How do you maintain strong relationships with international clients and/or co-workers?

"As a freelance English as a Second Language (ESL) instructor, I maintain a portfolio of roughly fifty regular students that I teach privately. I also offer corporate ESL training to employees working with international clients. Since I work with students from over a dozen countries, I must constantly educate myself on customs, etiquette, and current events to develop a sincere, respectful relationship. This has allowed students to trust me, and they are therefore more open to the language acquisition process."

"Communication is key when developing and maintaining relationships with people you may have never spoken to in person. A virtual environment has different challenges than a real-world encounter, but it also has opportunities. In a virtual setting, you can easily connect with someone thousands of miles away, and you must do so regularly. I always check a client's time zone and coordinate my communications accordingly. I want to be respectful of the time of day and connect frequently enough that I am a consistent presence."

Emphasize any experience you have that illustrates your cultural competency and sensitivity. Unless you are applying for a job at a specific field office, you don't necessarily know what countries you will be interacting with. Talk about how you take the initiative to educate yourself on unfamiliar cultures and how that affects your ability to maintain relationships with international clients and co-workers.