Global Careers

Originally appeared in Huffington Post

Not since the Great Depression has the current crop of recentgrads faced more difficult job prospects. Not only is the U.S. economy in badshape with the jobless rate holding steady at 9.1 percent, recent developmentsclearly indicate that it’s not getting better any time soon. By all estimates,Europe seems to be in equally bad shape.

Faster recovery outside the U.S. further complicates the picture for young Americans looking for jobs because it’s not coming from yesterday’s “plum” markets like the UK, Germany or Switzerland. With Europe’s credit and banking crisis seeming to get worse by the day, there are now several reports that Brazil, Russia, India and China may look to buy up a portion of sovereign debt from troubled European nations. According to the International Monetary Fund (IMF), some of the greatest economic growth is coming from China (10.3%), Singapore (14.4%), India (10.5%) and Brazil (7.5%) versus the U.S. (2.8%). Increases in hiring in 2011 can be found in Hong Kong —which boasts less than 3 % unemployment — China, India, Singapore, Brazil and the UAE. The Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa (BRICS) economies together are worth about $12 trillion, compared with $15 trillion for the U.S. economy; by 2020, their economies should pass that of the United States.

And this is where the jobs are and will continue to be.Whatever you personally think of globalization is somewhat irrelevant. The factof the matter is that globalization is already here; and not only is it here tostay, its pervasiveness is destined to expand. Most employers alreadyunderstand that. They want and need globally-minded and experiencedemployees. American grads need to be prepared to work internationally —which does not necessarily mean working abroad, but it does mean embracing theworld.

Yet competition is fierce as detailed in this video on the changing dynamics of the world. The stakes are high for high school, undergradand grad students, as well as recent grads and new professionals just startingtheir careers. Yet times of change offer the possibility of positive as well asnegative transformation. As politicians have pointed out — too often withoutacting on their own understanding — the Chinese word for “crisis” (“weiji”) ismade up of two characters: one meaning “danger” and the other “opportunity.”Today’s job seekers must focus less on the dangers of today’s global economictransformation, and more on the opportunities it creates.

As an example, opportunities evolve in particular industriesaround the world. In the survey I conducted for my latest book, Go Global! Launching an International Career Here or Abroad,the top five sectors listed as having highest growth potential are: energy, healthcare/pharmaceuticals, telecommunications, finance and education. Butthese trends can shift and so you’d be wise to keep your eye on stocks, mediareports and industry indicators to figure out where the sustainable growth is. Following a wide range of credible news will help you sort fact from fictionand short-term blips from long-term trends.

The possibilities are endless and cross all sectors be itprivate, not-for-profit, government, non-governmental organizations andacademia. Don’t make the mistake of thinking “not in my field” because itprobably isn’t true. For example, a budding scientist may end up in a newresearch lab just hatched in India. Communications majors might do social mediastrategy for consumer products in China. Educators may receive grants toresearch foreign language development in Russian children. Liberal arts majorsmay work on campaigns supporting healthy eating in Brazil.

So the real choice — for those preparing for or justbeginning their careers — is to either embrace globalization or find yourselfleft even further behind.

But how exactly can young Americans gain the skillsnecessary to building a successful international career? And exactly how canjob seekers best find an international job?

The first step is to Think Globally — cultivate a globalmindset. Make a point of watching, listening to, and reading world news. Pay attention particularly to overarching global events and international businesstrends. Secure a world atlas and study the countries in the headlines, not just the ones that interest you. If you read a foreign language, check out onlinenews sources in that language to get a more nuanced sense of what’s going on. Follow my blog and others’ on global career news.

Next, build your international credentials. Study foreignlanguages and cultures. Volunteer, study or intern abroad. Take a class or twothat offers global extensions. Broaden your horizons with cross-cultural music,arts, book, movies and people that interest you. Travel. If you prepare to workin an interconnected world, you will have exponentially greater careeropportunities as you build your global brand – and international resume.

Finally, develop a strategy and action plan that includesdoing your research, networking and presenting the global you in every exchangewith potential employers. Developing a global mindset, building aninternational resume and pursuing an international career, whether here orabroad, will increase your odds of landing a job today.

These are some of the many topics covered in my newbook, GO GLOBAL! Launching an International Career Here or Abroad, a book inspired by my last four years of speaking on campuses across thecountry. I decided to compile the information I shared – and that which thestudents, professors and counselors found to be most useful and important –into a straightforward, easy-to-read and inexpensive eBook. I presentstep-by-step advice on how students and young professionals can develop therequisite skills and conduct the due diligence to identify and land a job.

Although an international career may not have crossed yourmind yet, or perhaps you’ve rejected it thinking it’s not for you, think again.Globalization is here and now and happening, faster every year, so all of us —especially high school, undergrad and grad students — will need to figure outhow to deal with it. Go #goglobal