Sarah Keizer tells you what you need to know if you want to work abroad. She discusses the realities of working abroad, and discusses the opportunities and challenges.

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After college, Sarah started looking for jobs in upstate New York, but had to keep her mind open because of the recession. She ended up getting a job in Chicago that sent her to Europe, and then she joined ING, where her reach is global. Some obvious challenges in working abroad are language, money, and cultural norms. Other unforeseen challenges can be different ways of getting work done, different feedback processes, and different ways of relating to people. Also, when moving to another region or country, there are two types of adjustments people need to make: personal and professional. At first, everything is new, exciting, scary, but then you go through a personal transition where you get to know yourself and learn how you can deal with the new environment. In addition, you need to rebuild professional connections and support networks, and perhaps learn new technical skills. Sarah says that the experience stretches you incredibly and pushes you to grow. Some things to be aware of when working abroad are (1) if you are interested in an international career, let people know you are open to it, (2) even if you are monolingual, don’t limit yourself to English speaking countries, (3) recognize that it is a two-way investment – the move needs to benefit yourself and the company, (4) get to know the company and the culture before you go, (5) don’t sweat the small stuff – the move won’t go completely smoothly, (6) appreciate the experience and get to know the area and the language, (7) build networks in local and home countries and, (8) be open and prepared for anything and look to build yourself personally.

Al discusses the theory of Happenstance, and how taking advantage of unexpected opportunities can impact your career. Al explains how to take advantage of unplanned events and use them to advance your career.

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Al Levin, is the co-author of Luck Is No Accident: Making the Most of Happenstance in Your Life and Career with Dr. John Krumboltz of Stanford University. After seeing how unexpected events can make a huge difference in a career path, Al and his colleague came up with the theory of Happenstance. Al notes that this concept applies even more today, since technology, globalization and other rapid changes in the work place makes it more difficult to have a set plan. While many career counselors advise choosing a career goal and sticking with it, Al stresses the importance of taking advantage of unexpected opportunities that may not necessarily fit into your plan, giving examples from his own experience. For young professionals searching for jobs, Al suggests that young professionals need to be open to opportunities they didn’t plan for, since there will be opportunities if they are open minded than if they are focused on one goal. His three strategies for advancing your career are keep your options open and explore, take action even when you are not sure of the outcome, and go for the job, even when you don’t have all the necessary skills, because learning on the job is part of the process.