For information technology companies, however, Ireland and Southern India are key focal points. Talk to people who have lived in the proposed job locale. Weigh your personal ability to adjust to the cultural and lifestyle differences there. Consider the impact that an overseas move will have on your family, particularly when it comes to jobs, schools, and the social environment. Understand that returning to America will be another adjustment, both for you and your loved ones.
Some American companies do a very poor job of repatriating their overseas employees.
Thomas Tilghman, senior consultant with Towers Perrin in Stamford, CT, says that people should decide where to relocate overseas based on their level of motivation. Tilghman definitely believes that employees who take jobs overseas will enhance their careers in this time of global commerce. But everything has changed in today's marketplace. For one thing, overseas employees can often use the freedom that comes with being far from the home office to make huge career strides. She thinks the move definitely enhanced her career and broadened her personal experience.