The 4 types of Female Expats
How differently do women approach the concept of a career abroad? What traits can be assigned to the various international CVs? I spoke with 30 female breadwinners who have made it abroad and identified 4 types that have emerged time and again. In this article, I discuss each type and show what you can learn from them.
The future of female expatriation – the prospect of an international career path
In the course of my Female Expat Study, I asked women around the world about their international careers. Finally, I wanted to find out what their personal outlook is on the international job market for women. Will it become more and more normal to see women in leadership positions? Will companies send more women abroad or will they continue to see women as too much of a risk?
In this blog post, I give insight into how many women are currently being sent abroad at all and let the women themselves have their say with their view of the future.
Who performs better at work? Men or women?
In literature, the question has been raised whether women are so underrepresented in international assignments only because their work performance is not equivalent to that of men. So, let’s have a look at the facts and hear what female expats working abroad are having to say about their perceived work performance compared to men.
Can you have it all? A global career and a happy family?
There are several potential reasons, why the vast majority of expats sent abroad by companies are still men. One of the often-mentioned myths is the question of balancing motherhood and a global career. In this article, you will learn about the different family models Female Expats choose and the essential parameters to make it possible in the first place.
Why do women move abroad?
What makes women seek a life abroad? What drives them? What is their motivation to pack their bags and move their whole life to the other side of the world?
I was curious to know more about that. So I asked 30 female breadwinners to share with me their own story and motivation. This question is part of my Female Expat Study that is published on this blog in October 2021.
Is the grass greener on the other side?
I am thrilled to finally share with you my latest research on the Female Expat. After months of work (and a steep learning curve on conducting academic research), I am proud to present the result in the form of a free epaper to download. In this blog post, I will share key insights and why this study is relevant to you when accompanying your partner on an assignment abroad.
The global glass ceiling of the Female Expat
The percentage of female expats is raising but it is still far away from gender parity. I was interested to learn more about the reasons behind it and came across the concept of the global glass ceiling which I will explain in more detail in this post.
This is a small glimpse into my upcoming study of the „Thriving Female Expat! which will be published in October 2021 and which you can access here soon.
The WHY & HOW to approach strangers abroad
This blog post is all about making acquaintances abroad. I share the great TED Talk from a 75 year old Harvard study on the value of relationships on our happiness and health, share tips from the SharetheLove community and introduce you to the great Kio who shows you how to approach strangers. Life is too short for loneliness. Get proactive and inspired by all these great resources!
Finding friends abroad – how to connect with other expat families
Family and friends are the most important pillars in our lives. While we can take some of our family with us on our expat adventure, our friendships stay behind. So I was very happy when Dzhangar from Matchfamilies contacted me. His app that connects expat families was exactly the solution for the phase when you realize that you miss friends but don’t know what to do about it.
1 Year later – expat families in the midst of a global pandemic
One year ago, I interviewed families who were going through their very first weeks of the global pandemic. How are they doing 1 year later? Are they finally reunited? Have they returned home early? Also lots of additional resources for support in this new blog post.
How expat families are coping with the coronavirus
2020 had a rough start in terms of global news. The outbreak of the coronavirus was one of them. The sheer amount of media coverage (on all levels of quality) and the uncertainty that the virus outbreak brought to many lives also affected expat families around the globe but specifically those closer to the area of origin. I was wondering, how expat families are coping with the challenge, how they made their decision on whether to stay or to go „home“, and what they have learned from the current situation.
Mastering the international move
Moving overseas is a stressful time, especially when the two Cs (Children & Container) are involved. With our own move shortly ahead, I want to summarize all the tips and tricks I received from other experienced expats and that helped me the last time we have moved countries. This list of tips is tailored to families moving with a container. Often there are professional moving companies involved and while that is a huge help in can also lead to many misunderstandings and hiccups along the way.
How to stay in contact with loved ones during an Expat assignment
Staying in touch can be hard when living abroad. I reveal my top communication tips to feel closer to friends and family back home. Would love to hear your thoughts on that.