Member Since: Nov. 27, 2009
Jo Parfitt
Biography
In 1987 after her marriage to Ian, Jo Parfitt found herself thrown into the role of ‘trailing spouse’. Over the next ten years Jo lived in Dubai, Oman and Norway. From 1997 to 2004 she was back in England before moving to The Netherlands.
Never one to be idle, Jo is passionate about maintaining a professional identity despite countless changes in country, lifestyle and opportunity. Much of her time has been spent creating and maintaining her own mobile career and she has become an authority on the subject of dual and portable careers. Expatriate Entrepreneurs is the result of the many opportunities Jo has seized and the countless inspiring individuals she has met along the way, who were willing to share their success stories and their secrets in this book.
Going overseas can be the catalyst for a sea–change in your career. Opportunities that existed in one country may dry up in another. Sometimes it makes sense not to pursue one single career path but to adopt a shifting, growing portfolio of portable careers. Since 1987 Jo has, variously, taught word processing and other computer skills to housewives in Dubai, made and sold date chutney in Oman and taught creative writing in Norway. In The Netherlands she specialises in helping others to write their books and get published. During this time she has been involved in network marketing and sold books with Dorling Kindersley Family Learning. She has also run a CV writing service and made Christmas decorations from the flowers in her Middle Eastern garden. She is a passionate believer that flexibility and an open mind are vital attributes for anyone looking to work in another country.
In addition to the portfolio of more unusual jobs described above, Jo is primarily a writer. Her first book was published in 1985 by Octopus; a cookery book called ‘French Tarts’. She has been a journalist for seventeen years and has had hundreds of articles published all over the world in magazines such as Living Abroad, Emirates Woman, Gulf Air Golden Falcon, Expatrium, Eurograduate, Transition Abroad, Nexus, Hobson’s Career Guides, Women’s Business, Woman’s Journal, Bonjour and Resident Abroad. She has also been published in newspapers including the Independent on Sunday, The European and The Weekly Telegraph. In addition, she runs her own publishing company, Summertime Publishing, and is perhaps best known for her ‘A Career in Your Suitcase’ series. Between 1985 and 1992 she had more than 15 books published by major publishing companies. From 2000 to 2002 she was editor of Woman Abroad magazine. You can find examples of her work at:
Never one to be idle, Jo is passionate about maintaining a professional identity despite countless changes in country, lifestyle and opportunity. Much of her time has been spent creating and maintaining her own mobile career and she has become an authority on the subject of dual and portable careers. Expatriate Entrepreneurs is the result of the many opportunities Jo has seized and the countless inspiring individuals she has met along the way, who were willing to share their success stories and their secrets in this book.
Going overseas can be the catalyst for a sea–change in your career. Opportunities that existed in one country may dry up in another. Sometimes it makes sense not to pursue one single career path but to adopt a shifting, growing portfolio of portable careers. Since 1987 Jo has, variously, taught word processing and other computer skills to housewives in Dubai, made and sold date chutney in Oman and taught creative writing in Norway. In The Netherlands she specialises in helping others to write their books and get published. During this time she has been involved in network marketing and sold books with Dorling Kindersley Family Learning. She has also run a CV writing service and made Christmas decorations from the flowers in her Middle Eastern garden. She is a passionate believer that flexibility and an open mind are vital attributes for anyone looking to work in another country.
In addition to the portfolio of more unusual jobs described above, Jo is primarily a writer. Her first book was published in 1985 by Octopus; a cookery book called ‘French Tarts’. She has been a journalist for seventeen years and has had hundreds of articles published all over the world in magazines such as Living Abroad, Emirates Woman, Gulf Air Golden Falcon, Expatrium, Eurograduate, Transition Abroad, Nexus, Hobson’s Career Guides, Women’s Business, Woman’s Journal, Bonjour and Resident Abroad. She has also been published in newspapers including the Independent on Sunday, The European and The Weekly Telegraph. In addition, she runs her own publishing company, Summertime Publishing, and is perhaps best known for her ‘A Career in Your Suitcase’ series. Between 1985 and 1992 she had more than 15 books published by major publishing companies. From 2000 to 2002 she was editor of Woman Abroad magazine. You can find examples of her work at: