Americans seeking jobs this side of the Atlantic should be aware that sometimes things are done differently here. Jennifer Vesse

admin2014-01-07  50

问题     Americans seeking jobs this side of the Atlantic should be aware that sometimes things are done differently here. Jennifer Vessels, of CareerJournalEurope.com, reveals the right way—and the wrong way—to get a post in Europe.
    Think like a local. That’s the tip from careers experts for potential expats looking to gain international experience. Learn what skills are needed in the country you are targeting and market yourself in a European way.
    The Wrong Way
    After earning an MBA at night in international marketing, an ambitious product manager working for a computer-systems firm in San Jose, California, was ready to put his knowledge to use by relocating to Europe.
    To prepare, he used the Internet and his local library to research European countries. He decided that France and Germany were most appealing and, fortunately, his company had subsidiaries in both countries. When he approached senior management about seeking an expatriate assignment, they agreed that the subsidiaries would benefit from his talents.
    The product manager then submitted a formal proposal requesting a transfer to his boss, who was supportive and suggested that he send a resume outlining his accomplishments to hiring managers at the French and German offices. The product manager followed up by voice mail to explain his interest in joining their team.
    A few weeks passed without a response, so the manager sent another fax and left more voice-mail messages. His boss also directly contacted the hiring managers to stress how the new MBA graduate’s innovative marketing ideas would benefit the organisation. Both hiring managers agreed that the candidate would be a good addition to their teams, but said they needed more time to think about it.
    After six months of leaving voice mail and sending faxes highlighting his accomplishments, the product manager got frustrated and started seeking international opportunities outside the company.
    What Went Wrong?
    The MBA had the right educational qualifications and a solid track record in the US, as well as the support of his management. Yet he made a critical mistake. He based his approach on techniques that work in the US, but not in Europe. He didn’t realise that when seeking a new position or transfer overseas, you must know your market well. Since the culture, business and decision-making style and needs of each European country varies, first-hand knowledge is essential.
    "The most common mistake Americans make is assuming that the needs and business practices of the European countries are the same as those in the US," says Erwin De Wolfe, a partner in the Brussels office of Korn/Ferry International, one of the world’s largest executive-search firms.
    The Right Way
    The best way to understand the nuances of any country is to spend time there. By not visiting France or Germany, the product manager mistakenly assumed they were interested in marketing ideas from America. But that’s rarely the case.
    "We generally rely on the locals in country to drive our marketing campaigns, since they’re much closer to the customer than US personnel," says Patrick DeRoy, operations manager for Newbridge Networks, a local-and wide-area networking systems firm with operations throughout Europe. By offering new marketing ideas from a US perspective, the MBA and his boss were proposing exactly the opposite of what the European managers wanted.
The author counts it fortunate for the product manager that

选项 A、he has an MBA in international marketing.
B、the company provides financial assistance for overseas staff.
C、the company has branches in the countries that interest him.
D、his boss appreciates his accomplishments.

答案C

解析 第4段第2句中的subsidiaries意为“子公司”,由此可见,C是对该句的近义改写,为本题答案。如果误将subsidiaries当成了subsidies,很容易会误选B;A和D都在原文提到,但作者并没有认为这些是“值得庆幸”的事。
转载请注明原文地址:https://kaotiyun.com/show/gjFK777K
0

最新回复(0)