Many unsuspecting workers fall into a new job in an unfamiliar country without an effective parachute. And although a parachute will prevent a crash landing, it is still only the beginning. Those who land safely are in very unfamiliar territory. Tony Cockerill reviews the story of Niall Murtagh, a free‐spirited backpacker who ended up as the first salaried westerner to work for Mitsubishi Electric, to show how managers could brief their foreign staff more effectively.