Book
Review
by Barbara D. Linney
Get
Ahead by Going Abroad: A Woman's Guide to Fast Track Career Success
by C. Perry Yeatman & Stacie Nevadomiski Berdan
In a book that strikes just the right balance between serious advice and anecdotal reminiscences, co-authors Yeatman and Berdan share their experiences and those of more than forty other female executives in leveraging global experience to speed their climb up the corporate ladder. Whether the reader is on the brink of deciding if or when to go, how to get there or how to survive and excel when she does, or even how to ensure successful repatriation when she is ready to end her globetrotting days, this book guides the reader in identifying and weighing all of the relevant factors and making the most of her decision.
As part of the research for their book, the authors conducted an online survey in which over two hundred women who had spent considerable time overseas or in headquarters roles with significant international responsibility participated. The survey is included as an appendix to the book, and readers may view a summary of the survey results at www.getaheadbygoingabroad.com. While the authors concede that going abroad is not for every woman, it is interesting to note that only five percent of those surveyed concluded that going overseas was not worth the challenges presented by the experience. Overwhelmingly, survey participants reported significant increases in compensation, levels of responsibility, and leadership skills as a result of having opted for an international career path.
Survey results also identified several traits traditionally viewed as "female" as being critical to success in the international workplace: adaptability and flexibility; curiosity and open-mindedness; ability to communicate and listen; team and relationship building skills; and patience and persistence. With this kind of platform for success, young women should not hesitate to pick up a copy of this book and start giving serious consideration to going global as their next career move.
While the book is targeted primarily at women who are looking for career advancement through international experience, as a reader whose globetrotting days are mostly behind her, I still found the book to be an enjoyable and worthwhile read. It brought back memories of my own international move, and it was comforting to learn that I wasn't the only one who felt overwhelmed from time to time by the process of settling into a new job while simultaneously acclimatizing to a new city, a new country, and a new culture. Was it worth it? Certainly! Did I get ahead faster than I would have if I had stayed put? Unquestionably! Might I have enjoyed and benefited from the experience even more with a copy of this book in my briefcase? Absolutely!
The holiday season is
upon us - why not give someone the gift of global horizons? Buy this book
for your sister, your daughter, your girlfriend, your mother - or for yourself!
Just don't forget to log on to www.getaheadbygoingabroad.com and share your
adventures with the authors and other women who are considering international
careers. Your success stories, like those presented by the authors of this
book, will become the motivation that sustains the next generation of international
women leaders.
Barbara D. Linney is a Partner at Blank Rome LLP