Global Careers

You did it: marketed your global skills, demonstrated your expertise, and you have an offer for an overseas job. Now, you need to get an accurate picture of the position and your responsibilities before you accept. Your first step is to clarify the following 10 points in as much detail as possible, keeping in mind that this list covers the most important elements when you are considering the offer.

1. Your Position: Request a detailed job description, including the exact title, roles, responsibilities, and the key objectives by which your performance will be measured. If you will supervise a team, ask for their levels, titles, years of experience, reporting lines (if not 100 percent to you), and overall roles in the organization and on your team. You can also use this document in your annual performance review. It will also be helpful if management changes during your time abroad.
2. Length of Your Assignment: There should be a minimum and maximum time allocation for your assignment and a clear delineation of what happens if either is not met. It is in everybody’s best interest to have a plan in place should the opportunity to extend the assignment arise. To that end, determine what criteria would be used to make that extension, and leave yourself some flexibility in case you decide to stay on.
3. Your Reporting Structure: Find out specifically to whom you report and where that person is based. Although it is not part of the contract, you’ll also want to know your supervisor’s experience, background, and nationality. And if you’re looking to use this international experience to grow your career, try to determine if you can learn from this supervisor.  
4. Your Expected Work Schedule. The hours in a typical workday differ in markets around the world, as do the days in a workweek and which days constitute a weekend (e.g., some weekends are Saturday and Sunday; some are Friday and Saturday). Many times, whether formally stated or not, you will be expected to work or be available on both the local schedule and the parent company's schedule. Be sure to clarify how much travel, either in-country or out of it, is expected of you.
5. Your New Office Culture and Climate: Ask as many questions as you have about the internal culture and environment of the office or plant where you’ll be based, including any issues, problems, successes, and/or failures this location has had in the last eighteen months. You’ll be better positioned to understand how you can make a difference. For instance, if you’re expected to be leading an underperforming location, you’ll gear up differently than if you’re expected to be one of several expats being transferred into an already successful location.
6. Cross-Cultural Training: Confirm whether you will have the opportunity to undergo cross-cultural training before your departure. Although some companies have a solid onboarding program as part of the expat package, many don’t. If yours doesn’t, consider requesting it as part of your package, as studies show that employees who receive solid cross-cultural training tend to transition much better both into a new market and back to the old. Many companies specialize in cross-cultural training, so you can find a format that works best for you.
7. Site Visit: Determine whether you will be allowed at least one company-sponsored site visit before you accept the offer — preferably with your family if they will be moving with you — to explore your potential new home. You’ll need to spend at least three days, although a whole week is even better. If the company doesn’t cover a site visit, you should request the opportunity to speak with a few people who’ve lived there, preferably on assignment with the company, to gather their valuable insights. Consider financing your own visit if you can afford it, or working with a relocation specialist. Learn as much as you can about the location and culture in advance. You can even integrate things like cooking local meals or practicing the language to hype yourself and your family up for the move.
8. Long-Term Plan: Clarify what the company expects from you when you return to your home base. It’s crucial to ensure that you will have a position that is either equal to your role overseas or a promotion when you return. In addition, ask to be considered for advanced positions that leverage your newly acquired international skills. Sometimes you may need to stay in-country a bit longer or leave early to get the next plum assignment, but if both you and your company want to make the most of your international business experience, it will probably come to pass.
9. Reasons for the Transfer: Do your best to understand all the reasons the company is transferring you and why it believes you’ll be successful. Ask questions of HR, your current supervisor, and others who have been involved in the decision-making process, including the local team in the country and region in which you’ll be working. You’ll want to find out what they expect of you, and the best way to find out is to ask — preferably before or during the site visit. Many times, you’ll find that what your head office expects of you is different than what the local office wants or needs. A certain amount of this dynamic tension is to be expected. However, you want to be sure the two positions are not completely at odds with each other, as this will put you in a lose-lose situation. In addition, ask why your company — both HQ and the local hiring team — believes that you will be successful. Understanding their expectations before you agree can prove critical to success.
10. Effect on Family. You will need to determine whether this position will enable you to fulfill your personal responsibilities. If your family is moving with you, have discussions about the impact on each individual and the family; they’re taking a big leap with you, so you do your best to make it a good fit. Many times, overseas postings include a great deal of travel, long days, and lots of evening entertaining. Only you can decide if you’ll be able to manage, though many professionals have done so — and extremely well.

For more information, check out Get Ahead by Going Abroad.

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