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As a sophomore at the University of Missouri in the early '70s my roommate Janie and I decided we wanted to work in Europe for the summer. We sent away for brochures, waited the requisite six weeks, and when the brochures finally arrived spent countless hours pouring over them to learn what kinds of jobs we could have. If I remember correctly, it had a lot to do with living on a farm.
In the end we opted not to apply. My decision to not take the farming job was strictly based on fear. What if the brochure wasn't telling the truth? What if the working conditions were horrible- how would we get home? In those days, calling my parents in Richmond, Virginia from Columbia, Missouri was a big deal and something that was limited to Sundays and about 10 minutes.
The idea of going to a foreign country without the ability to stay in touch with family was very overwhelming to the 19 year-old me.
Turns out my instinct to work overseas would have been a savvy career move. According to Get Ahead by Going Abroad. A Woman's Guide to Fast-Track Career Success by C.Perry Yeatman and Stacie Nevadomski Berdan, taking an oversea assignment is the best way to break the glass ceiling.
In a phone conversation last week, co-author Stacie Berdan, who spent several years in Hong Kong working for Burson-Marsteller, said,
"Once you go abroad you're put on a totally different playing field. You're no longer a woman in finance. But you're Suzie who actually worked in Tokyo for three years." Berdan added, "It's not so much the fact that I'm wearing a skirt. It's about my capabilities and it's about my competencies. When we go overseas and we do a great job we're not so much looked at as just women or a mother with two children, we're looked at competent internationalists first."
The book is based on interviews with more than 200 female professionals who spent significant time overseas. It is part anecdotal - there are stories from more than 40 female executives who share their first-hand experiences, and it's part practical - the authors provide step-by step recommendations on how to land an overseas assignment and how to succeed once you are there.
What they discovered from their surveys is that being far away from headquarters can be a very good career move.
* 85 % agreed going overseas accelerated their careers
* 78 % agreed it had a significant impact on compensation
* 71 % agreed they were given increased responsibility earlier in their careers because of their international experience
* 53 % agreed an international experience is one of the best ways to break through the glass ceiling
Early in the book the authors address the issue of Gender Stereotyping.
Gender stereotyping is defined as a shared set of beliefs about purported qualities of females and males in a particular group. A great deal of research in the" United States over the past ten years indicates that gender stereotyping within the corporate environment continues to be one of several contributing factors limiting the advancement of women. The goal of this book is to offer advice to women on how to overcome some of these obstacles with a practical, relevant approach.
Yeatman and Berdan argue that while women's leadership style in the U.S. may be viewed by some as "too soft" ,it turns out to be the most desirable leadership style in cross -cultural situations.
In researching this book, we uncovered some interesting trends. It seems that many of the traits now deemed critical to business success in the international marketplace are also emerging as the critical ones for tomorrow's great leaders: adaptability, team building and inclusiveness. In addition, good communication and listening skills, cross -cultural competence, and the ability to influence, inspire and motivate despite conflict and stress serve business leaders well.
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As Berdan said in our phone conversation, "feminine traits do well overseas."
According to Pat Ewers of ExPatFacts, about 400,000 employees relocate internationally each year." While Berdan didn't have the percentage of women who make up that 400,000, she did say that the number of women taking overseas assignments have doubled or tripled since 1996 when she went to Hong Kong.
Want to work overseas? Visit the Escape Artist.com which has new job listings everyday.
Another great resource is Expat Women which has
