce experience in order
to support colleagues in the eld oce(s)
Developing skills in order to be marketable
(overseas or at home) later in the professional
career
Responding to obligations and personal
circumstances that make overseas work unfeasible,
for example, health issues, family or nancial
responsibilities, on-going graduate or professional
education, or involvement in community aairs
Continuing to pursue other opportunities,
interests, or hobbies that are not available overseas

The career decisions you make today

will expand, not limit, your
choices in the future.

Your international career path need not be like anyone elses. Experiences build on each other as
you take next steps throughout your professional journey. You decide on the opportunities to
pursue, as well as their order, duration, and location, whether Boston or Beijing, Cleveland or
Cameroon.

How can you start to create a platform right now from which to launch your international
dreams? Timing is key! Whether you are at home or abroad, your work over time provides you
with:
national or regional expertise
subject-area expertise (modern art, marketing,
primary education, currency reform, technology)
uency in one or more languages
skill sets (administrative, supervisory, analytical,
nancial, technological, etc.)

With each transition (from one undergraduate summer to the next, college to full-time work, or
early professional work to mid-career), your accumulated skills and experiences expand your
glob-al vision and expertise.

You can gain international experience right away but you dont have to start out
abroad! Here are some examples of sequencing your work experience:
Undergraduates:

When is the right time to work abroad?

No matter what level of work experience you have, career development, in every eld and geographic location, is a process of exploration over time during your entire work life. In your
interna-tional career your work may take oe of the following paths:
abroad for the majority of your career
abroad initially, then return home
at home initially, spend some time abroad, then return
home at home but travel abroad periodically on
assignment
at home for the majority or whole of your career

1. Work at an organization that focuses on an international audience or market in your home

coun-try: provide counseling and referral services to refugees from a region of the world youre
interested in, do research on a global health problem, intern in the overseas trade section of your
local govern-ment or with a news agency.
2. Spend some time (a summer or semester) abroad using your domestic experience as a platform
to test out what you learned and explore new ideas.

Graduating Seniors:
1. Work in the home oce of a multinational for-prot or nonprot organization to get a
solid grounding in the operations and issues faced by the eld oces.
2. Take an assignment abroad.

Mid-career Professionals:
10

Parlay the skill sets youve acquired in domestic arenas into a more international setting or an
orga-nization that cares about the international issues in which youve gained expertise.

11

V. Finding International Work at Home

Career Objectives
Take the time to evaluate your skills, interests, and values, then match them with marketplace
opportunities.
MINI WORKSHOP III:
How Do You Dene International?
1. How does an international focus t with your
career interests?
personal goals?
lifestyle?
responsibilities, obligations, and/or special
considerations?
2. How will international experience, at home or
abroad, at your current stage of career progress aid
your overall career exploration?
3. How might you envision your own international
work unfolding? Can you imagine several possibilities for timing a sequence of experiences while at
Harvard and after graduation?

12

 Have patience with your career; expertise develops over time.

But dont be complacent! Check in with yourself about your
aims and interests periodically. For those starting out: what
makes sense to you as a satisfying rst step? For those already
working: are your goals still being met in your current position?
What do you think should come next?

suit you. What do you consider your next professional challenge?

Be strategic. Keep current in your eld; know the hot topics,

varied priorities, and valued skills in your area and look for
relevant experiences to explore them with your employer or other
organi-zations. What do you want to learn and accomplish next?
Seek out progressively complementary opportunities.

Dont march to someone elses drum; sequence your activities to

13

Career Development Strategies

Document your experience and skills. Maintain an up-to-date record of your work experiences
that reect the transferable and eld-specic skills youve acquired.
MINI WORKSHOP IV:
The Job Search
Keep resumes current and cover letter skills honed. Create multiple versions of your resume;
re-tain copies of cover letters for your records as samples for the future.

Join professional associations or visit their web sites regularly. Get acquainted with your
profes-sional community and create networks for information and visibility.

Request informational interviews; ask questions of the pros and, if possible, visit the
environ-ments where they work.

Ask others about their own career paths. Your choices will be dierent, but hearing a variety of
career stories can give you invaluable insights, great ideas, and the condence to forge your
own path.

Network with professionals to talk about the eld, share information about job opportunities,
discuss career directions, and seek advice about the possible next career steps that eld experts
might imagine specically for you.

Create your own career advisory Board of Directors. So much can be learned from
individuals whose opinions you trust or whose ideas intrigue you, no matter where you are in
your professional career development. Teachers, supervisors, family members, roommates,
teammates, alumni/ae, and colleagues, at home and abroad, may become part of your personal
Board of Directors. With some you might discuss eld-specic or professional topics only,
while with others you may share more general or personal queries; some people become advisers
for a lifetime, while connections with others may gradually come to an end. Mentor
relationships often provide support, informa-tion, direction, and encouragement. As you and
your mentors benet from your relationships, re-member that you, too, may become a mentor to
someone seeking out your expertise and advice!

14

1. Where are you in your professional development? Are you a

student seeking short-term learning oppor-tunities, a senior or
recent graduate pursuing a new skill set through a rst full-time
job, an alum with professional experience looking for a new
position?
2. What are your job search objectives to explore a eld, to enter
the job market, transition to a new eld, or make a vertical move?

rals from friends and associates. Keep a record of all o

f the resources you consult as your job search
develops.
5. Use the information you obtained from
assessing your skills, interests, values, and job search
resources to identify potential elds and positions.
Consider available opportunities that are a good
match for you.

3. Is your job search tool kit in tip-top shape? Are you familiar
with how to customize your resume for a variety of potential
positions and employers? Do you feel condent about writing
eective cover letters? Are you familiar with networking and
informational interviewing?
4. List your current top ten job search resources (peo-ple, print, and
web). Start to add to these resources through informational
interviewing, web searches, professional conferences and
associations,
and
refer-

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VI. Ive Read the Booklet - Now What?

VII. Resources

Get involved. You can start with your school, city, employer, or community group by nding
out which organizations oer international opportunities such as internships or volunteer
options, partnerships/collaborations, research opportunities, and professional conferences right
where you are. Seek out experiences and projects that capitalize on common interests with
international col-leagues and institutional connections. Have a special skill? Share it with
international organiza-tions that would value your expertise.

WEB RESOURCES:
For a list of web resources, visit www.ocs.fas.harvard.edu/students/global-opportunities.

PRINT RESOURCES:
Learn a language and ne tune your intercultural skills. Language skills and intercultural
awareness are critical. They dont just smooth the way in international relations; they are the
key to understanding global questions in any eld and formulating a range of creative
responses.

**NOTE: All of the titles below are available in the OCS Reading Room. The Reading Room
is open Monday Friday from 9:00am 4:30pm. Resources are for in-house use only.

Professional Associations
Dynamic, up-to-the-minute global information: member lists, feature articles on individuals
and groups in the news, job and conference listings, and tips for young professionals.
Do your homework. Keep connected with the global news in your eld through newspapers,
journals, and the internet.

Anticipate that things will change. The marketplace, organizations, world situations, and,
most importantly, your interests and goals, will all evolve over time. Flexibility, enthusiasm,
curiosity, self-awareness, and continual learning will enhance your professional satisfaction and
propel your career to wherever in the world you decide to take it.

Associations Unlimited (An online version is available through

HOLLIS.) International Directory of Associations

International Directories by Industry

Locate your global collegial community! Industry- and country-specic listings may be alphabetical or by key word, country, or specialty.

The Bunting and Lyon Blue Book of Private Independent

Schools The Corporate Finance Sourcebook
Directory of American Firms Operating in Foreign
Countries Directory of Foreign Firms Operating in the
United States
Editor and Publisher International Year Book
Foreign Representatives in the U.S. Yellow
Book International Literary Marketplace
International Directory of Arts
International Directory of Little Magazines and Small
Presses International Research Centers Directory
Law and Legal Information
Directory Nature Biotechnology
Directory
Sports Marketplace
Directory The World of

Learning
World Chamber of Commerce Directory
16

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Work Opportunities Listings

Career Decision-Making Resources

Resources may be comprehensive, regional, or eld specic use all three!

Explore how the global aspects of your eld t into your personal career journey.

Comprehensive:
Delaying the Real
World The Gap Year
Book
Petersons Internships

OCS Publications (available in print and/or as PDF les on the

web): Self-Assessment: Choosing a Career Direction
Career Decision-Making

City/Country/Region:
Transitions Abroad (magazine)
Field-Specic:
The Human Rights Internship Book
International Career Employment
Weekly The International Educator
Internships in International Aairs

Job Search Skills Resources

Enhance your job search tool kit with global leadership in mind!
OCS Publications (available in print and/or as PDF les on the
web): Informational Interviewing
An Introduction to
Internships The Job Interview
The Senior Job
Search Work Abroad
Writing Letters
Writing a Resume
OCS Appointments:
Make an appointment with eld experts on the counseling sta. Call (617) 495-2595 to
schedule an appointment.
Career Skills Books:
101 Smart Questions to Ask on Your Interview
Put Your Science to Work: The Take-Charge Career Guide for Scientists
International Resume Advice:
OCS counselors can share tips and resources for building a resume for international work.
Daily resume reviews are held during the academic year at OCS. For more information, visit
www.ocs. fas.harvard.edu or call (617) 495-2595.

OCS Appointments:
Make an appointment with counseling sta to help assess your global career options.
Field-specic Career Series:
Career Opportunities In series ex.: Television and Cable, Education and
Related Services, Travel Industry, The Nonprot Sector
Wetfeet Careers In series ex.: Biotech and Pharmaceuticals,
Information Technology Real Estate, Brand Management
VGM Professional Careers series ex.: Communications, High Tech,
Architecture, Social and Rehabilitation Services, Government
Field-specic Career Volumes:
Working with the
Environment What Social
Workers Do
Careers for Foreign Language Acionados and Other Multilingual Types
Career Advice Books:
Do What You Are: Discover the Perfect Career for You through the Secrets
of Personality Type
Career Renewal: Tools for Scientists and Technical Professionals
Making a Living While Making a Dierence: The Expanded Guide to Careers with
a Conscience
Finding Your Perfect Work: The New Career Guide to Making a Living, Creating a
Life Smart Moves for Liberal Arts Grads: Finding a Path to Your Perfect Career
So What Are You Going to Do With That?: A Guide to Career Changing for M.A.s
and Ph.D.s
Mentors:
Colleagues, teachers, friends, and employers are everywhere in the world the membership
of your Career Board of Directors is up to you!

18

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Oce of Career
Services Harvard University
Harvard College and Graduate School of Arts & Sciences
54 Dunster St., Cambridge, MA 02138
Phone: (617) 495-2595
Fax: (617) 495-3584

www.ocs.fas.harvard.edu