My value is in a wide international business experience together with cross-cultural communication skills.

People with multicultural backgrounds do not necessarily know how to translate these soft skills into a business environment. You can hear this easily by listening to them. These people are usually still self-focused. Also think about the fragility some Third Culture Kids go through. I guess you need a multicultural background with maturity and the right mindset.

When I worked in international environments it really was the mindset that counted most. Someone with a strong multicultural background without business expertise required just a long to adjust as someone with a strong business background and the right mindset.

That was the long answer. The short answer, is yes all international, cross-cultural, intercultural, bi-cultural or multicultural backgrounds usually have an advantage over “monocultural marketers”. But a “monocultural marketer” with a great mindset will probably do better in the long run than a person with any degree of cultural experience that is permanently stuck with some personal barrier or prejudice of some kind.

I’m a European living in the US and as such see much in the way of new market cross-cultural and international ventures. It always helps to “be bicultural” (or “multi-cultural”) to understand the complexities in building branding in a new country. I find my “lived on four continents and speak several languages” background to be very helpful in this. To what extent to do you find that your background gives you the edge over monocultural marketers?

Jonathan Bernd “Identifying and Developing New Markets Worldwide”
jonathanbernd.wordpress.com

Jonathan Bernds last blog post..“We” or “You” in International Marketing?