Mr. Dunn,

I've recently been asked by my bosses about my interest in positions in our company outside of the US. The positions would all be promotions, and I'd love to live abroad, but I'm not sure about my long-term commitment to this particular company. What are your thoughts about taking an international position and then, once abroad, looking for another job?

Livin’ strong,
Miles Scurme

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Miles-

Great to hear from you again, and I’m glad to see you’ve landed in a good spot after graduation!

Those are two big questions about your future with your existing company.

I’ll take the easy one first: should you consider relocating to an international segment of your company?

YES! At this point of your career and your personal life, gaining experience internationally is a must.  Much has been written about how the market place is now global, and understanding the culture and customers of different countries is essential to the future leaders. Usually, the time spent in an international assignment is between three and five years. The experience you will gain from this assignment will make you a much more valuable asset for this company or wherever you land next.  You will probably be asked to stay on (if you are getting the results the company needs), and my guess is that you will do great! Your value and pay grade will increase as much (or more!) than if you continue your career stateside, I believe. You must take advantage of living abroad and, when you do, really immerse yourself into the culture and learn the language and history of wherever you land. 

The second point is a tougher question. You have only been at your company for a couple years, and you have done quite well.  This type of move will involve a level of trust for the leadership of the company and their commitment to your career path.  If you feel there are some core problems with this fit (i.e. values, development, growth potential, etc.), then I think you may need to address this first.  Moving across the pond for three years may not solve serious issues you may have. If your concerns are just a poor boss or his/her lack of leadership, well, welcome to the real world, my friend. I would argue that you should never leave a company because of a bad boss.  You shoud leave a company when your values no longer align or the future growth of the company is not a good fit with your core competencies. A bad boss will eventually get what’s coming to them… usually later than sooner, but everyone gets what they deserve in life.

So, figure out first why this company doesn’t feel right and if it’s deeper than a crummy boss or assignment or performance review, it’s time to find the right place.  If it’s only the current situation, pack those bags and get on the boat!

Thanks again for your note, and congrats on your continued success. Please keep me posted on your journey!

Live strong,
Kevin Dunn