International Assignments – What They Will And Won’t Do For Your HR Career

Let’s say your HR career is on track, but you really want to kick it into high gear. Which of the following options will get you to the top of the corporate ladder the fastest?

Option #1: “Hit the books” and get your MBA, Masters, or PhD

Option #2: “Learn the business” in a line role and take a brief hitatus from HR

Option #3: “Pack your bags” and accept that big title and international assignment in China

 If you are like most type A career climbers, you probably grabbed your passport, your traveling lawn gnome, and were headed out the door faster than you could say CHRO.  Fortunately for you, the Academy of Management has just saved you a bundle in moving boxes and packing tape by dispelling one of the greatest myths in corporate America; namely that international assignments are a one-way ticked to the C-suite. 

In studying 1001 executives from US and Europe, they found that a little something called facetime still matters even in the age of the internet.  

Executives assigned to work abroad can lose out because they are unplugged from the valuable social networks at corporate headquarters—what Hamori and Koyuncu call “the out-of-sight, out-of-mind” effect. This is consistent with previous studies that found that nearly half of repatriated executives left their company within two years of returning to their home country, largely because of concerns about career advancement.”

With Hamori and Koyuncu popping our expat bubble and dashing our hopes for a corner office, let’s take a deeper look at why an international assignment can still be a smart career move: 

1. Personal & Professional Growth – When you accept an international assignment you are guaranteed to learn more about yourself than you might have imagined or even bargained for.  Growth is all about getting past and breaking free from your comfort zone. When you move to a new country, are immersed in a different culture, and accept the responsibly of a larger role,  you have no choice but to grow both personally and professionally.
2. Leadership Skills- There are very few experiences that will transform your leadership ability like an international assignment.  You have to adapt to a unfamiliar environment, build relationships quickly, establish credibility, and manage a new team all while delivering exceptional results. While the words, ”trial by fire,” come to mind so does the enormous opportunity to come out of the experience a stronger leader.
3. Broader Experience – It should go without saying that you don’t take an international role to get more experience doing the same work you could have done at home. Sure, you might have some overlap in your current duties, but while you are overseas you need to be thinking 24/7 about expanding your HR toolkit.
4. Big Picture Thinking – We all like to think we see the big picture, but it isn’t until you have seen the world from an international perspective that you truly start to understand what the word “global” really means.   
5. Credibility – Been there, done that, got the t-shirt. Once you have international experience on your resume it is yours for life. Being able to share in meetings how you overcame a similar challenge during your two year stint in Hong Kong is not only good for your career, it will also get people’s attention.

Personally, I was fortunate enough to get a 4-month project working and living in London and while I totally understand that some people like Kris Dunn, The HR Capitalist would rather stay close to the mothership, it was one of the best experiences in my life.

Photo Credit: Saitor