Successful expatriate adjustment has been linked with organizational socialization processes. It is proposed in this paper that the process of anticipatory socialization begins long before a foreign assignment is considered. Perceptions of job characteristics, organizations, and foreign countries all contribute to the process of anticipatory socialization. These perceptions are shaped by media portrayals through television, movies, and the Internet. Characterizations found in the media can be misleading, and there is no system in place to ensure content accuracy of these depictions. The potential implications of basing career decisions on inaccurate or misleading information are considered, and the consequences are discussed. Considering how expatriates might deal with discrepant information, four coping strategies are proposed--repatriation, psychological withdrawal, cognitive reappraisal, and career acceleration.