Have you ever wondered how to launch an international career? Or even how to kick start your career in another city within Canada? Here’s one success story with insights from Nov. 30, 2011 Career Buzz radio interview…

Always wanting to live and work abroad, Andrew Fitzgerald took himself on a career “field trip” from his native Toronto to Vietnam, to see what was possible. He scheduled meetings with professionals in his field and because he was there and had done his research, he soon found a winning strategy. “They could bring in an ex-pat who would be very expensive, or they could hire me.” So he moved to Hanoi, armed with insights and confidence, but without a job yet. Once there, he soon landed a great job.

CareerCycles Tip #1: Take yourself on a career field trip to your desired location, do some research about the local scene and set up meetings beforehand, as part of your intentional exploration.

Andrew then leveraged his position to uncover more opportunities with the same organization, in Singapore, Hong Kong, Manila, and more. How?

CareerCycles Tip #2 in Andrew’s words: “Meet people… show who you are, reveal yourself so you can develop a deeper personal bond with people. And have ideas that don’t necessarly apply just to your area but bigger picture ideas that show you’re bigger than the job you have.”

While in Asia, Andrew fell in love with Asian art, which ultimately led him, and his wife and children back to Toronto where he recently changed careers again, and is now happily leading The East Gallery. How did he make that career change? Hear the whole interview.

What’s your experience with “career field trips”? Leave a comment below!

Inspire your life, empower your career, enrich your week. Tune in to Career Buzz WEDNESDAYS 11am-noon Eastern at www.ciut.fm or dial 89.5 FM in Toronto. Listen to inspiring past shows!

~Mark at www.careercycles.com

*The views expressed by our authors are personal opinions and do not necessarily reflect the views of the CCPA