Special is as special does... a Question.

[andrea843]

My friend, Ian, who edits Executary International, has asked me to pose a question to you all.



First some background.  Some of you may have read the Articles in Global Village about Admins who work in exotic locales.  In the process of developing some of these articles, Ian was confronted by an Admin who said in essence" Yeah RIGHT! I can't go to Paris and work, those jobs are for the Cream of the crop, the lucky ones, not for those of us in the trenches every day".



Ian, being Ian, was perplexed and went to some international admin honchos and put the question to them, "are you special, is that how you got your job?".  Every one replied negatively, stating that while they were good admins, they were in the right place at the right time and that's how they had landed their dream jobs.



SO let me ask YOU the same questions, Do you view these jobs in exotic locales, or working for super companies as attainable? If not, why not?



And while we're on the subject, What IS your dream job?

[msrobbie]

Just call me a home body, but I don't think I'd want to work anywhere other than the United States.  This is my home, and I've adopted Las Vegas as my new home town.  I love Vegas and would not want to live anywhere else.  But that's just me.  I'm sure others would like to do something to earn a living in a part of the world they consider "exotic".  I'm not much for romance novels and intrigues in a foreign (to me) land.   I think I can find enough challenges here "at home" to keep me going for a long time.  Every day brings something new!



My dream job?  In an absolute fantasy, managing my winnings from MegaBucks!  In a more realistic fantasy, I'd have no collections duties, never have to take a phone call that is not explicitly for me, and spend most of my time working on policies and procedures to improve my company.



Robbie



 

[kknisley]

I don't believe the jobs are unattainable.  You have to be a special "type" of secretary to be able to work outside the US.  You have to have a thick skin and learn not to be offended about the little things.



Working internationally for years, there is so much discrimination against females in the work force.  I've worked with businessmen from all over the world and their attitude towards secretaries is generally pathetic.  I'm not saying that all are like that, but I have to say the majority of those I worked with were very biased.  



Who has come the farthest in respecting women in the workforce?  For me it was a tie between the Germans and the Japanese.  I've never felt "second class" with any of the businessmen from these two countries.  The worst?  I'd have to say the British.  I worked for one British gentleman and believe me, it was an experience I never want to repeat.

[yankeestarbuck]

I don't even want to leave the NYC area.  And believe me, if I won the lottery, the first thing I would do is move back to New York.  I like being in the city and being in the hustle and bustle.  I had the chance to move to Maryland this summer and maybe even work for NSA (through my fiance), but he knew I wouldn't be happy. And so did I.  I'm a Cancer and some of us don't like to venture far from home (like me).  My dream job is not an admin, but a professional writer. I would love to sit down with a laptop every day, maybe in Battery Park, maybe on a bench on 5th avenue and just write a novel, download it to a disk, hand that to my editor and pop in another disk to do it again next month.  But such is not that case.  I'm here, and happy to be working and have a job.  That's enough for right now.  When my purple hat gets itchy, I'll submit a manuscript.  Look for it on Barnes and Noble!

[sungoddesslv]

Obvious answer is Yes, these positions are attainable - someone has them, right?



Starting with exotic locales.  I worked in Saudi Arabia for two years.  My husband and I volunteered to go.  This was back in the early 80s.  In order to obtain a work visa, I had to be able to work in one of the departments.  I was assigned to the Word Processing Dept.  I even learned to typed Arabic.  When we lost our Arabic-speaking person, someone needed to type the documents in English and Arabic.  That was me.



One of our IAAP chapter members is currently in Rwanda. She has been working abroad for probably 8-10 years.  I believe she works through the State Department.  I remember seeing an application a few years ago and it is quite extensive.  Of course, it would take a special person.  But special in that you possess the qualities/personality necessary to be able to work in these exotic locales.  Occasionally I see an ad for a secretary for a hospital in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.  For the right person, this could be a job of a lifetime.  But that right person must be able to live within the confines of the Saudi culture.



As for Super Companies, if you mean well-known, prestigious companies, (or whether you mean any company that is known for its excellent reputation in the community) either way, sure the jobs are attainable.  What does it take?  With some, it goes back to the old saying about "who knows you."  Sometimes it's "who you know."  When I moved here my first job was with The Howard Hughes Corporation.  A lot has to do with timing; however, coupled with that is the person's experience.  What can you offer the company?  What qualities do you have that the other candidates don't have?



It sounds like the admins Ian spoke to need a class in self-appreciation and building self-esteem and confidence.



Am I special - damn right, I am. Just ask my hubby! ! !



sungoddess

 

[craftygirl]

I'm special too, and sure those positions are attainable.  But I'm like a lot of others in this thread--I don't think I want to work overseas.



Ideal job?  Engineer or crafts designer.  LOL  I'm like Barbie, I can do anything.



My two cents

Shannon

[njadmin]

I like some of the others, enjoy working in the United States.  Although, I have thought about it many times about how it would be to work in a different country.  I do think that you need to be special in order to work in a different country but not because you need to have excellent skills but  because you need to be able to adjust to new ways of doing things, new ways of thinking, etc.  



I am sure that when I grow in my career and my abilities and my self-esteem rises, I will think differently about whether or not I could handle this type of change, but for now, I will be staying in the USA.



Susan

 

[solargal]

My company is an international company, but I don't think they would transfer an Administrative person like me - they transfer tech people & management/sales people.  I wouldn't mind living overseas for a couple of years, but we had a incident several years ago where our people were stuck in Jakarta, Indonesia and it was tough getting them out during the riots.  

[countrigal]

Not quite the meaning of your question... but one of the "perks" of being married to a military member is that when they go overseas you sometimes get to go too.  I have worked overseas, but it was for the military in a civilian capacity.  I did get to work in an office that had a lot of contact with the Portugese military... any requests for anything done on the base had to be approved by them and our office handled the processing of these letters back and forth.  In that, I got to work with the Portugese, know their customs, and I enjoyed it.  Given an opportunity I'd go back and do it again.  I feel that this is the best of both worlds really.  Working overseas without as many of the differences as might occur if it was for a company that was not American-based.



But do I feel that I'm qualified to work in an International job... you bet!  And someday I might get the opportunity.  Andrea... if TAA ever needs to send an Admin overseas to develop relations, let me know!    I love to study other customs (not from books, but in real life) and other countries.  Everything I've learned doing this has just made me appreciate what we tend to take for granted here in the states.

[queeperqueen]

Like CountriGal, I've worked overseas for the military too, and it is indeed the best of both worlds...the security of staying with the same "company" no matter where I worked, but with the ability to live and travel in a foreign country.  



I worked for three years in England, came back to the States for three years, then worked for nine years in Germany.  I loved the experience!  During the time I lived in Europe, I was also lucky enough to have a job where I travelled on business (as well as while on vaction, of course).  Not only did I spend time in different places in England and all over Germany, but also in Italy and Turkey (and got paid for it  .  I loved being able to live in another country and to meet the people.



Did I have an exotic job? Some would think so.  I've been involved (behind the scenes as most admins are) in several events that were in the news, and some that weren't.  But as most admin jobs, it had its routines, too.



The bottom line is that anyone who wants to can work in places outside the United States.  Those "in the trenches" who want to work in "exotic" locales can...they just have to really want to, then work towards that goal.  You'll never get hired if you don't apply.



My dream job?...why the one I have of course!



QueeperQueen

[kab19]

Sungoddesslv, we have something in common! I worked for the King Faisal Specialist Hospital & Research Centre in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, for three years between '94 and '97. My father took our family there in the 70s to work in the oil fields, so I was familiar with the language and culture - and it does take some adjustments! I found out about the opportunity through an ad placed by a recruiting agency in the Secretary magazine (now called Office Pro), which is the IAAP magazine.



You don't have to be all that lucky to get a job overseas, although connections do help. It takes someone who can adapt well to change, be flexible, and willing & able to take risks. Also living away from your friends and family for extended periods of time is a disadvantage, but there are travel opportunities and other things that can be traded for that. Monetary compensation and paid housing are also perks and reasons to live in certain countries, although I would recommend if anyone chooses to go overseas, they should find out about taxes before they go, both in the host country and the U.S. Other perks include lifetime friends who you will meet in your travels and/or work with; they are the ones who are there to support you in the good times and bad.



I would say to anyone who is considering working overseas, if the time is right in your life and you're ready for an adventure, go for it! I did and don't regret it for a second!