The expats
Expats: designate employees working abroad for a company established in Switzerland, to use that example.
A good many firms are now casting their web across all the major world markets and, to secure adequate management they must necessarily turn to their home country and generally to their own ranks to recruit qualified persons who are anxious to garner the additional experience.
Thanks to globalisation,working abroad is part of normal training in any manager's career. Adaptability, motivation, consummate professionalism, knowledge of languages, flexibility and open-mindedness are all character traits that multinational companies look for in aspirants to a foreign posting.
Switzerland is an excellent illustration of this trend. The fact is that Swiss Companies have extensive foreign operations owing to the small size of their home market.
The advantages
The advantages of any stint abroad are obvious. Not only does it offer one of the most enriching professional experiences , but it also makes for interesting personal development through interaction with different cultures and lifestyles. As these are usually hierarchically senior positions, it goes without saying that they will not be entrusted, a priori, to novices and that a certain seniority is required if the indispensable relationship of trust is to be forged. Even so, the needs in the areas of research and developement, information technology, marketing, the financial services or in the technical fields are frequently open to young graduates with recognised capabilities, not least of all because of the premium also placed on younger candidates.
In most instances it is single person or young couples who embody the ideal expatriate profile.
