French and Germans are keen to work abroad

This is the implication of a global survey by Robert Walters, the recruitment company. Of the

6,000 people who responded, half of them in financial services, 28% said international experience was essential to career development.

In France and Germany the figure rose to 40%.

A further 40% of French and German respondents thought international experience 'extremely useful'. Little more than 10% said going abroad to work did not make much difference, compared to 20% of respondents globally.

Antoine Morgaut, head of Robert Walters' Paris office, said French employees had only recently accepted the benefit of foreign work experience. "They have not traditionally been very internationally mobile. They have therefore found themselves overlooked for international financial positions," he said.

"Younger French people are very aware of the need to work abroad as a result."

International experience is a key to advancement at many firms. Graham Ward, global head of leadership and diversity in the equities division at Goldman Sachs said: "We encourage people to be geographically mobile.

The personal growth that ensues from an overseas assignment, for instance the ability to understand and work in different cultures, is priceless. Generally the best managers have worked in more than one location."