Background

I have 16 years experience in the relocation industry, working across four continents, and I have loved every second of it. I started out as a Local Area Consultant, moved on to become an Adviser for the individual employee/family, then on to Operations and now Business Development and Marketing for HCR Ltd. Countless training courses are available, my most recent accomplishment is the certification for ‘Global Mobility Specialist’ (GMS).

What I actually do

My job is to acquire new clients who relocate their employees domestically or across the world. I oversee my team who makes all of the necessary arrangements which will enable an individual and/or a family to make a smooth transition from one country to another. It starts with the basics, i.e. immigration requirements. Unless a visa is in place it is not possible, in most cases, to work across nations. If children are relocating, the issue of school needs to be raised. Where will the assignees live? Who is paying the bills, and who will sell their home property? It is not easy to uproot ones life, move across the world, leave behind loved ones and friends and start all over in a foreign country, where even basics like driving on the other side of the road can have serious consequences.

Why is there a need?

‘The world is flat’ – a book by Thomas L. Friedman – explores the fact that the world is moving closer and many businesses function across the globe, opening subsidiary offices in other continents. The need to transfer talent across their operations is imperative.

A whole new industry emerged about 25 years ago – The Relocation Industry. This has now grown to a multi billion pound business. Corporate companies see the need to outsource relocation requirements to specialised companies in order to be cost and time efficient. Relocation companies plan every relocation down to the smallest detail, such as what to do with a pet, how to overcome cross cultural differences and how an assignment in i.e. Brazil will effect the pension fund. It is no longer acceptable to expect an employee to pack up their suitcases, jump on a plan and arrive in a completely new culture like China, and to simply get on with their new jobs and their task at hand.

Companies have realised that although this can be achieved, many challenges need to be overcome, and the individual will need all kinds of practical help and support if the transition is to be successful.

Qualifications and experience needed

To work in the relocation industry one must be people orientated, able to emphasise and sympathise with the stress most assignees and their family’s experience. Ideally a person considering joining this industry, should have relocated themselves, if not globally at least domestically. Expect to deal with exhausted and screaming assignees, tearful spouses, cultural differences, and communication barriers – however when all goes well the joy and thankfulness is very rewarding. Speaking different languages is advantageous but not compulsory. More important is the ability to understand and adjust to personal behaviours and cultural differences.

The potential for career development within this industry is immense. From a local area consultant to an adviser looking after and guiding the assignees, planning the operations, supply chain management, marketing, sales and business development, finance and IT – the list is endless. Global relocation is challenging but rewarding work where every single day brings different experiences and insight into other lives.

Natascha Clark

Learn more

icould, in partnership with computer games giants, Jagex, ran the competition to find young talent in the area of musical composition and graphic design.  The quest was to develop a concept piece of artwork, such as a new character, or a short piece of music which would fit behind a game such as Runescape.

Keen artist Bethan Mure won the artwork category thanks to her mum spotting the competition on icould.com, “I entered because there’s nothing I like more than drawing (especially drawing with prizes) and then that sort of, “Well, why not!” feeling that kicks in. I was totally shocked to find out that I’d won!”

George spotted the competition and thought he might put his musical talents to the test. “I was reading the icould website for information on possible future careers when I saw the music composition category in the competition. I had some music that seemed to fit the description so I decided to submit it! I’ve enjoyed playing Runsecape in the past, so I was doubly thrilled to find out that I was a winner and that I’d actually get to spend a day with the creator of the game!”

What the Jagex judges said:

“George’s composition was very impressive, showing varied styles, mature use of instrumentation,  and great emotion. He really impressed everyone in the audio team and we enjoyed giving him a peak into our world here at Jagex! Listen to George’s entry

“Bethan’s entry was really strong and we could tell that she has a keen interest in concept art. She has real potential in this area and it was a pleasure to spend a day with her. She has the enthusiasm and energy that’s needed to work in the games industry!”

Laura Watton, Graphic Artist, Jagex Games Studio

There are lots of opportunities for a career in the games industry and we hope that Bethan and George will continue to pursue their interest in this sector. If you want to know more take a look at some of the articles here on icould.com.

icould, in partnership with computer games giants, Jagex, ran the competition to find young talent in the area of musical composition and graphic design.  The quest was to develop a concept piece of artwork, such as a new character, or a short piece of music which would fit behind a game such as Runescape.

Keen artist Bethan Mure won the artwork category thanks to her mum spotting the competition on icould.com, “I entered because there’s nothing I like more than drawing (especially drawing with prizes) and then that sort of, “Well, why not!” feeling that kicks in. I was totally shocked to find out that I’d won!”

George spotted the competition and thought he might put his musical talents to the test. “I was reading the icould website for information on possible future careers when I saw the music composition category in the competition. I had some music that seemed to fit the description so I decided to submit it! I’ve enjoyed playing Runsecape in the past, so I was doubly thrilled to find out that I was a winner and that I’d actually get to spend a day with the creator of the game!”

What the Jagex judges said:

“George’s composition was very impressive, showing varied styles, mature use of instrumentation,  and great emotion. He really impressed everyone in the audio team and we enjoyed giving him a peak into our world here at Jagex! Listen to George’s entry

“Bethan’s entry was really strong and we could tell that she has a keen interest in concept art. She has real potential in this area and it was a pleasure to spend a day with her. She has the enthusiasm and energy that’s needed to work in the games industry!”

Laura Watton, Graphic Artist, Jagex Games Studio

There are lots of opportunities for a career in the games industry and we hope that Bethan and George will continue to pursue their interest in this sector. If you want to know more take a look at some of the articles here on icould.com.

Background

I have always been interested in other languages and cultures and in working with people from diverse backgrounds.  I studied languages at university and then qualified as an English language trainer which gave me the opportunity to live and work in France and Spain.

I joined Communicaid over six years ago to manage not only English and foreign language trainers but also consultants who delivered cultural awareness training programmes.

What I actually do

Since joining Communicaid our culture business has grown beyond recognition, so much so that I am the ‘Culture and Communication Manager.’

I am responsible for this very exciting area of Communicaid’s business.  My role involves ensuring the development and delivery of all Cultural Awareness and Communication Skills training solutions and this includes recruiting freelance consultants, programme and materials design, product development, writing proposals, attending sales meetings and I also try to find time to do some training myself.

Why is there a need?

Globalisation is a present and future reality. It has resulted in an increase in the mobility of both capital and people which in turn has caused a dramatic growth in the number of organisations coming to us for cultural awareness training as well as in the range of programmes we are now required to offer our clients in the increasing complex global arena in which they operate.  In any one day, we might receive requests for training for a family relocating to Shanghai, a team of software developers working on a project with an Indian partner, a new intake of graduate trainees who need a general understanding of intercultural communication or a senior management team considering an overseas acquisition.

Qualifications and experience needed

A number of universities now offer Masters programmes in Intercultural Communication but it is also important to ensure that you have practical experience of working in and with other cultures if you are interested in this field.

Cathy Wellings

www.communicaid.com

Connecting ‘things’ as well as people

And it won’t just be humans who connect. The ‘internet of things’ where objects communicate together without their owners knowing about it, is developing fast. This means that soon your fridge will inform your grocery store that you need more milk and it will be duly delivered without you even having been aware that you were running out. There will also be growth in the leisure sector for those times when we want to escape from hyper-connectedness to be private and quiet in places of beauty and wildness. The natural world will be valued as inspiration for handicrafts and skills as we embrace both high technology and simple hand-made artefacts, and we will work even harder to protect it.

Harnessing technology

The 19^th and 20^th centuries were marked by humans struggling to come to terms with the technologies they had invented. Hopefully the 21^st century will see us deal productively with these powerful challenges and find ways to enjoy variation and innovation rather than be frightened by them. There are great opportunities here for young people who are well-educated, energetic and open-minded.

New futures, new skills

The most important skill will be transliteracy – the ability to read, write and interact across a range of platforms and networks. The transliterate person is open to a constantly-changing environment, able to adjust quickly to new processes, tools, literacies and ideas, and alert to unusual connections and synergies. They have a sense of history and of the future, building upon the past to create the present and planning for what lies beyond the now.  In the transliterate culture, difference and diversity are strengths which open doors to innovation and creativity.

Joining it all up

Don’t separate out your different skillsets – educational, workplace and personal. Bring them all together in a single map of everything you know and understand the connections. You may already make good use of your mobile phone in a social setting, but how might those skills transfer to a job or in further learning? In the future, you may need to blend your separate lives together more closely than you do now, so get used to managing those different identities. And if you don’t already use social networks, join Facebook or Linked In now and learn to get comfortable with them, because you may well need those skills in your next job.

Sue Thomas, Professor of New Media, De Montfort University, Leicester

Sue began an art degree which she didn’t finish, then had many jobs from bank clerk to bookshop assistant to freelance machine knitter. In her 30s she went back to university to study English, History and Information Technology. She became a writer and an expert in new media and social networks. Her varied background has helped her to think out of the box and she has grown a career suited to her interests.

More information

New ways of connecting with customers

The demand has intensified as more and more businesses are realising the need to be ‘social’, allowing them to interact with their customers like never before, as well as reaching out to new ones, through numerous direct channels such as YouTube, Twitter, LinkedIn and Facebook. Most of us use social networking as a way of keeping in touch with our friends, but using it as an effective business tool to keep in touch with customers is still a relatively new way of marketing. As more companies look to harness the power of social networking, they realise that it is a full-time job, which requires a new set of skills.

One role, many activities

Using social networks as a way of marketing to customers involves a wide range of routine activities, including writing blogs, producing viral videos, running campaigns and updating social networking sites, writing content, distributing and monitoring press releases and affiliate marketing (trying to produce revenue through our online content). I am also regularly ‘talking’ to customers, and potential customers, by updating our social sites, connecting with other companies to promote our services in forums such as Digital Point, and making tea when chosen by www.makethetea.com – you should use this in your office or try it at home!

Background and experience

I’ve always wanted to be a sports writer and my first media role was writing for the football website www.4thegame.com, still massively popular, and www.megasoccer.com, now defunct, at the age of 17. I’d just got my A-Levels in English, French and Business Studies but wanted to wait a year before going to university and so I began writing for these websites at a company called Fast Web Media in Manchester on two-week’s work experience. At the end of it, I was offered a year-long job until I began university, which was perfect. I then studied journalism at the University of Central Lancashire, got my 2:1 and NTCJ qualifications in shorthand, media law and news writing, and went back to work for FWM as the football editor for their main client’s website, Carling.com. I moved 45 miles north in June 2009 to become PR Manager at Custard Media.

Skills and attitude

Technology is developing so quickly, so undoubtedly one of the key requirements is the ability to keep your eye on the ball and to constantly adapt to change. This is supplemented by a willingness to learn about new technology and to develop an understanding of how it can help your business and its customers. Qualifications are all well and good and I’d encourage anyone to go to university to learn the theory. But even universities are struggling to keep pace – that’s why textbooks are being dumped – and so practical, on-the-job experience can be just as important. I’d hugely advocate anyone who is interested in social networking as a career option to get as much work experience as possible.

Future ambitions

I manage PR Fire, the Online PR arm of Custard Media. My ambitions match those of our company director to develop PR Fire into a fully-fledged Online PR company in its own right, whilst maxing out revenue streams through affiliate marketing as we’ve only really scratched the surface in that sector so far. One day I’d like to resurrect my original aspirations of being a sports writer whilst keeping one foot in the industry. Currently, I regularly write a blog about football. But for many years to come I’m concentrating on turning PR Fire into one of the UK’s biggest Online PR firms.

Ayman Fazeli

Find out more

[1] Search engine optimization (SEO) is a term which summarizes free ways of improving the number of visitors to a web site from search engines rather than search engine marketing (SEM) which you have to pay for. Typically, the higher a site appears in the search results list, the more visitors it will receive from the search engine.