A Career in Your Suitcase: The Expat and Trailing Spouse's Guide to a Career on the Move [Paperback]

Full of practical advice and sage guidance, written from the heart by someone who's been there.

There is nothing that Jo doesn't know about creating, sustaining and growing a portable career whilst moving round the world.

Jo Parfitt has put together an invaluable guide for the `career minded' expatriate spouse.

A Career In Your Suitcase should be packed before all other travel essentials!

At last someone has written a book that addresses the problem in a practical way.

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 who wants 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 win Written by expats for expats this book is the career catalyst you have been waiting for…

We're delighted to be publishing Jo's fourth title with our company as she breathes new life into her now "classic" text on the subject of careers for expat spouses. If you enjoyed this book then you'll also enjoy the following titles all available on Amazon:

• Expat Entrepreneur: How To Create and Maintain Your Own Portable Career Anywhere In The World
  
• Find Your Passion (Second Edition)
  
• Release The Book Within
  

Since I first conceived this book, back in 1996, in Stavanger, Norway, I have watched the idea of a career in your suitcase evolve, pick up speed and grow into what I consider to be the number one solution to the dual career problem. It has been well over ten years now and many people, from all over the world have inspired me and added to my vision. However, one person in particular has to be held responsible for this book. Back in 1996, Kit Prendergast asked me to tell the members of the professional women's group she chaired about the career I had sustained while I had lived abroad in three different countries. She then encouraged me to develop my knowledge into the first ever Career in Your Suitcase workshop. Kit made me believe I had something to say. She gave value to my experiences.

The input and support of this book's contributors and all the people who have shared their secrets with me over the years have enriched this publication. Rather than take the wisdom and experiences of others and put them into my own writing style, I have instead chosen to publish their work in their own voices. With two men on the team as well as American, British and Canadian contributors, the range of styles is evident.

I would like to thank The Expatriate Archive Centre in The Hague, for allowing me to use material from the transcripts of two digital recordings. Thanks too to The Permits Foundation for their input regarding work permits and to The Trailing Spouse, ORC Worldwide and GMAC for their surveys. The Expatriate Archive Centre, The Trailing Spouse, Career-in-your-suitcase.com and CareerByChoice.com provided many pertinent quotations but the majority came from the mentors and bloggers at ExpatWomen.com and my gratitude goes to Andrea Martins who sourced them for me. Thanks too to Going Global, NetExpat, HR-Sense and Be Clear for their contributions regarding CVs, interviews and presentation skills, respectively. Most of all, I would like to thank Galen Tinder, REA Manager, for his tremendous contribution and advice on every chapter of the second edition of this book and his continued dedication to this, the third, updated, edition. As an American with over 25 years experience in human services, who currently works as a senior manager and career consultant for this book's sponsor, Ricklin-Echikson Associates (REA), Galen's input has been invaluable.

Inevitably, I give huge thanks to my husband, Ian, for making my career in my suitcase possible in the first place. I have immense gratitude to my children, Sam and Josh, for respecting the fact that I often work from home and for always being supportive. But it is my parents, Peter and Jenny Gosling, who have believed in me and shown their pride in even my smallest achievement, since the day I was born. And that has made all the difference.

Jo Parfitt is a writer, journalist, speaker, author, publisher and publishing consultant. Since 1985 Jo has been riding the expat rollercoaster and is happily married to Ian. Together with their boys, Sam and Josh, they have lived in Dubai, Oman, Norway, England and now the Netherlands.