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kasey_junkHNSource author
Lessons learnedExperience excerpt · English

I had a, kind of, opposite experience

I had a, kind of, opposite experience. I worked for an Australian company as an American in the US. My experience with the culture was the opposite. The Oz folks tended to be boastful with a chip on their shoulder. This was annoying as an employee but caused real problems when dealing with regulators and other companies. A big successful aus company just can’t throw its weight around in the US like at home. That said, they eventually figured it out and have become quite successful. I made some great friends at that company and picked up some Aussie slang that I still use today.

Original discussionWhat it's like working for American companies as an Australian173 source comments · at import
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WatchDogHN

What sector was the company in? I’m an Australian that has worked a lot with US companies. The most boastful Australian companies I have worked with have also been the least effective. Consultancies tend to be very boastful, but they have to be constantly selling themselves. The other boastful culture I worked in was a big bank. They had some of the worst over-complicated software, and a horrible culture, it seemed like the only way to rise in the company was salesmanship.

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nunezHN

Hey! So did I! Macquarie Capital was my first employer out of college. Loved working for Aussies. Hilarious bunch.

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zeroonetwothreeHN

Wow you mean it’s not accurate to generalise to an entire culture from a few personal experiences? Color me shocked

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