Career x International Experience

Every year, ILOS surveys logistics executives. An interesting data from this year's survey was related to the international experience of logistics executives. About 15% of the professionals surveyed said they had already spent some time outside the country. When we analyze this data by hierarchical level, it can be seen that for higher positions having international experience can be a differential. Among directors, 38% have worked or studied abroad, and among managers, 14%. Argentina, the United States and European countries are the main destinations for Brazilians.

Figure 1 – International experience between positions

Source: ILOS – 2016 Logistics Professional Profile Survey

As expected, there is also a direct relationship between the more experienced the professional, the greater the proportion of executives with international experience. Among executives between 26 and 45 years old, 10% have international experience, while those between 46 and 55 years old, 20% have lived abroad for a while.

Figure 1 – International experience across age groups

Source: ILOS – 2016 Logistics Professional Profile Survey

During the International Supply Chain Forum held now in October in Rio de Janeiro, had a speaker from one of the cases presented who, in a week of immersion making technical visits abroad, had an idea of ​​how to improve the motivation of his team. When visiting a company in the USA, in one of the ILOS technical missions, he discovered a new practice of motivating and rewarding the team through gamification. When he came back he implemented the idea after three months with some changes in his company and managed to achieve the desired result at the end of the project.

This small example shows us that sometimes in a short period of time, in this case a week, it is enough for us to have new ideas.

This relationship (hierarchical level and international experience) makes us reflect on how much logistics professionals should invest in having international experience. Do those with international experience have a better chance of growing in their careers? Or, as you grow in your career, do you have more opportunities to gain international experience?

There is no right answer, what we know for sure in this case is the order of the factors does not change the product. That is, if possible, have an international experience!