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Article from The Sunday Times, January 2008
ST Career Advisor – Nov 07 (2)
Much has been written about the two giant economies that make up Asia Pacific – China and India. Every one knows that the 21st century belongs to these two countries. Having a piece of the action – working there – is almost certainly going to do wonders for one’s employment marketability.
For many of my friends and associates who have received overseas job offers, many do not have any qualms about relocating themselves and the family to China. However, very few, if any at all, would even want to give thoughts to India, for various reasons. The most common is the relatively poor infrastructure of the place, quality of health care, and the general dearth of ‘buzz’ after work.
I am a business development manager in my mid-30’s. After graduating from NUS, I have been moving steadily up the corporate ladder and now head a medium-sized department of an American MNC dealing with consumer products. I am used to the fast pace of work, tight deadlines and ever-increasing top line figures to fulfill. About a month ago, I received a call from a headhunter. One thing led to another, and I now have in-front of me a job offer to head up one of the business units in an American MNC.
The money is too good to be true (honestly), the job and challenges are probably going to be good for my career and personal development. The only issue is my wife does not want to move to India (Mumbai, to be precise). We have one 5-year old son who is being cared for by my mother-in-law during weekdays. I honestly do not think that my mother-in-law is going to entertain the thought of moving to India with us!
What do I do?
Paul’s response
Firstly, congratulations on your securing a job offer. Yes, you do have a dilemma, and given your personal circumstances i.e your wife and son’s preference and needs respectively, I would not hesitate to recommend that you thank your prospective new employer for the confidence and suggest ‘…maybe next time …”. Staying apart is a thought that you should not even entertain. At the end of the day, a job’s just that – “a job”, whereas the family is there with you forever, and you must have heard horror stories of families being torn apart, beginning from such arrangements.
Having said this, however, let us look at things from the perspective of your career. Moving to India, and abroad generally, cannot but add value to your career, and employability. Regardless of the downsides – lack of infrastructure, perceived hardship of living and working in India etc – there are actually some positives.
Besides the learning and self development etc, India is as big as Europe (versus Singapore) and the local professionals are talented, hard-working and easy (language) to work with. If we compare China and India, both do have their own pluses and downsides. So, India is really not all that “negative” a place to grow one’s career. And, you did mention in your letter this to be the case.
Given this scenario, perhaps, you can come to a compromise with both your prospective employer and your family. The mid-30’s is where you should be advancing your career in the 3rd gear – and this career opportunity is actually coming to you in an almost perfect time. Agree on a 3 – 4 years’ overseas assignment, with an understanding (in writing) that the company will move you back to Singapore at the end of that period, and that a job equivalent to the challenges/senority of the India one will be in the offering. Of course, this may or may not be possible for the company to honor at that point in time, given possible changes to the company’s status, business directions etc. If that is the (unfortunate) case, then a compensation package (pre-negotiated) will kick-in. This should consist of both monetary compensation plus professional outplacement support.
This arrangement may actually be more compelling a scenario for your wife to agree to move with you to India. The company should also have in-place a settling-in program for you and your family to assist in your assimilating into a foreign country. You did not mention if your wife is currently working or prefers not to be a full-time home-maker. If she prefers to work, either full or part-time after settling down, you can also request for your employer to pay for a job search consultant to aid your wife in securing meaningful work so she can be kept mentally stimulated.
Final word of advice - keeping the wife, and family happy is surely more important than a new job. If you miss this offer, there will surely be others.
Good luck!
Paul Heng
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