What can Japanese professionals really gain from working or studying abroad?
The answer goes beyond English skills or adding international experience to a CV.
Working in a different environment can challenge familiar assumptions, build confidence, develop adaptability and change how we think about our careers.
My decision to establish TM HR Study Abroad in New Zealand has given me another perspective on this. Living and working between Japan and New Zealand has reinforced how much we can learn when we step outside an environment we already understand.
For Japanese professionals, international experience can take many forms: studying abroad, an internship, a working holiday, a secondment or an overseas assignment.
The important question is not simply where you go, but what you learn from being somewhere different.
I explore this in my latest blog, including what international exposure can mean for individuals and what Japanese organisations can do to make these experiences part of talent development.