A Career in Your Suitcase

by Jo Parfitt

+++ The long awaited, completely updated and revised third edition +++Follow your passion to create a career that moves with you...In this fully revised and updated third edition of the definitive expat career bible, Jo Parfitt and her carefully selected band of contributors are back with more hands-on advice for the expat accompanying partner, and indeed, anyone whowants a portable, flexible career they love.Jo and her team are all well-acquainted with life on the move both as expatriate employees, accompanying partners and entrepreneurs.This book shares the secrets of their impressive combined experience and provides an inspiring read for anyone who wants to maintain a professional identity and do rewarding work, wherever they may find themselves.Thousands of people have been helped by the inspiration, case studies and resources contained in this book since it was first published in 1998.* Hands-on exercises and checklists* Real-life stories, advice and tips* Jobhunting tips and techniques* Nurture your professional identity* Discover your strengths* Find your passion * Design your perfect portable career* Use networking to make it happen* Work for yourself and winWritten by expats for expats this book is the career catalyst you have been waiting for...

Genres: Nonfiction

285 pages, Paperback

First published May 4, 2008

Reviews

[Véronique Martin · Rating 4 out of 5]

A Career in Your Suitcase is a practical book that shows it is possible to develop a portable career based upon our own passions, motivations and skills if you are an accompanying partner. After setting the scene of dual career spouses, the author devote the three following chapters of the book to coach the reader. She invites him/her to do a deep self-assessment. Thanks to exercises, she helps him/her to determine what his/her passions are while giving practical examples of portable careers. Jo Parfitt puts the emphasis on the idea of flexibility to which every people wanting to expatriate should stick to. She insists all along the book that it is necessary to have conscious of our motivations, values and skills to be able to re-evaluate them once in a new country. If we do so, it will be easier to adapt our professional project locally and globally. After the coaching parts, the author gives practical advice to make it happen: how to network, how to get a job abroad, how to start a portable business, how to balance private life and working life when working from home. , etc. …
If your identity is deeply linked to your professional activity and you have to give it up to follow your spouse abroad, this book is made for you. The chapters dealing with self-assessment are efficient. The personal involvement of the author who explains with details her own experience is invigorating. Nevertheless some chapters dealing with practical aspects such as networking or looking for a job might seem obvious and then useless for some readers. But at least they are clearly and consistently outlined.
So before leaving for a new relocation, put A Career In Your Suitcase in your luggage. Indisputably this book will help you to better cope with this new step of your personal and professional life.

[Lindsay Feliz · Rating 5 out of 5]

I am not sure what I expected when I started reading this book. I assumed it would be general advice for expat wives as to how to keep a career going as they trailed around the world with their husbands. It is much much more than that and I was amazed at the wealth of information the book actually contains.
It is not just a list of information. What keeps the book alive, vivid and engaging are the fascinating stories from Jo and Colleen about how they managed to be expat wives who kept their careers going as they moved from country to country, which are not only very informative and interesting, they are also used in an excellent way to emphasise the points they make throughout the book.
In addition, there is a clear logic as you go from chapter to chapter, with detailed information, clearly highlighted sources for additional information, and worksheets. This is not a book you just read and put back on the shelf, this is a workbook to transform your life and the way you work.
It is also not simply a book for expatriate wives, it is an indispensable tool for anyone who is not happy with their work and wants to change in the best possible way and with the best chance of success.
It is quite simply, superb.