Archive for April, 2014

Second edition of Working World is out!

Tuesday, April 15th, 2014

Sherry and I so pleased that we can now announce: the second edition of Working World: Careers in International Education, Exchange, and Development is out! We had a wonderful time working together again, and hope that you find this new edition — complete with many new resources, new concepts, and new profiles of compelling professionals — to be a valuable addition to our field.

We’re thankful to have again had the opportunity to work with our excellent colleagues at Georgetown University Press. The new edition is available for sale on their website, and they’ve been kind enough to pass along a 30% discount code for friends and readers of the Working World site (TX54).

Speaking of this site: while it’s been dormant for quite some time, Sherry and I are committed to re-activating it in a compelling way! (You can see from Sherry’s previous post she’s already getting started.) So be sure to check back to this space for lively discussions, interesting links, profiles of professionals in our fields, and much more!

Knowledge of Protocol: Building Block for an International Career

Monday, April 14th, 2014

Some international careers require an in-depth knowledge of protocol. My friend, Benedicte Valentiner, is a good example. She served four presidents as general manager of Blair House. Her book with the title Bedtime and Other Stories from the President’s Guest House is a great read for those interested in the care and feeding of world leaders.

Many international jobs require at least a rudimentary knowledge of protocol. There are scary examples of international incidents that could have been averted if those involved had received basic training in topics ranging from appropriate seating at formal dinners to flag placement in cultural traditions. My young colleague Kim Starfield, who serves as Assistant Protocol Officer for the Secretary of Homeland Security, told me about an upcoming Protocol 101 Workshop on May 16. It is sponsored by the PDI-POA: Protocol Officers Association. Mark and I often write about the building blocks of your career. Knowledge of protocol is certainly one.