Launch Your International Career
The question I still hear often is, “How did you start your global career?”
When I first graduated, I was fortunate to join a firm that invested in developing its staff’s global leadership skills by sending young employees abroad, rotating us through international offices, and preparing us to manage cross-border work.
Today, most companies are moving in the opposite direction: rather than sending staff overseas to “learn the ropes,” they hire local talent with on-the-ground expertise, cultural fluency, and established networks. This is faster, less costly, and more effective for many organizations.
That doesn’t mean there’s no path for you to work globally, it just looks different now. Breaking in today means building globally relevant skills first, often from your home base, and proving your ability to contribute in multicultural, cross-border environments. Here are the skills I’ve found most valuable:
Communication Skills
Clear, concise, and respectful communication is your ticket to being understood, and more importantly, trusted, across cultures. Slow down, avoid slang, and be mindful of idioms that may not translate. Learn a second language to working proficiency (French, Spanish, Arabic, Mandarin) to set yourself apart. Even basic proficiency shows adaptability.
Technical Skills
Employers expect digital fluency alongside cultural fluency. This means being comfortable with AI tools, data analysis, and cybersecurity basics; collaborating effectively through virtual platforms; and staying adaptable as new technologies emerge, all while knowing how to apply these tools to solve real-world problems across borders. Seek out opportunities to get involved in new projects that will increase your technical skills or supplement with online, certificate programs to enhance your market appeal.
Critical Thinking
You will be working with complex challenges, diverse data, and differing priorities. The ability to analyze trends, spot risks, and connect patterns across markets is critical. This makes you valuable whether you’re on the ground or collaborating remotely.
Global Mindset
Think beyond borders. Stay up to date with news in the regions you want to work in and track market developments in your field. Being open to new approaches and understanding challenges through a global lens will make you more effective but it takes practice, especially if most of your work so far has been in one country.
Team Adaptability
Working across time zones, languages, and cultures demands flexibility, and management styles that work in one country may fall flat in another. To expand your leadership skills where you are now, volunteer to lead cross-department or cross-location projects, ask colleagues from different backgrounds how they prefer to work, and practice active listening before offering your own ideas. Seek feedback from peers in other locations on your management approach, and use virtual collaboration tools to simulate the experience of leading across borders. These steps will help you build the adaptability, cultural awareness, and patience needed to lead effectively in global environments.