Working abroad can be an enriching and formative experience. Not only is it a great way to develop language skills, but a move overseas can often help further your career too. To make the most of your experience, it's important to stay organised, plan ahead, and learn as much as possible about the country you're going to be doing business in before you go.
When it comes to working in another country, one of the trickiest parts can be knowing exactly how to interact with your colleagues, business partners or clients, as it's quite common for there to be differences in cultural and business conventions.
We've put together a guide to help you stay on top of things. Our guide includes a few office etiquette "dos" and "don'ts", as well as some interesting facts from a wide range of countries. We have outlined the biggest and most helpful differences in each country's culture and business practices - that way they won't come as too much of a surprise, and you can avoid committing a faux pas.
For example, did you know that people from Germany aren't really used to receiving praise for their work and, as a result, prefer you not to sugar-coat things? Or that while in many countries a gift of a bottle of wine or whisky is seen as generous, the same can't be said for Saudi Arabia, as religious conventions and cultural norms mean that alcohol is largely frowned upon - an alcoholic gift could seem ignorant at best.
Some of our suggestions may seem more obvious than others, but we think it's always safer to be informed than surprised. If in doubt, we think the best advice is the most obvious: be polite. You should always try to echo your host's behaviour where possible, and, if you're really not sure what to do, just ask someone.
Viking's Ruud Linders said "As European Marketing Manager, I regularly travel to different countries. Each country I visit has its own little quirks and conventions, and that's what makes the world such a beautiful, varied place. Luckily, I usually manage to avoid putting my foot in it - hopefully I'll be even better now I've seen this infographic!"
So, take a look at our enlightening infographic and see whether you need to brush up on your overseas office etiquette or whether you're already an international communication pro.
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