We've often observed that an overseas assignment gives a candidate a leg up when competing for positions back in the U.S. The latest finding by Robert Half Management Resources does more than corroborate that - it suggests that foreign experience may morph from a competitive advantage into a basic prerequisite.
Paul McDonald, executive director of Robert Half Management Resources, said,
The accelerating pace of globalization and the impending U.S. adoption of International Financial Reporting Standards will continue to drive demand for accounting and finance professionals with international business experience. Professionals who are bilingual and have had exposure to other countries’ tax, compliance, legal and regulatory issues have a competitive advantage in the job market, particularly among the largest firms.Job seekers who haven't worked in another country can still enhance their career prospects, McDonald added, by studying different cultures, languages and business protocol to better serve companies and clients around the globe.
When 1,400 CFOs were asked, "How necessary do you feel international experience will be for accounting and finance professionals five years from now?" 71 percent called it either "very necessary" or "somewhat necessary." That was up from 56 percent when a similar group was asked the same question in 2002.
Survey: International Experience Increasingly Important for Accounting Professionals [Press release]
1 comment:
Good post. However that foreign experience is going to prove harder to come by over the next three years as employers seek to cut jobs rather than expand.
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