In an article in Transitions Abroad Magazine, Jennifer Hamm explains how more young professionals now are seeking work overseas than ever before.  The reasons for this are varied, but Margaret Malewski, author of GenXpat: The Young Professional’s Guide to Making a Successful Life Abroad, suggests that before, companies only dispatched senior staff abroad. Now, junior workers who demonstrate the desire to do so, can find work abroad because employers seek younger employees who are more flexible and mobile. The following are four basic tips for landing your dream job abroad.

1. Plan ahead.

It’s an indisputable truth–landing an international job is much more difficult than finding employment at home, the poor American job market notwithstanding. It will take a lot of planning and dedication. So the first step, really, is asking yourself if you really want to do this. If so, then start planning. If you’re still in school, then be sure to take classes in the language of your target country or countries. Consider studying abroad. Take classes with an international focus, like international business.

If you’re already working, find out whether your company has offices abroad. If so, then let HR know your interest in being transferred. Stephen Kantor, a twenty-eight-year-old banker who was assigned to work in Amsterdam for three years, explains that it was his assertiveness that got him the job. “No one was looking for me,” he said. “I looked at it as this is my career. This is something I want to do and the only one that is going to make it happen is me.”

If your company doesn’t have offices abroad, then consider taking a few months off to travel and volunteer, building some international experience and contacts along the way.

2. Get a Master’s degree

An MA is now considered standard for most international jobs, especially in the social sciences and business. Consider getting a Master’s degree abroad, too, so that you can build those all-important networks.

3. Travel and…Network!

If you don’t have any special skills that would make you more attractive than a local to an employer, then you probably aren’t going to seal the deal on a job abroad from home. This is especially true of Western European countries. In this case, you’re going to have to save some money, travel to your target country, and NETWORK.

Teaching English is a good way to earn a livable wage while looking for better job prospects and contacts. However, be advised that many schools require English as a second language teaching certificates. Consider doing freelance work in translation or editing, advertising private English lessons, or becoming an au pair for wealthy families interested in exposing their children to a different culture. All these jobs require some credentials or experience, but if you’re in-country and available, then employers are often willing to forego the credentials for convenience.

Also avail yourself of networking resources at home. Let everyone in your circle (cast your nets wide–include friends, family, alumni, professors, everyone) know that you want to work abroad. You never know who’ll have that connection that you need to find employment overseas.

4.  Tailor your resume…err CV.

Although they’re essentially the same thing, resumes are more commonly referred to as C.V.s abroad. Be aware that employers from different countries often expect something different than the resume you already have. For example, in the United States, it’s isn’t common practice to include a photo with your resume, but in many countries, it’s standard. For more information on international resumes, click here .

This guest post is contributed by Katheryn Rivas, who writes on the topics of accredited online universities.  She welcomes your comments at her email: katherynrivas87@gmail.com.

We’ve all got some big challenges to deal with these days: this wacky economy, maintaining cash flow, laying safety nets, building our companies, attracting more business, all while managing to stay sane and tenacious through these trying times.
That’s why we rolled up our sleeves and put ourselves to work on attacking this hairball of issues that literally can make or break your career…not to mention your spirits.

After months of all nighters and brutally long workdays, we’re finally ready to unveil a big new resource to help you find solutions to your biggest personal and professional challenges.

It’s called Fast Track to Success: 30 Days to Transform Your Life & Career.  Jam packed with perspective, inspiration and tips for leaping into action, this new tool is GUARANTEED to make a serious difference for you.  And you can take that to the bank!

How?  Fast Track is an online learning program that you can power through in as little as 30 days, 30 minutes a day.  Every lesson features online posts to read with full audio (read by me!) that you can download and listen to on the go if you’d prefer.  Then, once you’ve learned, it’s time to help you do.  Almost every lesson has a worksheet (or a few) designed to walk you though putting everything into action immediately.

Since this is all about getting to the next level, you’ll see not only your perspective, but outlook and opportunities evolve more and more every day!  We’ve even included a few videos to keep you fired up and opportunities every step of the way to share your thoughts or ask for help or advice from our team.  And again, we’re so confident this can help change your life for the better, we’re willing to guarantee it.  We’ll even send you a hard copy of our New York Times bestseller Secrets of the Young & Successful: How to Get Everything You Want Without Waiting a Lifetime as our gift.

To celebrate the launch of this new program, we’re going to spend the next 30 days sharing some of our best tips and tricks to take on this crazy economy on by storm, increase your opportunities, amp up your competitive advantage, and yes, make more money!

We want to share your best advice too, so keep your eyes peeled and we’ll offer plenty of opportunities on YoungandSuccessful.com, Facebook, LinkedIn and Twitter to share your expertise and experience too!  So stay tuned and help us spread the word about anything you find particularly useful to your friends and colleagues.  We’ll all fare better and find the success we crave and deserve if we bond together and become a force to be reckoned with.

Here’s to all of our success!

A week ago I was at home in LA writing an article on Expanding Your Comfort Zone, and today, I’m writing you on my way back from a last minute trip to Brazil.

Yes, it was for my mileage run (the final 12k miles to re-qualify for my Executive Platinum status on American Airlines) – well worth the effort I must say!  Traveling 100,000 miles a year for conferences, meetings, and speaking engagements can certainly be exhausting, but as I’m being reminded, it is up to us to enjoy the journey.  I could have easily crossed the US twice to rack up my final miles, but my wanderlust got the best of me again and I realized I was wasting a big opportunity if I didn’t take the chance to experience something new.  Brazil it was!

Over the past four days, I stole away for a long weekend in South America, a continent I’d never seen, but had always yearned to see.  I know four days sounds crazy for a trip like this, but as my aunt Joan used to tell me “at least you’ve seen it and if you like it, you can always go back.”  Not only did I see it, but I fell in love with it.

Let me paint a picture for you.  The first two days in Sao Paulo were interesting for sure.  A city of 20 million people, the population density is staggering, but not claustrophobic, as you might think.  The famed business capital of Brazil, and high-rise buildings are everywhere.  The best way I can describe it is from the most spectacular view of the city from the ultra chic Skye Bar stop of the aptly named Unique Hotel.  I’d never seen anything like it.  Once your eyes finished feasting on the striking decor of this rooftop restaurant and patio (like the sprawling lap pool lined with ruby colored venetian tiles that glowed fiery red under the lights), your eyes were drawn to the glass walls.  Looking out through this completely unobstructed view of the city, you quickly understood what made Sao Paulo so special.  Trees and greenery surrounded us in every direction, coving the most beautifully architected buildings to the scrappiest looking “favellas” (slums) in a blanket of foliage.  What really took me by surprise was the skyline – because it never ended.  In even the biggest of cosmopolitan cities, those with awe inspiring skylines – New York, Hong Kong, Sydney – the towering buildings are always clustered.  But here, they just went on and on and on.  A huge wall of densely packed structures completely circled us.  So, that’s where the 20 million people live!  Now it made sense…and felt so tangible.

With the weekend over and one day left before I had to head home and back to reality, I heard the words of friends and family ringing in my ear “you have to see Rio.”  I had no idea how I’d get there, where I’d go, or what I’d do, but at midnight the night before my last day I made up my mind.  I had to go, even if only for a few hours.  Getting the plane ticket from one of the local airlines (most of who’s staff, at best spoke broken English, and kind-of-sort-of understood my broken Spanish…thankfully close enough to Portuguese to be vaguely useful), were far more complicated than I’d ever imagined.  After hours frustrated and fumbling through the foreign airport, I managed to find a flight plan that would give me 8 hours in Rio.  A lot of hassle for a tiny window of time, but something wouldn’t let me pass up the opportunity.  Thank god I didn’t give up, because I ended up discovering my favorite place on earth.

I must first though thank my amazing tour guide Joao and my old friend Fabrizio (who happened to be in Sao Paulo) for recommending him to make the most of my precious few hours.  Also, another great friend from college, my long lost Italian buddy who checked out of the high paced NY life and disappeared to South American many years ago, for racing me around the city, and filling me in on all the salacious details to get the sweetest possible first taste of this mecca.

Rio de Janeiro is breathtaking.  It’s like a cross between Tahiti, Miami, Honolulu, Hong Kong, the south of Spain, and what I’d imagine Kauala Lampur to be like, all in one, and dripping with that relaxed yet spicy Latin culture.  Flying in, around the iconic mountain top statue of Christo (Christ) hovering high above the Brazilian people was nothing compared to seeing it up close.  I’m not sure if it’s one of the 7 wonders of the world, but it should be.

Copacabana, Ipanema and LeBland beaches were everything the stories, songs and movies always said they’d be, and more.  But the pinnacle of the trip, and the most breathtaking view I’ve ever seen in my life was from the top of Sugarloaf mountain.  After two cable cars way way up, my Italian friend and I spent hours staring mesmerized at the city, the numerous beaches carved out of the land into little nooks, and all the cafes and restaurants and hotels that lined the ocean.  The topography was like nothing you’ve ever seen, dotting the ocean with plush green islands whose towering jagged hills, crashed into the gentle waves.  Every few minutes, a powerful brightly lit jet plane would appear out in the distance through the mountain range and curve around the bend gliding into it’s final approach, then skillfully nestle into the tiny airstrip which is the Santos airport in downtown Rio.  It was like watching a strapping professional dancer gracefully make an approach from off stage to his partner, and in one swift move, snatch her up into his arms as if there was no where else she belonged.

As the sun set and the clock was ticking before I had to race to the airport for my long trip home, you couldn’t have torn me away from the view for anything in the world.  I just kept thinking, this is the last thing I want to see before I die.  I didn’t want to leave.  I couldn’t imagine leaving.  It was like having to wake up to reality from the most wonderful of dreams.  I don’t know if anything will ever compete with sunset in Rio de Janeiro.

So, here I am, back on my computer, tucked into my plane seat in the most familiar of places in the world for me yet again, and I just have to pinch myself.  Another 100,000 miles flown, another year almost gone, another mileage run adventure logged in my passport and emblazoned in my head with the precious of memories, and I’m still amazed I flew all the way to Brazil for the weekend!  But I wouldn’t trade the experience for anything.  My comfort zone was definitely stretched a bit on this one, but as in so many cases, it reminded me just how much what lies beyond our own world can be so staggeringly wonderful and life changing…if we give it a chance.

Our last post by Emily Bennington, Crash Course in Japanese Etiquette Part 1,  covered a a few cultural norms to be aware of when meeting with Japanese businessmen and women. The following is a continuation of those ideas, but with a focus on customs that may be misinterpreted or misunderstood by us Westerners.

The Greeting: During introductions and greetings, shaking hands is perfectly acceptable. Avoid bowing. Since there are various levels of bowing, if you aren’t familiar with the differences, it’s best to stay away from it completely. Example: The 90 degree angle bow is usually reserved for very high-ranking executives. I’ve heard stories, though, of Americans traveling abroad who gave full bows to the hotel doorman. This isn’t the worse faux pas in the world (probably made the doorman feel great), but underscores the need to know the different levels of bowing before you attempt it at all.

The Head Nod: Just because your Japanese host or guest may nod as you speak, this does not indicate that they understand or agree with what you are saying.  They nod to acknowledge they hear you and to recognize that you hold the floor. V-e-r-y different meanings.

The Long Pause: When natural pauses in conversation occur, we often feel highly uncomfortable.  In Japan, however, these pauses are not considered awkward at all. They are a time for reflection on what has just been said and frequently go on for 10 seconds or more.  Do not feel compelled to “jump in” and break the silence – use the opportunity to be more thoughtful in your response as well.

The Pour: In Japan, you do not pour your own beverage.  Your host will pour your drink for you and, in turn, you pour beverages for your guests (if any). Bear in mind that as your glass gets empty, however, someone at the table will continue to fill it – if only to remind you that it’s time to fill THEIR glass.  Since it’s considered rude to refuse a pour, if you don’t want to overindulge, it’s best not to finish your drink.

This is obviously just scratching the surface of Japanese etiquette but, as stated before, you can get away with a lot as long as you’re trying to be polite. Please stay tuned to YSN for more updates on this topic and good luck in all of your cross-cultural interactions!

This post is from Emily Bennington, author of Effective Immediately: How to Fit In, Stand Out, and Move Up on Your First Real Job. Emily can be found on Twitter @EmilyBennington or via email ebennington@msn.com.

Related Posts:

• A Crash Course in Japanese Etiquette Part 1
• How Global Relationships Can Enrich Your Life
• The Edge You May Not Be Thinking About

It’s that time of year again. 3 months to go before the end.  December 31: My annual day of air mile reckoning. Can I make it 100k miles again, or not?

For anyone who travels a lot, I’m guessing you’ll appreciate this.  If you don’t, humor me, and if you can help me, perhaps there’s a little something for you in it too.

A few months ago, I hit one of the biggest milestones I ever anticipated reaching as a road warrior: I flew one million miles on American Airlines.  Yes, I did it. At 36, I’m now a million miler.

Was it exciting? Well, yeah, sort of. Depressing?  A little.  But then I thought about all the incredible places I’d been, the people I’d met, the adventures on the road and was reminded that I have truly been blessed.  (I’ll just for a minute forget the hundreds of hours in airport waiting rooms,  delays, cancellations, ground stops, perpetual sleep deprivation, cranky passengers, cranky me, etc.  A modest price to pay overall.)

At this point in my travel career, my ability to maintain a certain level status with the airline – specifically, Executive Platinum – which took me forever to finally attain in the first place, makes a tremendous difference in how easily, comfortably, and sanely I’m able to traverse the globe and still keep our business at home going and growing.  So, at this stage, it’s 100k or bust.

Last year, to maintain my EP status I did a “mileage run” to Dublin, Ireland in the final days of the year.  While I hadn’t realized this before, there are actually a lot of frequent fliers traveling like mad on random trips in December just to accumulate their final qualification miles. Good news is, I had a blast, and even made a great new friend in the tech world.

So, now you see why I’m starting to sweat a bit.  Travel slowed down for all of us this year and now I’m going to pay the price if I don’t act quick.  I’m looking at somewhere around a 15k mile shortfall to make up for.

Always the creative problem solver, Scott came up with an intriguing idea: Offer to speak for free somewhere on the other side of the planet to a group who can’t afford your usual fees but would be happy to take care of your travel expenses.  Genius!

Calling all non-profit leaders, school administrators, corporate trainers, student groups and community activists.  Want me to come meet with, speak to, or lead a workshop for a wonderful group, team or conference you’re planning between now and December 15th, 2009?  Let’s talk!  You cover travel and expenses and I’ll hop on a plane to come visit you in Africa, Asia, Europe, the Middle East or Australia, and waive my usual $10-15,000 US in fees. Seriously!

But the catch is, I can only do one or two trips, so get your pitch in quick so we can pick the most interesting one, book it and plan a fabulous experience all around.  We can also document the whole adventure from start to finish and share it online with our friends, fans and followers around the world.

Now how fun does this sound???

For more information or to explore some possibilities, please contact Monique Peltz asap!  I’ll be in about 5 different cities in the mean time.