Expat Women - January 2009 Home Page

Happy New Year Everyone!

We hope you are enjoying (or have enjoyed) some wonderful new year's eve festivities, as we upload our January Home Page:

Success Story
Graziella Zanoletti
CIO (Chief Inspiring Officer) & Founder, Elite Rent-a-Car
Founder & President, Friends of Humanity
Italian-born Graziella Zanoletti started her luxury car hire and chauffeur service company Elite Rent-a-Car in 1987 and has built it today to a €20 million business, spanning seven countries, with sales representatives in five additional countries…

Expat Divorce
Divorce Overseas: 10 Steps To Protect Your Children
Frank Arndt
If your marriage breaks down, the prospects can be daunting if you are “stuck” in a foreign country, without a strong grasp of the language or knowledge of local culture...

Virtual Work Abroad
Working Virtually: A Great Way To Earn Additional Income
Jean Stone, Jobs Online
Are you an expat living abroad who is frustrated with visa restrictions and trying to think creatively about how to generate both satisfying work and income? Then think virtually: working from home gives individuals a chance to earn extra income by performing a variety of tasks...

Bilingual Kids
Raising A Bilingual Child
Barbara Zurer Pearson
Barbara, who has more than twenty years of research experience in the fields of bilingualism and linguistics, shares with us some of the insights from her step-by-step guide for parents who want their young children to become bilingual…

Business Idea
Amy Maguire
Family Manx Magazine
We talk to Amy Maguire, an American-British mother and music teacher who has transformed herself into a successful publisher of a family magazine that not only distributes 9,000 copies across the Isle of Man, but also pays her an income abroad…

Expat Confession
Why Should I Move?
ExpatWomen Girlfriend
My husband has just been offered a one-year assignment abroad and I am thinking about whether or not to quit my job and move away from my ill mother to join him. I have no aspirations to live abroad, I am really very content and happy with my life here, and I feel duty bound to be here for my mother. I have thought about living apart...

Not An Expat Women Member Yet?
Please sign up today, to make sure that you receive our January Members' newsletter (only being sent mid-month this time, while we wait for everyone to return from their holidays). We would love to welcome you to our online community.

Wishing you a 2009 that exceeds your expectations,

Warmest regards, Andrea.

PS. If you missed our Expat Women Best of 2008 Newsletter last week, just Click Here.

Wanted: Expats in India or China, from Denmark, Germany, Finland or the UK

Hi Everyone, An interesting request today from Nicol Foulkes, the lead researcher on this project (and working on her PhD) at the University of Tampere and the University of Lapland. The work is for the project run by the Academy of Finland, Future of Work and Wellbeing 2008-2001.

Basically, Nicol is looking for survey respondents in each of the following specific categories. If you can help, please do. She estimates each survey takes approximately 15 minutes. For questions, please email Nicol directly. Thanks.

**

My company (which is Danish, German, Finnish or British) would like to share information on its expatriation process for employees in the emerging economies of India and/or China.
Click Here

My/my partner's job (in Denmark, Germany, Finland or the UK) has taken me/us to India.
Click Here

My/my partner's job (in Denmark, Germany, Finland or the UK) has taken me/us to China.
Click Here

In the past, I have spent a period in India or China in relation to my/my partner's job. (The sending company was based in Denmark, Germany, Finland or the UK).
Click Here (This one takes approximately 30 minutes)

Final 2008 Update On The Need For Short-Term Researchers For PassportCareer.com

Hi Everyone, Please find below the revised list of locations still needing short-term researchers for the upcoming database for PassportCareer.com.

In case you have missed our previous blog posts, Passport Career is looking for researchers to undertake a 20-25 hour research assignment, in return for a small honorarium per assignment.

If you are currently an expatriate (male or female) in any of the locations listed below (and have been there for six months or more), and you are potentially interested in one of these assignments (and can commit to a January 15 completion date), please urgently contact Susan Musich for more information.

Susan has been working in this arena for 18 years and is starting her 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."

Disclaimer: Susan has agreed to make a small donation to ExpatWomen.com for each researcher who completes an assignment via an ExpatWomen.com lead. Every little bit helps. Thanks Everyone! :-)

Locations:

China -- Guangzhou
China -- Shenzhen
China -- Nanjing, Jiangsu Province
China -- Wuhan/Hubei Province
China -- Tianjin
China -- Dalian/Liaoning Province
China -- Xiamen
Costa Rica
Equatorial Guinea
Finland
India -- Mumbai
India -- Chennai
India -- Bangalore
Norway
Qatar
Romania
South Africa -- Cape Town
South Africa -- Pretoria/Johannesburg
Spain -- Madrid/Barcelona
Sweden
Taiwan
Thailand -- Bangkok
USA -
· Atlanta
· Boston
· Charlotte
· Chicago
· Cincinnati
· Dallas
· Denver
· Detroit
· Fort Worth
· Los Angeles
· Miami
· New York City
· Philadelphia
· Phoenix
· Pittsburgh
· Sacramento
· San Antonio
· San Francisco
· San Jose
· St Louis
· Washington, DC
· Any other US cities with large expat populations

Got Time To Share Your Expat Story Or City Experience?

Hi Everyone, If you are on holidays now and/or able to make some time, we would love you to support us this holiday season by sharing your expat story or city experience.

The stories and experiences you submit do help other expat women and we are always looking for more contributors.

Many thanks in advance, Andrea.

Want To Win A £1000 Amazon.com voucher?

Hi Everyone, If you would like to be in the running to win a £1000 Amazon.com voucher from HSBC Bank International, all you have to do is tell HSBC how the way you celebrate Christmas (they are assuming of course that you celebrate Christmas) has changed since moving abroad.

Click here for full details, terms and conditions. The prize draw closes on Monday 26 January 2009 and the lucky winner will be randomly chosen on Friday 30 January 2009.


Important notes (from the terms and conditions):

"This prize draw is not open to residents of Australia, Belgium, Brunei, Canada, France, Germany, India, Japan, Malaysia, Mexico, New Zealand, Panama, South Korea, Turkey and the United States of America, or any country where it is prohibited or otherwise unlawful to enter the draw or for the draw to be held."

"The promoter is HSBC Bank International Limited, HSBC House, Esplanade, St Helier, Jersey JE1 1HS, Channel Islands."

Seeking Entries - Re:locate Awards 2008/9

Hi Everyone, Re:locate (UK) would like to invite you to enter their 2008/9 awards, which they hope will pay tribute to inspirational talent from across the relocation spectrum, with seven categories that between them recognise individuals, teams, policy and innovation. Both HR and service providers are warmly invited to enter. The closing date for entries is 16 February 2009.

Award categories:

• Best relocation strategy/policy
• Technical innovation in relocation
• Inspirational HR team of the year
• Relocation service provider or team of the year – categories for large, small and specialist providers
• Best property provider or solution
• Rising star in relocation
• Relocation personality of the year

The judging process will culminate in a gala dinner, to be held on 7 May 2009 at the Institute of Directors, in London’s Pall Mall.

For more information, please visit the Re:locate website or contact Fiona Murchie (Managing Editor) and the awards team via email or phone (01892 891334). Thanks.

Oman Conference: Dates Have Changed

Hi Everyone, The organisers would like to let you know that the dates have changed for the upcoming International Mobility and Relocation Conference (IMRC 2009) in Muscat, Oman.

Old dates: 18-19 January 2009

New dates: 19-20 April 2009

Thanks.

E-Zine Articles: New Travel Categories

Hi Everyone, Many of you may already know that one of the most commonly quoted sites for submitting articles that you have written, in the hope that other sites/blogs/people will link to you and/or quote you, is EZineArticles.com.

However one of the barriers with submission (and getting noticed) on this site has often been the absence of the exact category that you need. One example of this is that there is no specific category for "Expatriates", "Living Overseas", "International Living" or similar. In the past, I have written to them to suggest establishing this new category. Feel free to do the same here. :-)

Anyway, good news this week is their addition of two new travel sub-categories that might help some of you:

Adventure Travel
Articles about/concerning Adventure Travel, Whitewater Rafting, Blackwater Rafting, Rock-River Tubing, Mountain Hiking, African Safari’s, Wildlife Touring, Polar Expeditions, Travel Accommodations.

City Guides and Information
Articles about/concerning City Guides and Information Centers, Online Guides, City Information, Travel Guides, Expert Recommendation.

If you know of any better article submission sites, feel free to share them via a comment on this blog (or via email) for us all to learn.

Best wishes, Andrea.

Do You Know Of Any Best-Practice Repatriation Management?

Hi Everyone, I am urgently searching for best-practice companies or governments who do a really good job of managing expatriates when they return 'home'. If you know any examples of superior repatriate management, please contact me urgently.

Many thanks, Andrea.

Mobility Online - December Issue

Hi Everyone, This month's Mobility Online includes a very interesting speech from the retiring CEO, H. Cris Collie, which was delivered at the closing general session of the recent 2008 Worldwide ERC® Global Workforce Symposium in Washington, DC. If you work in the relocation services industry, you might like to take a quick read.

To see what else is in this month's issue, just click here. Enjoy!

3 Questions To Ask Yourself For 2009

Hi Everyone, One of our Expat Women Mentors in 2007 (when we had our mentor program running), Gayle Scroggs of Essence Coaching, sent out a great e-letter recently that focussed on 3 key questions (that we really liked) to ask yourself as you go into 2009:

(1) What brings you and yours pleasure?

(2) What are your inner gifts?

(3) What gives your life meaning?

Good luck in your planning and resolutions for 2009!

Bookshaker Seeking Authors & Editors

Hi Everyone, A quick shout-out for Debbie Jenkins at Bookshaker, an Expat Women Success Story last year (read the interview here) who is looking for authors and editors to expand the Bookshaker brand...

"Authors
Are you an expat with a story to tell?
Are you an expert in business or making money?
Are you an expert in sales or marketing?
Do you know a thing or two about investing or property?
Do you have a unique and powerful communication or self improvement model?

If you are any of these and want to write a book, we can help.
Get in touch with us here.

Editors
We are also looking for editors who would like to earn up to 20% royalties from lifetime sales of each book they work on. We are looking to build an elite team of reliable editors to work on approximately 60 books each year.

If you want to know more, please get in touch with us today."

So if you are an expat woman who needs more than coffee, talk to Debbie at Bookshaker... you never know unless you give it a go...

Have You Lost Your Job Recently?

Hi Everyone, There have been a lot of jobs lost lately, all across the globe. If you have been affected, expat job or not, you might find some value in Adrienne Graham's excellent Empowered Career Woman blog post: The 1st 30 Days - Survival Mode.

Adrienne, a very experienced recruiter and networker, elaborates on 10 very useful tips for getting through that tough first month and finding light at the end of the tunnel. Take a read, or maybe send the link to someone who might appreciate it. Best wishes, Andrea.

Australians Abroad: Win 2 Flights Home

Hi Everyone, If you an Australian abroad, you might like to enter a competition being run by Advance: a dynamic and diverse community of Australians overseas, with more than 11,000 members, extensive industry networks and strong relationships with global business, government and academia.

First prize is two flights back to Australia, courtesy of FCm Travel Solutions. Second prize is a case of wine for each of the following regions: Asia; UK; Europe & the Middle East; and Australia.

Good luck and may an Expat Woman win! :-)

HSBC Expat Survey- Part 3 of 3

Hi Everyone, Just released is the third and final instalment of the HSBC survey conducted this year which surveyed 2,155 expats across four continents:

Part 3: Expat Experience (or downloadable PDF version)

• Making friends with the locals
• Joining a local community group
• Learning the local language
• Buying property and setting up a new business
• Having children and marrying into the local population
• Changed citizenship
• The age factor

...and if you missed the first two instalments...

Part 2: Offshore Offspring (or downloadable PDF version)

• The cost of raising children abroad
• Travel abroad for more active children
• The cultural advantage
• Languages
• Expectation to remain
• Healthy children

Part 1: Expat Existence (or downloadable PDF version)

• Standard of accommodation
• Popular destinations
• Earn and save
• Luxurious lifestyle

Warmest regards, Andrea.

Manpower Employment Outlook Survey: Quarter One 2009

Hi Everyone, We've mentioned some Manpower Employment data on this blog before. Here is another interesting instalment, especially for expats or wanna-be expats:

"The Manpower Employment Outlook Survey of global hiring trends released [yesterday]... shows that the most favorable first-quarter hiring plans globally are reported by employers in Peru, India, Costa Rica, Canada, Romania, Colombia, South Africa, Australia, Poland, the United States and China.

Conversely, employers in Singapore, Spain, Ireland and Italy are reporting the weakest hiring expectations for the quarter ahead. Read more in the press release.

The quarterly report from Manpower Inc. (NYSE:MAN) is the most extensive, forward-looking employment survey in the world, gathering data from over 71,000 employers across the globe each quarter. To view full survey results for each of the 33 countries and territories included in the Manpower Employment Outlook Survey, plus regional and global comparisons, visit the Manpower Inc. site."

Best wishes for your day/evening!

Good News for United States Travellers

Hello again Everyone, Janette Stennart (Esquire, Attorney and Counselor at Law) sent us a link to her article Good News for US Travellers, that might interest anyone travelling into the US.

"Expat Women may appreciate being reminded that in [just over four] weeks, the Electronic System for Travel Authorization (ESTA) will be required of all US Visa Waiver Program (VWP) citizens and nationals for travel to the US, under the program. This becomes effective 12 January 2009. Also, US citizens and US lawful permanent residents have expedited clearance under GOES."

We don't normally delve into visa issues on this blog, but made an exception in the hope that the information might be valuable to a number of you. Thanks.

Have You Heard Of Alltop?

Hi Everyone, We learnt today through Megan Fitzgerald of Career By Choice about Alltop: an "online magazine rack of popular topics", updated hourly. Pick a topic by searching, news category, or name, and they promise to deliver it to you 24 x 7.

Alltop has lots of categories (including one especially for Expats). They aggregate new blog /website entries via RSS feed, for all of the blogs/sites they have registered in that category. Just click at the top of almost any of their pages for their tutorial video.

Megan's blog is in it. Our Expat Women blog is in it (what a nice surprise!). And I recognise quite a number of blogs from our Expat Women Blog Directory there too - so your blog might even be there without you even knowing about it! :-)

If you have a blog/site that you would like included, Alltop says:

Please send us an email, and we’ll consider them. Please note: if your favorite sites don’t provide an RSS feed, we cannot import their stories. And please, tell us what topic you hope to see them in.

Enjoy!

Expat Women December Newsletter

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

In addition to all of our December home page features, our newsletter showcases December's winning story, shares an article about how much life insurance you need and announces our monthly winner of the fabulous Explorer Publishing mini-guide pack.

Thanks and enjoy your day/evening! Andrea

Global HR News: Discount on Upcoming Europe-Based Conferences

Hi Everyone, Ed Cohen, President of Global HR News, is inviting all Expat Women members to register for any of his upcoming Europe-based conferences for only 199 Euros (which represents an approximate 50%-66% discount on the standard early-bird fees, depending on which conference you are interested in). I took a look at some of the speaker line-ups and they look excellent...

London (UK)
Global HR Conference
9 December 2008

Paris (France)
Global HR Conference
11-12 December 2008

Köln (Germany)
Dinner, Education, Social
16-17 April 2009

Zurich (Switzerland)
Dinner, Education
20-21 April 2009

London (UK)
Global HR Conference
8 December 2009

Paris (France)
Global HR Conference
10-11 December 2009

To take advantage of Ed's offer, please contact him directly. Thanks.

Expat Women December Home Page

Hello Everyone, Please take a look at our December Home Page. If you like something, please tell your friends. Thanks in advance!

Success Story
Pamela Skuse
Misión México Foundation
When Pamela and husband Alan left their safe haven of home to volunteer at an orphanage in México for twelve months, never did they realise that eight years on, they would be running the orphanage and helping hundreds of México’s poorest children…

Business Idea
Caroline Garrett
Owner: Spice Marketing & PR
President: Company Women
When Caroline Garrett moved to Spain four years ago, she had no guarantee that her freelance marketing and public relations business would survive and she had no idea that she would become the president of a networking group for 500 international women in Spain…

Running Away
The Grown-Up’s Guide To Running Away From Home
Rosanne Knorr
Tired of your current life and looking for a way to escape for a while? Then join us as we talk to Rosanne Knorr about her escape manual: The Grown-Up's Guide to Running Away From Home...

Expat Confession
I Need More Than Coffee
I cannot believe how lost and dissatisfied I feel. I genuinely thought I would get enough stimulation from my surroundings, supplemented by the local expat club activities. However, I need more than coffee…

Flying With Kids
Flying With Children: Tips From An Airline Insider
Sharon, an American expat mother in France and a former flight attendant for two carriers in five countries over thirteen years, shares with us her insider tips and advice for flying with children…

Repatriating?
Six Ingredients For Successful Repatriation
Rebecca Wells
Coming back home can bring mixed feelings. Although some people relish the idea of seeing family, old colleagues and familiar places again, others find the notion extremely deflating…

Not An Expat Women Member Yet?
Please sign up today, to make sure that you receive our December Members' newsletter this week. We would love to welcome you to our online community.

Thank you very much and wishing you a sensational December!