Unfortunately, U.S. workers hoping to gain this type of experience have little choice but to abide by the rules of the market that they’re looking to break into. “Some things that are simply illegal here are very accepted abroad—the stuff we get asked about by our global clients is way beyond what we’re asked to do in the U.S.,” acknowledges Kusin. “But if it’s standard in the culture over there, how can you oppose it?” (For tips on what to expect when you’re interviewing for jobs abroad, see our story.)

In Japan, which passed its first comprehensive antidiscrimination law in 1985, a Tokyo district court recently ruled that companies were not prohibited from applying “different hiring, job assignment, or promotion rules” to individuals of different genders, ages, and backgrounds. And although China enacted an equal-opportunity law banning discrimination based on nationality, race, gender, and religious belief this year, critics note that the law carries no penalties, which means that it will probably be ignored. In contrast, U.S. hiring discrimination—based on gender, age, marital status, race, and the like—is illegal, and the rules are enforced by the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission.

Victor Kuo, who spent years in Shanghai as a senior executive in consulting and venture capital and as general manager for Wal-Mart’s joint venture there, can attest to China’s absence of safeguards against bias. “As a hiring manager, I was allowed, even encouraged, to ask candidates about things like health status,” he says. “The surprising thing is that American companies in Asia still ask these questions even when they know that they have to abide by U.S. practices. I’ve had the managing director of a global headhunting firm in China say, ‘I know I’m not supposed to ask you this—but how old are you?’ ”

Double standards like these can be seen closer to home as well. In Mexico, even subsidiaries of U.S.-based companies commonly screen hires by age, gender, and marital status. OCC Mundial, one of Mexico’s leading online recruitment sites, regularly lists ads like this one for a position at a major American petroleum company: “Position: Sales manager. Education: Business administration or marketing. Sex: Male. Age: 30-45. Civil status: Preferably married.... Don’t apply if you don’t meet this profile 100%.”

Western Europe’s robust worker protections prohibit screening based on race, gender, age, and belief, but because those same protections make firing employees extremely difficult, companies are motivated to use any means possible, however esoteric or subtle, to vet the backgrounds and attitudes of candidates before extending an offer. And that guarantees the interviewing process will be a gauntlet—but for most international hires, the trouble is worth it. “As a rule, when we survey people who work overseas, the reviews are overwhelmingly positive,” says Rebecca Powers, a principal consultant for global H.R. consulting firm Mercer.

“The cultural and career implications are so substantial, and compared to the U.S., the job security in many places is incredible,” Powers adds. “Once you’re hired in a market like France, nothing can dislodge you; if I could be reincarnated as anything, I’d want to be a high-paid French executive with a full employment contract.”