returning expats- better or worse
 

I got chatting to someone whist on hols who works in my industry, I ended up having a long chat with them and discussing my experinces over here and ended up being put on a pedestal and being told how fabulous I am and being offered a job- was very nice :D - anyway I never really credited my work in Dubai as adding any value to my CV but actually when you sell it right it does sound pretty interesting.

Now I know there have been posts before about whether Dubai is a good or bad thing on your CV, so my question isn't about whether your job CV is better its about whether you are a better employee so your skills CV- have you personally gained skills from being out here that would make you a better candidate back in the UK?

Kittycat
xxx

Re: returning expats- better or worse
 

I think the ME really rounds someone off in terms of people skills - there's all the multi-cultural diplomacy, dealing with fickle clients and just coordinating out of your comfort zone.

I also think that there's a fine line in terms of when to go back (if you want to go back)... something to do with the point at which you decide if you can't beat 'em, join 'em... the trick being to leave just before you start taking on the bad habits that are rife in this place. Saying that, it's the same kind of thing as not staying too long in the same company and risking getting entrenched in certain ways of doing things.

Re: returning expats- better or worse
 

Or stopping drinking just before you hit your hangover quota...... very very hard to judge. Saying that, I think I have reached tat point after 1 year in Kuwait and 4 1/2 here.

In my industry the fact that I have worked over here has no doubt improved my CV as I have been given considerably more rope (to hang myself with) than I would in the UK and on considerably bigger and more interesting projects solely as the type of things I have been working on (tunnels / mountain roads etc) are not being built in the UK.