International exposure

New grads seeking to kick-start their careers are applying directly for overseas positions and getting global exposure through international work placement programs. But going global is not without its challenges for both individuals and their employers. According to Brookfield Global Relocation Services' Global Relocation Trends (2013), as the number of international assignments increases, organizations must balance conflicting pressures to reduce costs a and maintain the kind of robust international assignment programs -- many of them in emerging markets -- that will attract the best and brightest. Cultural fluency comes with immersion: living like a local in terms of accommodation, food, social activities and, as much as possible, language. Immersion is important, but a structured orientation has its place too, particularly when the expat needs to hit the ground running and can't afford a damaging faux. There's the immediate experience of reverse culture shock as expats realize that what they'd expected to be familiar (their workplace, their friends, even themselves) has become strangely foreign.