Preparing For An International Job That Needs Multilingual Skills

By Author: Jason Smith
Total Articles: 27
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For any job seeker, an international posting is always an attractive proposition. Most of us would not let go of such an opportunity. Living in a new country, getting to learn a new language and a culture, seeing all the beautiful places the country has to offer, and all this on the employers’ expense are probably the main reasons why an expat employee is attracted to his international job. Most foreign postings also come with additional perks such as free housing, two way flight tickets for the family and school education for the kids.
Now that we have established most of the merits of taking up an international offer, we will also see below some simple ways to adjust to a new country especially if the language is different.
Learning a New Language
Most expat employees make the mistake of not appreciating the fact that the country they may be travelling to may not speak English. This is a real problem if your work-place does not speak English. If you have applied for a German Job, do not expect your colleagues to speak English. While most Germans may understand English, the situation can be much ...
... worse if you have applied for a Japanese job or a French job. In these two countries, English is hardly spoken.
So, how do you adjust to such a work environment? It’s obvious, isn’t it? Learn the new language. Normally, an international job posting will have an advance notice of at least a month. Thirty days is sufficient to get a basic knowledge of any foreign language. If you enrol for a language class, you should be able to comfortably find out directions, manage basic greetings and simple communication. It is very important that you invest time on learning the language. Making this a family affair will be even better. Your spouse can learn to do grocery shopping; your kids can manage simple communication in school and so on. In fact, the whole experience of learning a new language is good to get your family used to the idea of moving.
Studying the Culture
There are many things that may be acceptable in your society, but may be offensive to somebody else. This is very true when you migrate across borders. Make sure that you and your family know the dos and don’ts. A simple online search should give you enough ideas on what is culturally acceptable.
Making Sure that Your Business Language is Right
You are likely to win the appreciation of your colleagues much faster if they know that you have put in a lot of effort into learning their language. Whether you are offered a French job, a German Job or a Japanese job, make sure that you get a hold of the business language used quickly. You might have memos circulated in Japanese almost every day, and you do not want to be seen running with it to your colleague.