Seeking Expats in the United States for Short-Term Research Project

Hi Everyone, Following on from our recent blog posts looking for expats to help with research assignments (small honorariums apply) on behalf of someone who is creating an online job search support system for international professionals, primarily expat spouses/partners...

Expats are now needed for the following cities in the US:

• Atlanta
• Boston
• Charlotte
• Chicago
• Cincinnati
• Dallas
• Denver
• Detroit
• Fort Worth
• Houston
• Los Angeles
• Miami
• Minneapolis
• New York City
• Philadelphia
• Phoenix
• Pittsburgh
• Raleigh
• Sacramento
• San Antonio
• San Francisco
• San Jose
• Seattle
• St Louis
• Washington, DC
• Any other major US city, if the researcher has a strong knowledge of job sources/networks in their city

If you are willing to help and you have been an expat in one of the cities above for at least six months, you have a good understanding of how an expat might find work in your location, and you can commit to completing the approx. 15-20 hour project (yes, these are shorter projects than the 20-25 hour ones for previous locations requested), please urgently get in touch with us (and tell us your city) for more information. Thanks.

Note: In this first wave of US cities, the research director prefers current expatriates rather than repatriates, as expats 'see' things from a different perspective. Thanks and enjoy your weekend!

New Conference in Oman, January 2009

Hi Everyone, It's official, the International Relocation and Mobility Conference (IRMC): Strategies for Successful International Living is going ahead in Muscat, Oman: January 18-19, 2009.

"IMRC will bring together professionals from around the world to discuss the impact of global relocations on internationally mobile families. Experts will address such topics as education and youth issues, Third Culture Kids, adjustments and resiliency in children, mental health issues for families, employment and identity issues for spouses and caregivers, and the role of schools, counselors, educators, and human resource professionals in meeting this need."

Speakers include: Rebecca Grappo; Jo Parfitt; Robin Pascoe; Jane Bickmore-Jaffer; Dr. Shama Rasheed; Ann Houston Kelly; and Susan Bagyura.

If you have been looking for an excuse to explore Oman and that fascinating part of the world, check out the conference website today. Early bird registration is OMR 153 (or around US$400).

If you cannot go, but know someone else who might be interested, please help the organisers to spread news of this exciting new conference. Thanks.

Update On Need For Short-Term Researchers

Hi Everyone, Just a quick update on last week's blog post urgently seeking short-term researchers on behalf of someone who is creating an online job search support system for international professionals – primarily expat spouses/partners.

Here is an update on the locations that still need researchers (the most urgent ones in red) for the 20-25+ hour research assignment (small honorarium applies):

• Angola
• China-Guangzhou, Guangdong Province
• China-Nanjing, Jiangsu Province
• China-Tianjin
• China-Shenzhen, Guangdong Province
• China-Xiamen, Fujian Province
• China-Chongqing
• China-Shenyang
• China-Xian
• Equatorial Guinea
• Finland
• France (someone based in Paris) (new listing)
• India-Mumbai
• India-Chennai
• India-Bangalore
• Spain (someone based in Madrid or Barcelona) (new listing)
• South Africa (new listing)
• Taiwan
• Thailand (someone based in Bangkok)

"The research includes using the country profile survey (and template) that will be provided to identify appropriate job search information relevant to expatriates who will be moving to your current country. Such information includes: web sites; business cultural information; social and business networks; resume and interview information relevant to the country in question; and other related job search material."

So, if you are willing to help and you have been an expat in your location for at least six months, you have a good understanding of how an expat might find work in your location, and you can commit to a December 15 deadline (this can be extended a little, if requested upfront), please urgently get in touch with us (and mention the location that you are interested in) for more information.

Thanks and best wishes for your weekend!

FIGT Executive Director Vacancy

Hi Everyone, Know anyone who might be interested in the part-time Executive Director role (replacing the much-loved Joyce Blake after the upcoming FIGT Conference) to start around April 2009?

"Families in Global Transition, Inc. (FIGT), based in the United States, seeks a part-time Executive Director with a desire to work for a leading edge non-profit educational organization with an international, national, and local presence. The position requires a creative, innovative and entrepreneurial approach to developing global partnerships, enhancing the strong profile of FIGT, and directing the organization's fundraising and marketing efforts.

Reporting to the FIGT Board of Directors, the Executive Director has responsibility for overall strategic leadership of the day to day management of FIGT, associate programs and services, website development and maintenance, and conference planning.

Compensation will be commensurate with applicant qualifications. Resumes will be accepted until 15 Dec 2008. For a Position Description and list of preferred Qualifications, please contact Sandy Thomas. Thanks."

Goodbye Norma McCaig - Founder Of The Term 'Global Nomad'

Hi Everyone, Some very sad news: Norma McCaig, who coined the term 'global nomad' in 1984 and tirelessly raised awareness of TCKs (Third Culture Kids), passed away last week in her home in Reston, Virginia, US, due to complications from cancer.

Norma once said: "Global nomads are very good mediators. Whenever TCKs move into another culture, they become very good, objective observers. They’re like cultural sponges. Those skills translate into ideal requirements for combating racism and advancing social and refugee work."
Source: Brice at tckid

"Norma's ground-breaking work in this field, which she began in the 1980s, inspired so many of us. She will be missed not only by those lucky enough to have known and worked with her, though, but also by thousands of children who grew up as global nomads never knowing that it was Norma who had given words and a voice to their unique lives."
Source: Robin Pascoe, The Expat Expert, ExpatExpertBlog

"Now, with three major pioneers of this field gone…Ruth Hill Useem, Dave Pollock, and Norma J McCaig…the greatest honor for them all is that each of you in the ‘next generation” build on their gift to us all and continue to see how to take lessons learned and help find ways to bring new understanding of how our global changes affect children everywhere and of all backgrounds."
Source: Ruth van Reken, co-author of Third Culture Kids, on tckid

The Stevie Awards 2008 & 2009

Hi Everyone, Congratulations go out this week to the winners (announced last Friday at a special ceremony in New York) and finalists of the 2008 Stevie Awards.

"The Stevie Awards were created to honor and generate public recognition of the achievements and positive contributions of organizations and business people worldwide. Beginning with The American Business Awards in 2002, The International Business Awards in 2003, The Stevie Awards for Women in Business in 2004, and the Stevie Awards for Sales & Customer Service in 2006, our mission is to raise the profile of exemplary organizations and individuals among the press, the business community, and the general public. In short order the Stevie has become one of the world's most coveted awards. All women entrepreneurs and executives worldwide are eligible to participate in the awards."

Request your Entry Kit for the 2009 awards - it will be sent to you by email in May 2009. Any number of entries may be submitted to any number of the 50 categories. The same entry may be submitted to multiple categories.

So go on, get inspired, check out this year's winners and request a kit for yourself for next year!

Expat ROI

Hello again, Just a quick link to an interesting article about Expat ROI (return on investment) on Human Resource Executive Online...

"So what exactly is your company's return on investment after sending an employee on an international assignment? (Don't worry; most other companies don't know the answer, either.)

After paying for flights, housing or schools, HR executives are all too familiar with shelling out big dollars for employees on international assignments, but calculating the return on that investment can be extremely illusive.

Only 3 percent of companies are able to track ROI for international placements, according to the International Assignments Survey 2008, a new analysis of more than 200 multinational firms by New York-based consultancy Mercer."

Click Here to read more.

Living in Australia? Online Divas & Mexico Films

Hello Everyone, If you are living in Australia, you might like to check out the following upcoming events that promise to be lots of fun:

Online Divas
If you have been looking for an online and offline networking group that brings young entrepreneurial women together, who all share a common vision - running an online business and working in the online world - Online Divas might just be your answer.

Upcoming Events:
Sydney: 25 November 2008
Melbourne: 17 February 2009
Brisbane: 19 May 2009

Hola Mexico Film Festival
If you are interested in movies from Mexico, plus supporting a great cause (Mision Mexico, which will soon be featured on Expat Women), take a look at this year's program, which can be seen in:

Sydney: 25 November - 7 December
Adelaide: 3 - 7 December
Brisbane: 9 - 14 December
Canberra: 11 - 14 December
Melbourne: 15 - 21 December

Anyone willing to volunteer at the events to sell Mision Mexico Christmas cards, please contact Deborah. Thanks, Andrea.

Got Time This Weekend?

Hi Everyone, If you have time this weekend to write a story for our Expat Women Stories section or give some advice in our City Experiences section, we would truly appreciate your help.

These sections are read every month by women who are typically hungry to hear what experienced expats like yourselves have to say.

Thanks so much to anyone who can help! Andrea.

Movie: Revolutionary Road

Hi Everyone, Have you heard about the upcoming movie Revolutionary Road, directed by Sam Mendes and starring Leonardo DiCaprio and Kate Winslet?

We received an email from their promoters asking us to give it a mention, presumably because of the dilemma of moving abroad and keeping your relationship together etc. (...or maybe they were just being creative in who they were targeting, smile).

Anyway, we watched the trailer: it looks good. Whilst it's not an 'expat' movie, it might strike a chord with some of you - especially those who have encountered resistance to moving abroad - or struggles in their own relationship. Here is the official storyline:

"Adapted from the revealing novel by Richard Yates, Revolutionary Road is an incisive portrait of an American marriage seen through the eyes of Frank (DiCaprio) and April (Winslet) Wheeler. Yates' story of 1950's America poses a question that has been reverberating through modern relationships ever since: can two people break away from the ordinary without breaking apart?

Frank and April have always seen themselves as special, different, ready and willing to live their lives based on higher ideals. So, as soon as they move into their new house on Revolutionary Road, they proudly declare their independence from the suburban inertia that surrounds them and determine never to be trapped by the social confines of their era.

Yet for all of their charm, beauty and irreverence, the Wheelers find themselves becoming exactly what they didn't expect: a good man with a meaningless job whose nerve has gone missing; a less-than-happy homemaker starving for fulfillment and passion; an American family with lost dream, like any other.

Driven to change their fates, April hatches an audacious plan to start all over again, to leave the comforts of Connecticut behind for the great unknown of Paris. But when the plan is put in motion, each spouse is pushed to extremes - one to escape whatever the cost, the other to save all that they have, no matter the compromises."

You watch the trailer here. Have a wonderful weekend!

Urgent: Short-Term Researchers Needed

Hi Everyone, If you are currently an expatriate (male or female) in any of the locations listed below, and you are interested in undertaking a 20-25 hour expat research assignment in return for a small honorarium, please get in touch with us urgently for more information.

The research is for an upcoming website created by someone who has been working in this arena for 18 years and wants to start an online job search support system for international professionals – primarily spouses/partners who accompany expats.

"The research includes using the country profile survey (and template) that will be provided to identify appropriate job search information relevant to expatriates who will be moving to your current country. Such information includes: web sites; business cultural information; social and business networks; resume and interview information relevant to the country in question; and other related job search material."

Thanks in advance for considering this request. Who knows… maybe the knowledge that you might gain during this project might provide you with a stepping stone to other things...

List Of Locations Needing Researchers:

• Angola
• Argentina
• Brazil
• China-Guangzhou, Guangdong Province
• China-Nanjing, Jiangsu Province
• China-Tianjin
• China-Dalian, Liaoning Province
• China-Shenzhen, Guangdong Province
• China-Xiamen, Fujian Province
• China-Chengdu
• China-Chongqing
• China-Shenyang
• China-Xian
• Equatorial Guinea
• Finland
• Greece
• Hungary
• India-Mumbai
• India-Chennai
• India-Bangalore
• Malaysia
• Mexico City
• Norway
• The Philippines
• Poland
• Singapore
• South Africa
• South Korea
• Sweden
• Switzerland
• Taiwan
• Thailand
• Vietnam

If you are interested, and able to commit to completing the research by December 15, please contact us for details as soon as possible. Thank you.

Note: Please see updated post one week later on this topic. Thanks.

The Glow Project - 'The Secret' for Women

Hi Everyone, Have you heard of The GLOW Project? It is the closest thing I have seen to The Secret to date - with an online trailer featuring high-profile women talking about "it" (glow) in the same way that The Secret personalities talked about "it" (the secret). If The GLOW Project achieves only a portion of what The Secret achieved, you better take a quick look, so you know what others might start talking about...

"How is it that some women are wildly successful, while others, with the same relative education, experience, passion and goals for success, struggle? We all have the same amount of hours in a day, yet some are able to accomplish so much more. What is it that they do so differently? What is it that they possess that is unique? What is it that makes them GLOW?

There is a powerful essence inside of every woman—a critical ingredient that only women possess. When realized, nurtured and expanded, it becomes the key to true happiness and success. You deserve happiness, fulfillment, and the opportunity to achieve wild success. STOP what you are doing. Take a breath, and connect with your GLOW.

The GLOW Project has brought together prominent corporate achievers and dynamic entrepreneurs, to share with you how they manifest, unleash and expand GLOW. Witness their struggles and pain and their strategies for success. By focusing on GLOW, they are fulfilling their destinies and achieving more success than they ever imagined. These women exude the kind of grace, confidence and strength that every woman can achieve, while also being mothers, daughters, wives and leaders. The GLOW Project will ignite your spirit and inspire your dreams. The GLOW Project will show you that, no matter how hard you work, no matter how hard you try, you can never achieve your full potential and happiness without GLOW."

There's also a magazine and upcoming events. Portions of the proceeds of The GLOW Project benefit: Care International; EWomenNetwork Foundation; and Winnie Palmer Hospital for Women and Babies.

Best wishes for your day/evening, Andrea.

The Myths Of Working Abroad

Hi Everyone, If you have contemplated working abroad, but have always found a reason not to go, take a look at Stacie Nevadomski Berdan's great two-part series (on w2wlink - a community dedicated to professional women) that refutes the following 10 myths of women working abroad...

Myth #1: Women don’t do as well as men overseas.
Myth #2: Women aren’t accepted as equals in international business circles.
Myth #3: It’s only for young/junior professionals.
Myth #4: I can’t go; I’m married.
Myth #5: I can’t go; I have children.
Myth #6: I don’t speak a second language.
Myth #7: My market is the most important, fastest-growing place for business.
Myth #8: It’s not necessary in my field or industry.
Myth #9: Out of site, out of mind.
Myth #10: Such transfers are few and far between.

Read Countering The Myths Of Working Abroad - Part 1

Read Countering The Myths Of Working Abroad - Part 2

About Stacie:
Stacie is a co-author of the book Get Ahead By Going Abroad: A Woman's Guide To Fast-Track Career Success. We interviewed Stacie as one of our Expat Women Success Stories earlier this year. You can read our interview with Stacie here.

Thanks and enjoy your weekend!

Worldwide ERC News

Hi Everyone, If you work in the global mobility industry and have not already heard, Lynn M. Bragg has been named the new chief executive officer of Worldwide ERC®, the workforce mobility association, effective November 21, 2008. Bragg will succeed H. Cris Collie, CAE, who will retire in December 2008 after a distinguished 36-year career. Click Here to read Lynn M. Bragg's full bio and credentials - which include everything from a presidential appointment to being the head of a chocolate manufacturer's association - yum.

Have you seen the Worldwide ERC's latest Mobility Magazine? If not, it's a great magazine for this industry. Below are the topics in their November issue. Enjoy.

Treasury to the Rescue! What the Fannie-Freddie Action Means to Relocation
Patrick Moore

A Changing Climate: the U.S. Economy and the Expatriate
Molly Feldman, CRP, GMS; Eve Avadenka, GMS; Kelli Laffe, GMS; and Katie Auffenorde

Navigating the Zero Fee Environment
Joan Harpootlian Thomas, SCRP, and Elizabeth Nunan, CRP, GMS

Successful Synergy: What HR and Procurement Have Learned from Each Other and How It’s Making Relocation Better
Jack Craven, SCRP, GMS

‘But Wait, If You Buy Right Now...’—Tips for a Creative Closing
Joan M. Brady, Esq., CRP, GMS, and Laura J. Henneberry, CRP, GMS

Searching for Value Through Cash: a Primer on Worldwide ERC® Appraisal Guideline #3
Thomas G. Fryer, SCRP, SRA

Remediating Environmental Hazards: a Focus on Mold
Stefanie Schreck, CRP, GMS

Raising the Bar: Leading Global, Virtual Teams
Karen Cvitkovich

Relocating Minorities: Unspoken Realities
Douglas Stuart, Ph.D.

Globalization of a Corporate Culture: New Perspectives on Successful Repatriation
Kathi Fredendall, CRP, GMS, and Karen Kason, CRP, GMS

Enter at Your Own Risk—the Ramifications of not Having a Comprehensive Expatriate Security Support Program
Edward L. Lee, II

Custom Regulations—a Guide to International Relocation in a Post-9/11 World
Jack Griffin

Heading North: Canada’s Drive to Attract Foreign Talent
Marti Briney, CRP, GMS, and Stephen Cryne

The Odyssey of the Worldwide ERC® Mentor Program
Frank Mauck

The Greening of Worldwide ERC®—“LEED”ing by Example
Doug Weed, SCRP, GMS

Work the Room—Supercharging Your Networking Skills
Denise Starrett

A Wise Investment: Supporting the Expatriate Spouse/Partner on Assignment in Asia
Edmund Seng

Protecting Employees in the United Kingdom—An Overview of TUPE
Bruce Perlman, CRP, and Helena Derbyshire

Pajamas, Foot Massages, and Dogs in Handbags: the Lighter Side of Shanghai
Nigel Crockett, GMS

Immigration in Brazil: Current Scenarios and Legal Aspects
Samantha Machado

Handle with Care—the Experiences of Children Living Abroad
Leah Johnson

Expat Women November Newsletter

Hello Everyone, We have just finished sending out our Expat Women Members' Newsletter for November. If you are signed up and you did not receive the newsletter, please let us know here.

In addition to our November home page features, we showcase our winning story, Expat Wife Blues, by Siobhan (a Canadian in Egypt):

"There are times that I feel rather tired of this lifestyle. Not the having a maid and driver part, (I’m sufficiently selfish and lazy to appreciate the luxuries that Hubby’s employment choices have offered me), but the unemployed housewife part seriously depresses me at times…"

We are always looking for expat stories. Please add your story here.

We also feature some data on Male Expatriate Accompanying Partners, by Dr. Nina Cole, Ryerson University, Toronto, Canada:

"The number of female expatriates with male accompanying spouses has slowly been increasing, and this trend is expected to continue. However there is very limited knowledge about the experiences and needs of this new breed of accompanying spouse for global human resources managers to use in designing spousal assistance programs. Three potential issues have been identified: (1) the non-traditional nature of families with male accompanying spouses; (2) the almost certain dual career situation of female expatriates with male spouses; and (3) the expected urgent practical need for employment assistance for male spouses. This study of 45 male spouses, the largest sample group to date, reports their views on these issues..."

Special thanks to our newsletter supporters this month:
Calida Homes
Looking for the finest selection of properties and homes located along Spain's Costas and the surrounding areas?
Kindermusik Germany
Want to teach Kindermusik in Germany, or know someone who might?

Thanks and have a fabulous November! Andrea

Expat Newcomers in London

Hi Everyone, if you are a recently arrived expat in London, or soon to move to London, here are two groovy, new(ish) sites that we discovered recently that might interest you...

MinglePlanet
Newcomers in London who are looking to meet new friends and business contacts might like to check out this site launched by Danish entrepreneur Ulla Vitting Madsen, who has lived in London since 2005. The site targets "likeminded people from all over the world who all face the same challenges: finding a new job, a place to live, new friends and business partners and learning how to mingle, the British way". Mingleplanet targets expats in their 20's and 30's and offers both online and offline (real-life) networking.

Moving2London
This is a site run by Belle and Nick - two Aussies who met in London. It includes some very practical 'how-to' videos for London, including: pre-departure: one-stop shops; just arrived in London; London accommodation; finding a job in London; London transport; UK banking; and one specifically for Americans in London. They have also included some handy resources on their site, such as maps, cost of living, a pre-depature checklist and more. Watch out for their upcoming sites, Moving2Sydney and Moving2NewYorkCity.

To see more links for the UK, please visit our UK Country Page. Thanks.

Expat Mothers Abroad

Hi Everyone, If you are a mother raising children abroad, you might be interested in the article Expat Moms Chronicle Raising Kids In a Foreign Country by Shannon Lowe on BlogHer.

We noticed Shannon's article because she included ExpatWomen.com in her article and has been sending people our way. :-)

Shannon's article quotes several expat mothers abroad. She also quotes Dina Zavrski-Makaric's article, Moving With A Teen.

Have a quick read if you are interested.