The chance to spend a few years abroad at the company's expense can seem like a dream come true. But if you don't 5 take time to consider the impact your decision will have on your career, then it could turn into a nightmare.
In 1992, Paul Richardson was delighted to be sent to the Middle East by, his financial services company, with his wife and their new baby. The opportunity to be a general manager seemed too good to be true. He would be able to exercise his talents, implement new strategies and use his outgoing personality to make the company lots of money out of local businesses. Five years later he had achieved just that.
'I was a big fish in a small pond and enjoyed the lifestyle immensely, but it was time to come home,` says Richardson. 'We now had two children, my wife was keen to pick up her own career and there was nowhere else I could go career-wise and stay out there.'
So Richardson came home. 'My achievements abroad count for nothing now,' he complains. 'I am now a divisional manager and work as part of a team. Being a tiny fish in a huge pond makes me feel really frustrated. My career has regressed.'
Richardson blames himself. His success abroad had made him arrogant, and he ignored the need to network and research the new job back in England before he returned. 'I wish I had been less naive and had thought ahead more,' he says. 'Two years down the road I am still unhappy.'
Andy Spriggs describes a very different experience. He decided to come back to England in 1997 after spending ten years abroad with Shell. He had been finding the expatriate existence 'shallow'. Integration with a local community was extremely difficult and he realised that there was 'always an underlying background stress'.
'Coming back to England was the best thing I ever did,' he says. 'Working overseas broadened my perspectives and the fact that I left Shell helped my employability too. Not only had I acquired an enormous amount of technical experience and a superb overview of the industry, but leaving such a top class organisation and moving to Arco Oil has illustrated that I am adaptable and a survivor too.'
Anne Isaacs, a director at Executive Action, a career development advisor to senior managers, believes strongly that time abroad should be considered carefully and worked into the career development strategy.
'Try to go away for no more than two years, or else you risk losing touch with new developments and your vitally important network of so contacts,' she says. 'Unless you maintain contact in your home country you will find it really difficult to readjust and reintegrate on your return.'
From The Independent on Sunday
Discuss these questions.
1. Companies often pay a lot of attention to the problems expatriates and their families can have when moving to another country, but less attention is paid to the problem of returning home and coming
back to the company. What problems can you imagine?
2. Working abroad to acquire international experience is an important part of an international manager's
development. What do you think would be the optimum time to spend abroad at any one time?
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Reading tasks
A Understanding main points
Read the text on the opposite page about two managers who returned home after working abroad and answer these questions.
1 The article describes the experiences of two managers working abroad.
a) Which one enjoyed his time abroad more?
b) What did he like about working abroad?
2 Which of the two men found the time abroad more useful for his future career?
3 How long did each person spend abroad?
4 What is the recommended length of time to spend abroad, according to Anne Isaacs?
B Understanding details
Answer these questions.
l Why did Paul Richardson return to England? Choose from two of the following possible reasons.
a) to get better education for his children
b) so his wife could continue her career
c) because the company wanted him to return
d) to develop his own career
2 The two men had different experiences when they returned to the UK.
a) Which man is now unhappy?
b) What reasons does he give?
3 What did Andy Spriggs gain from his time abroad?
4 What recommendations are given in the text to ensure a successful return home?
Understanding expressions
Paul Richardson decided to return because 'there was nowhere else I could go career-wise and stay out there'. What exactly does this mean?
a) No other country offered a better career for him.
b) To develop his career he needed to leave the Middle East.
c)If he had been wise, he would have stayed in the Middle East.
Vocabulary tasks
A Words that create an impression
1 Paul Richardson enjoyed his time in the Middle East What expressions are used in the article to indicate this positive feeling? (paras 2 and 3)
2 Now that he is back in England, Paul Richardson feels very negative. What expressions indicate this negative feeling? (paras 4 and 5)
3 In contrast to Paul Richardson, Andy Spriggs did not seem to enjoy his ten years abroad. What phrases give this impression? (para 6)
4 But Andy Spriggs found that his experience abroad was very useful for his career. He uses several words with the general meaning of 'very good' or 'excellent' to describe the benefit of those experiences. One is 'enormous'. What are the other two? (para 7)
Understanding expressions
Choose the best explanation for each of these phrases.
1 at the company's expense
a) the company pays for everything
b) it is expensive for the company
2 a dream come true
a) something you have always wished for
b) something that is not real
3 too good to be true
a) it would be wonderful if it ever happened
b) something much better than you expected
4 big fish in a small pond
a) someone who has all the power and can dominate others
b) someone who is important but on a small scale
5 count for nothing
a) have no value
b) lose money
6 two years down the road
a) two years as a travelling sales representative
b) two years later
Word search
Find a word or phrase in the text that has a similar meaning.
1 way you live (para 3)
l..
2 want to do something very much (para 3)
k...................
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3 go backwards (para 4)
r...................
4 proud and acting superior to others (para
a...................
5 lacking experience, thinking that people will be nice (para 5)
n...................
6 something that is not deep or interesting (para 6)
s...................
7 broad general picture of something (para 7)
...................
8 something that is very important (para 9)
v................... i...................
D Complete the sentence
Use an appropriate word or phrase from Exercise to complete each sentence.
1 Many large companies run induction programmes for new employees to give them an..................... of the organisation.
2 If you are using this book you are probably................................ to improve your English.
3 When choosing a new job or position in a company it is important to make sure your career will advance and not.................................
4 Because people working abroad often have extra allowances such as free housing and low taxes, they can have a very nice.................................
5 It is................................ for the company to win that contract; we may go out of business if we don't.
3: :
1. (. Indefinite):
a) lives, lived, live;
b) visited, will visit, visits;
c) was, am, will be, is;
d) look, looked, looks;
e) () wear, wears, wore;
f) buys, will buy, bought, buy;
g) likes, like, liked;
h) puts, put, will put;
i) took, take, will take;
j) wanted, will want, want.
2. :
a) She..... a dinner at the restaurant yesterday (to have).
b) When I...... you? (to see)
c) He..... to listen to music very much (to like).
d) We....... at home, when you phoned (not to be).
e) I.... to see you again (to want).
3. :
a) 1 don't go to the cinema today.
b) We will visit you next week.
c) Luck turns a business into success or failure.
d) There are many different books on the shelves.
e) Moscow is a capital of Russia.
4. :
a) There are many (big) shops in London.
b) Peter is (good) pupil in his class.
c) Shakespeare is (great) playwright.
d) Moscow is (beautiful) than New-York.
e) I am sure that the parrot is a (clever) pet.
5.
a) Do you think Americans are............................... than English people.
nicer; the nicest; nice.
b) Life is... it used to be.
easy; more easy than; easier than.
c) The problem was................ we expected.
seriouser than; more serious than; the most serious.
d)........... I get lam.
the oldest, the happiest; the older, the happier; the most old, the most happy.
e) Dad often says that Mom is his............................... half.
good; better; the best.
6. .
fast; better; great; the biggest; stronger; simple; more interesting; ugly; more tasty; fat; lower; clear; the most famous; weak; nice.
3
1: , .
London
London is the capital of the United Kingdom, its political, economic, commercial and cultural center. It is one of the largest cities in the world (together with Tokyo and New York); it is also of one the world's most important ports. London with its suburbs has a population of about 11 million people, London is situated on the river Thames.
The city is very old. It has more than 20 centuries of history. Traditionally it is divided into several parts: the City, Westminster, the West End and the East End. They are very different. Different areas of London seem like different cities.
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The City is the oldest part of London its financial and business center. Numerous banks, offices and firms are concentrated here; the Royal Exchange and the Bank of England are here too. Few people live in the City but over a million come to work here. Two masterpieces are situated within the City: St. Paul's Cathedral and the Tower of London St. Paul's Cathedral was built in the 17th century by Christopher Wren. The Tower of London was built in 11th century. It was used as a fortress, a palace and a prison. Now it is a museum. Westminster is the aristocratic official part of London. It includes Buckingham Palace where the Queen lives and the Houses of Parliament stretching for nearly 1000 feet along the north bank of the Thames.The Clock Tower of the Houses of Parliament is famous for its big hour bell, known as "Big Ben ". Westminster Abbey is place where coronation of all kings and queens has taken place. Many of them are buried here.
The West End is the richest and most beautiful part of London. It is a symbol of wealth and luxury. The best hotels, shops, restaurants, clubs, bars and houses are situated there. English aristocracy lives in this region. Even at night West End stays alive, because this is where Londoners come to enjoy themselves. There are two opera houses here, several concert halls and many theatres,as well as Cinemas.
The East End is an industrial district of London. There are many factories and the Port of London here. The region is densely populated by working class families, those people who have built the palaces of the West End Old residents of the East End are proud to be called "cockneys" which means true Londoners, hereditary inhabitants of the area. They love the district very much. We may say that if the City is the "money" of London, and the West End is the "goods" of London, then the East End is the "hands' of London.
2: . .
