Taking a Foreign Flier
In the global age, an overseas assignment could be just the answer for your resume
There's no question globally savvy employees can have a huge impact on a business--and not only on its bottom line. When Wayne Hinman volunteered to go to Singapore in the mid-'90s for Air Products and Chemicals, the manufacturer of industrial gases and chemicals was bringing in about $400 million in revenue in Asia. After a four-year stint overseeing the construction of new plants, forming joint ventures, and investing in supply chains, Hinman had pushed revenues closer to $1 billion.
Moving up. More important, though, were the less-quantifiable effects his work had on company strategy. In the 1990s, Air Products' biggest customer was an American company. At the end of this year, though, for the first time, it will probably be Samsung. "We're capturing that shift," says Hinman. He came back to a top executive position at the company and was recently promoted to vice president of global merchant gases; now he spends a lot of his time nurturing young managers who will be working overseas in the future.
Assignments to international positions are still not without their pitfalls. They can be a major strain on dual-career families, and while companies do their best to help spouses find work while they're abroad, 4 out of 5 are still unemployed.
For some expats, of course, the old problem of being warehoused after returning from an overseas assignment lingers. A study published last month by GMAC Relocation Services found that nearly 1 in 4 workers leaves his or her job within one year of returning from an overseas assignment--usually after getting a better offer.
Which, of course, presents those given the opportunity to work overseas with an interesting dilemma: The job may be a strain on your family, your marriage, and your kids. It may, ultimately, even cause you to cut ties with your current employer. But as a career move, in the long run, it's clear: There doesn't seem to be a better choice you can make.
advertisement
