Survey of International Business Positions Advertised in the National Business Employment Weekly

Abstract

To secure data on current hiring and selection criteria used by American-based and foreign-based multinational corporations, a content analysis of the 52 issues of the National Business Employment Weekly (NBEW) for 1995 was performed. A total of 1,165 international personnel advertisements was studied to gather data on hiring firm, job classification, job location, academic and work experience requirements, and foreign language and travel requirements. Openings advertised in the NBEW were most likely for middle-level general managers or for marketing personnel, split almost equally between manufacturing and service industries. Most NBEW position announcements were for experienced personnel with an advanced degree. Foreign language facility, most often Spanish, was commonly demanded, and frequent travel was required. Suggestions offered to business school curriculum designers include promoting advanced business degrees to undergraduate business students as the standard entry requirement for advancement in international business management, imposing foreign language requirements for all international business students, developing cooperative education programs and internships with multinational firms, and internation-alizing business school faculty.