When reading online I come across a lot of content that makes it seem like “real jobs” suck. This is so far from true and to prove it I wanted to interview my friend Alan Perlman of The 9 to 5 Alternative.
What exactly do you do for a living?
I work for a firm that helps design, implement and support expatriate programs for multinational corporations. What that means – let’s say you work for an international non-profit organization, and they want you to move to Kigali, Rwanda on a 2-year assignment. Based on the quality and availability of goods and services in Kigali, your compensation (salary, benefits, etc.) will most likely be different from someone working in New York, or Cairo, or [insert city here]. My company helps other companies figure out what that difference should be.
As a surveyor, I travel to various cities around the world to collect and analyze data. I meet with real estate agents to talk about the rental market, I go to pharmacies, malls, supermarkets, you name it. In a nutshell, I land in a city with a big blank book, and when I leave, the book is filled with numbers, anything from the price of women’s panties to iodized salt. It’s wild.
How did you come across the opportunity to do that?
I heard somewhere that more than 75% of jobs are found through networking. My story complements that statistic :)
It was senior year of college, and I was home for the holidays, talking with friends about my future plans. At that point, I was all over the place, applying to numerous jobs not really knowing what I wanted to do. When it came up that I had studied abroad in Nepal and was looking for a way to continue traveling abroad, one of my friends suggested that I contact her brother, who at that time was a surveyor.
I sent him an email, he happened to be in town, we met for coffee, and oh, I spilled chai tea all over my pants. He forwarded my resume/cover letter to the big man, and I was invited to interview.
What does a typical day look like for you on a work assignment?
My favorite part about traveling so much–there are no “typical” days. Some days I work for one hour, others I work for fifteen. After a year as a surveyor, I’m much better at managing my time on the road. I try not to work Sundays, and I also try to squeeze in as much leisure travel as I can (read about the time I snuck to Chernobyl here).
Every city is completely different. Some days are spent entirely inside. 10 hours in a supermarket and attached mall. Other days are spent meeting with real estate agents, or hunting down utility prices on the phone, or driving around to different automobile dealers for new car prices. If there’s one skill I’ve picked up with this job, it’s how to think quick and plan my day as optimally as possible.
If someone is interested in being a cost-of-living surveyor, what steps would you encourage them to take? (Such as college, learning languages, etc…)
Fun fact: one of my favorite high school teachers majored in Native American Studies. He now teaches chemistry.
You never know where your courses will take you. If you’re interested in working for a company that involves international travel, yes, it’s important to have international experience under your belt. Studying or volunteering abroad is a smart move. And yes, if you can demonstrate competency in a second or third language, then you’re incredibly marketable in both private and public sectors.
But don’t let lack of experience hold you back. If you’re still in school, take classes that interest you. Learn to “think different,” as Apple likes to tout. If you’re already working, explore your industry. Are their international opportunities available? In today’s day and age, it’s becoming easier and easier to find work in a global capacity.
See… this is a “real job” that rocks!
I want to thank Alan for doing this interview. If you have not been to his blog, I suggest you do. There’s all sorts of cool stuff there.
{ 4 comments… read them below or add one }
Wow! If I were younger and unmarried, I’d probably try to get into this line of work. However, I honestly LOVE being married to Tammy Quitter. She’s a real person who ROCKS! :-)
Great post, Nate!
Haha! Yes, I would definitely recommend staying married to Tammy as opposed to becoming a cost of living surveyor.
“I heard somewhere that more than 75% of jobs are found through networking. My story complements that statistic :)”
Funny that this should come up.
My girlfriend and I have been talking about networking recently. We both agree that there’s a wrong way to do it. Whether you’re too mercenary, the small talk is too insincere, whatever, she has been put off from networking as a whole.
I believe that some people network in the wrong way as above. Others like you and I, Nate, ;-) do it the correct way. Where we both take an interest in each other’s work and communicate in a sincere and generous manner.
Kind of off topic, but just wanted to share. That quote from the post triggered that one. ;-)
Andrew, you are so right about there being a right and wrong way to network. It sucks that people get afraid of it or are hesitant about even trying to network with others. It really is a matter of genuine interest in what the other person has going on. Thanks for the comment!