Text 4 Considering an International Career

If you dream of faraway places, if you thrive on challenges and new experiences, if you cherish the differences that make each culture special – an international career may be for you.

Working in a foreign country is a wonderful opportunity for learning and growth. Besides the adventure of exploring a new culture and making new friends, living and working abroad offers endless chances for personal and professional growth. You can learn to communicate in a foreign language, acquire new patterns of social interaction, and develop new skills in management and decision making.

Learning a foreign language is a must. Learning a language is for direct communication and for understanding how people of that culture think. The knowledge of the language is also the surest way to become accepted in a foreign country.

Living and working abroad can be hard. Language, food, customs, and living conditions are not what you’re used to. Culture shock is inevitable. It affects everyone living in a foreign culture to some degree, especially those who work in a local firm.

International careers generally fall into one of two categories: business or government. Students with good preparation in international business often do well in government positions or in the not-for-profit sector. In the business world, banking is at the core of most international transactions. Also export/import positions are opening up around the world as companies expand their markets and seek new sources of parts and materials for manufacturing.

Unit four. Famous people and companies Text 1 Lexmark International, Inc.

Lexmark is a global developer, manufacturer and supplier of laser and inkjet printers and associated consumable supplies for the office and home markets.

Lexmark develops and owns most of the technology for its laser printers and consumable supplies; this differentiates the company from a number of its competitors, which purchase laser engines from a third party. Lexmark’s integration of research and development, manufacturing and marketing has enabled the company to design laser printers with features desired by specific customer group and has resulted in substantial market presence for the company within certain industry segments such as banking, retail, pharmacy and health care.

The colour inkjet printer market, the fastest growing segment of the personal printer market, is expanding rapidly due to the growth in personal computers and home offices and the development of easy-to-use colour inkjet technology with good quality colour print capability at low prices.

Lexmark enjoys presence in more than 15,000 retail stores worldwide. As a result, the company is making capital investments in its inkjet production capacity to meet the growing demand for its colour inkjet printers.

In addition to its core printer business, Lexmark develops, manufactures, and markets a broad line of office imaging products, including supplies for International Business Machines (IBM) branded printers that are sold under the IBM trademark.

Lexmark was formed in March 1991 when the investment firm of Clayton, Dubilier & Rice Inc. acquired the Information Products business of International Business Machines Corporation. The company has made a successful transition from being a division within a large corporation to an independent company within its own line of Lexmark-branded products, its own sales and marketing relationships and more efficient development and manufacturing processes.

Lexmark has executive offices and its largest manufacturing center in Lexington, Kentucky. The company also has manufacturing centers in Boulder, Colorado; Orleans, France; Rosyth, Scotland; Juares, Mexico and Sydney, Australia.