Persistence, commitment, savvy and charm are among the traits Sherwood believes EHS professionals need to negotiate complicated and subtle cultural and political differences when working on foreign soil. They also need to fine-tune their intuition and persuasion skills, he adds. He's gleaned this advice from a 50-year occupational hygiene career where he's worked and trained people throughout Europe as well as in Sri Lanka, Iran and South Korea for organizations such as Esso Europe, the United Nations Industrial Development Organization. Sherwood says it's important to maintain a professional manner, impartiality and clearly define objectives and responsibilities. As you might expect, the perks of working internationally include the opportunity to experience other cultures, people and environments, these well-traveled professionals say.
Cultural differences can be a two-edged sword, though.
While Casalina finds the Italian emphasis on children charming and the food and wine delicious, she is sometimes frustrated by an Italian occupational health and safety system that is confusing, repetitive and archaic compared to the U.S. style and approach. Despite the frustrations, these professionals believe there are also career benefits to working abroad. Currently, Rahaman is stationed at the U.S. embassy in Ottawa, Canada, working on environment, science and health issues. While EHS professionals working abroad have come to respect U.S. requirements and the health and safety programs available in this country, they all acknowledge the importance of respecting local customs and laws. We need to be sensitive to this before we try to make the rest of the world just like the United States.