Working Abroad: The Experience of Mobile Professionals in Foreign Labour Markets

Professionals moving from one country to another usually have to overcome problems when entering a foreign labour market. How transferable their capital is, depends not only on their negotiation abilities but also on the institutional settings of the home and the host countries. Human capital theories put the focus on the economic value of the knowledge migrant professionals have but do not take into account the social valuation of it made in the destination country (e.g. made by potential employers, professional groups). The possibility to find a satisfactory work position according to the level of studies and personal desires directly depends on this social valuation of the capital which was acquired in a foreign country.

This session deals with the mobility of professionals and the transferability of their knowledge and skills taking into consideration how the social negotiation of it takes place. It invites papers that discuss how different professionals confront the tensions and difficulties while moving from one country to the other and when integrating into the foreign labour market. The session aims to contribute not only to the theoretical discussion of transferability of skills and knowledge but also showcase experiences of mobile professionals within a broader occupational context.