Tools & tests

True Globe Hopper | Successful Expat Skills | Self Assessment | Discussion

ELM has developed several tests aimed at people working, managing or doing business outside their home country. The True Globe Hopper test below is to give prospective expats an indication whether they are suited for an international career. Be aware - it is just a fun test!
The Successful Expat Skills test and the Self Assessment are short exercises designed to help people think about themselves and their career path. It are very simple, yet effective career self-help tools.

A True Globe Hopper?!

More and more people feel that a career is incomplete when you haven't worked abroad for at least a few years . You might feel this way too. But are you suitable for an international career?

Answer these questions and find out (check one answer for each question).

Question 1
Your ideal work situation is:

  I work best according to a fixed schedule.
  I prefer to have things planned, but there is always time for urgencies.
  I do not need any particular structure in my work to be most effective.


Question 2
Your manager has assigned you a special task that requires the consent of several country divisions:

  You investigate the situation and meanwhile you contact various key players to find out possible sensitivities. You prepare a draft plan which you circulate six weeks in advance of the meeting and ask for comments two weeks before the meeting. At the meeting you present a revised plan for which you seek commitment.
  You thoroughly investigate the situation and finally you bring the various managers together for a meeting to sign up for the project.
  You start the process with visiting each of the country divisions. Subsequently, you draw up a plan and invite all country division managers to discuss your proposal. After this initial meeting, you rewrite your proposal and send it to all of them to comment on it. After you have received all comments you present your new proposal at the decision taking meeting.


Question 3
Ever since your childhood you have wanted to work in Italy for some time. After your graduation in economics you decide to find a job at management level. You have prepared yourself exceedingly; You speak fluently Italian, you have followed the workshops of ELM ‘How to manage cultural differences?', and ‘Looking for work around the Globe' and you have adapted your CV for the Italian job market according to the guide ‘Looking for work in Italy'. You immediately find a short-term job as an assistant at an international language-training institute. Although everybody is satisfied with your work, no permanent position is offered due to lack of resources. After 5 months you decide to return to your home country:

You had the time of your life enjoying ‘la dolce vita' and intent to return for every holiday for the rest of your life.
  You return feeling completely frustrated and your self-esteem is rather low.
  You are disappointed, but decide to find yourself a job at management entry level in your home country and after having acquired enough working experience you want to give it another try.


Question 4
You hold a doctorate in logistics and your company has relocated you to South Africa to roll out in a local plant a logistical process of which you hold extensive knowledge. You start working with your local, highly qualified team. After two months you feel the logistical process is not going to work the way you have always run it. You decide to:

  Inform your headquarter of the local situation and explain that you need to redesign the logistical process to some extent which might eventually cause a possible delay.
  Inform your headquarter that due to problems with the locals you need more time to get them geared in the right direction to ensure they use the procedure in the sequence you have always used it, but you reassure them by saying you will succeed.
  Inform your headquarter that the process is deemed to fail and that you will do your utmost, but cannot guarantee a positive outcome.


Question 5
During your self-arranged stage (internship) in New York you are confronted with a world that is much more competitive than you are used to. Being good is suddenly no longer enough. Whereas in your home country the Netherlands you would be pleased with a ‘B minus' (comparable to an 8 in the Netherlands) you feel really frustrated here in the US and you really go for an A (highest possible mark, comparable to a Dutch 10). When you return after six months you tell your friends that:

  You feel you have matured and that you are privileged you had the opportunity to experience such a completely different structured environment.
  You feel stupid and afterwards you would have preferred a more easy-going stage arranged by an exchange programme together with them.
  You of course had a great time, but that you are happy to be back, not in the least because life at home is less competitive.


Question 6
You have applied for a university in France. But just before leaving you learn that you cannot register for any of the classes from within your home country, nor can you arrange a place to stay.
What do you do?

  You decide to leave as originally planned and see what happens.
  You decide to try a bit harder and will only leave if, at least, you have found a place to stay.
  You decide not to go, because you want everything to be planned in advance.


Question 7
When you go on holiday, what do you do?

  You book your holiday at least three months in advance.
  You don't plan anything. You just leave without knowing where you might end up.
  You plan your holiday last minute, but you are sure you have tickets and a hotel reservation.


Question 8
During a reception in Helsinki you are having some small talk with your Finnish colleagues. At a certain moment nobody is saying anything for some time. What would you do:

  You try to resume the conversation by telling an anecdote about your previous visit to Helsinki and you mention how much you like the Finnish climate.
  You just acknowledge the silence as an element of Finnish conversation.
  You say nothing and wait for them to start up the conversation again. You have always felt that the Finnish are a bit awkward and you think this might be due to the many visits to the sauna.


Question 9
Your Chinese neighbours invite you over for dinner, you accept the invitation. During dinner:

  You ignore Chinese customs and behave as you always do.
  You analyse your host attentively and copy his customs
  You watch the behaviour of your hosts closely without this being obvious and try to mingle this with your own customs, however you make sure you are not losing your own identity.


Question 10
After you finished school you went abroad for a year as an au-pair, you:

  Had the best time of your life.
  Had lots of fun, but you were glad whenever you had the chance to go home.
  You cried yourself to sleep almost every night, because you missed your mother.


That completes the test.

Photography: © Eric Sijbrands/Expertise in Labour Mobility.
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