With globalization, trade and business seem to have no borders anymore, and we are all establishing contacts with people in different places of the world all the time.

As these business relationships, or even between business partners of different nationalities, become more frequent, a sense of greater intimacy naturally arises. These businesses or working partners believe that they already know each other well. Thus, these relationships that were formal in the beginning start to take place in a more relaxed and informal way.

And it is precisely at this moment of informality in the conversations where the danger lies because, in the work environment, there may be moments of jokes that are not a big deal for the one who is talking. That joke has only a jocular, harmless connotation.

However, the foreigner who hears that joke can be seen as inappropriate and even offensive. Then, that relationship between work partners that until then was friendly and flowed well can turn into an embarrassment, which can even bring serious consequences, such as the failure of a negotiation.

Situations like these show the importance of knowing the culture you are interacting with, especially for those who want to develop an international career. Being technically and culturally prepared to establish interactions in an increasingly global world is a significant differential in the life of any professional who wants to go beyond the borders of his own country.

So, suppose you intend to go beyond your national borders and launch yourself into the international job market. In that case, it is necessary to prepare yourself, to know the cultural meanings of the place you intend to interact, whether it is to expand your business in another country or because you want to seek international job opportunities.

Only through knowledge will the values of different cultures make sense to you and guide you to establishing successful connections.