Small cultural nuances make all the difference when traveling to a new country. Something as subtle as knowing the protocol of shaking hands will distinguish you as a culturally sensitive foreigner. Use these tid bits for your next trip to India.
Shaking hands is not a universal greeting in India, especially between a man and a woman.
Let the Indian host to take the lead in offering a hand shake.
The most common greeting in India is to join your hands together as in prayer, nod your head and say “Namaste”. The word “Namaste” comes from Hindi Sanskrit meaning namas ‘bowing’ + te ‘to you.’ This means that “I honor the spirit in you” as a greeting.
Most Indian women do not shake hands with men since physical contact is traditionally not acceptable between the opposite sex. However, a Westernized Indian woman may feel free to shake hands with a foreign visitor.
College gives you the environment to accumulate the necessary tools and skills to be a successful working professional. An international internship simply adds to your toolbox. What is it though that makes an international internship so important? Obvious reasons like gaining work experience and building your resume, have been ingrained in our heads as appropriate justifications. Digging deeper however is a subtler and yet equally if not more fulfilling reward of interning abroad.
Having come back from my year long trip after college, I was sent this video by my boyfriend, as a reminder of why we decided to embark on our gap year. As I was brainstorming topics for this post, it dawned on me that interning and living abroad is not just about expanding your cultural and professional horizons. It is about discovering who you are in the process. The story, the images and the music of this video continue to inspire me every time I watch it. What I learned most in all my international experiences, be it when I was a high school student, a young professional or a gap year traveler, is that every country that I have lived or traveled to, are part of my journey of self discovery.
That is the essence of an international internship. Over the years I have spoken to many students and professionals who share international living and working experiences. The common theme is the awareness that they have developed about themselves. The advantage of living and working in another country is that it forces you to discover new things every day. Every day therefore becomes a journey. Buying milk is journey. Riding the bus to see your new friends is a journey. Asking for directions to where you live is a journey. By learning to think outside of your cultural and professional box, you are opening yourself to new beginnings. An international internship opens you to yourself.
*Disclaimer: Going Global does not directly endorse Louis Vuitton. This video is strictly for education purposes.
The nature of international assignments for dual-career families is changing due to a workforce transition with the retiring Baby Boomers coupled with the economic downturn. The current workforce, primarily consisting of Generation X and Y, eligible for international assignments are experiencing the economic necessity to have two income streams in order to sustain their lifestyle. This poses an enormous challenge for companies because these couple are much more hesitant to leave everything and depend on only one stream of income.
To explore this phenomenon further, the workforce consultancy, ORC Worldwide, conducted a worldwide survey on Dual Careers and International Assignments Survey. “Employers face a difficult dilemma,” said Geoffrey W. Latta, executive vice president of ORC Worldwide, in a statement about the study. “Forced to be particularly mindful of cost constraints, managers are still responsible for balancing these efforts with the need to attract and retain the best talent to remain globally competitive. Further, as more and more Baby Boomers are beginning to retire, companies are sending Generation X and Y employees abroad, many of whom have spouses/partners with their own careers and who are unwilling to give up not only their jobs but also the income associated with their positions.”
Exacerbating the situation further is the cutback on financial support for dual-career couples. Where employers once provided resources for the other partner/spouse such as – job search assistance, CV/resume preparation, language training and repatriation support – they have had to decrease these efforts significantly in order to reduce costs. In 2005 only 33.5% of employers provided no financial help. Today this has increased to 50.9%.
Latta suggests that “successful employers will recognize the necessity for flexibility and creativity in finding solutions for staffing worldwide operations” in order to address the reluctance of dual-career families to accept international assignments.
Perhaps this change is not entirely bad. Not only is it forcing employers to push their creative limits to support their expatriates, but it is also breeding a new type of expatriate. These younger career centric couples are finding new ways to fulfill both their desires to take the international assignments and further their careers. Interesting the amount of female expatriates is on the rise and shifting the traditional spouse who is sent abroad. Through the power of the internet, dual-career couples will be able to work remotely without compromising their career.
Choosing an international business degree with the hopes of landing an international career after graduation is no longer a surefire action plan for students. With the current economic climate, being proactive before graduating and doing an international business internship is the best course of action. The only drawback is that a majority of internships abroad fall out of the private sector. No to fear. Business students are armed with all the necessary tools to get a business internship abroad.
Here are some tools and tips to add to your search:
Photo by geishaboy500; creative commons license.
1. Identify large multi-national corporations that have their headquarters or subsidiaries abroad.
Find the companies that are best suited to build your work experience. Use resources like Wikipedia and Google to identify these corporations. Large names like, Sony, L’Oreal, Unilever, Shell, etc all have offices in multiple countries. Start by identifying those larger names and work through their website for internship possibilities.
2. Investigate opportunities with Consulate Offices abroad.
The Consulate Office functions just as any other business would with the exception that they are representing a country rather than any business in particular. Start by checking the State Department website. Depending on the country that you would like to work in, you may be eligible to apply to a Consulate Office different than your home country. This will depend on the individual Consulate Office. Also note that Consulates typically are located in the capital city or a major cities in that country. Assess whether or not living in a major city for you internship is what you want.
4. Utilize your college alumni network.
The alumni network is a powerful web of people that have already experienced where you are in your search for a business internship. They are eager to share job-hunting advice and their experiences leading to an international career. Quite often, the international alums may occupy positions of influence overseas and can facilitate an internship more quickly. The key as always when networking is to demonstrate your value, even though you may not have a long list of experience, through your humility and passion for the experience.
5. Find someone who has already done either an international business internship or had an international career.
Identify which professors, alumni or outside professionals would be good to have an informational interview. Start by speaking to the alumni office, the career center or the professors who teach international centric classes (i.e. foreign language, literature, music, etc).
6. Consider offering work unpaid.
In the recent e-book, “Recession-Proof Graduate” by Charlie Hoehn he emphasizes the advantages of offering unpaid work. According to Hoehn, unpaid work has the ability to “rapidly advance your career path and find work that you actually care about.” This alternative eases the legal process (e.g. working visas) and demonstrates how committed you are to a private sector internship abroad. Negotiate in free housing or a small living stipend.
7. Meet with people face-to-face in that country.
For a productive and efficient trip, identify the companies that interest you the most in that country. Make a list of the business associations and expatriate networks. Start reaching out to these groups before you leave and make personal contacts. Once you arrive abroad, visit the businesses; go to lunch with people from the expatriate networks, etc. Another helpful tool is to speak with the local international schools. Express that you are visiting and interested in pursuing an international internship in the private sector. They are quite often very willing to help.
8. Follow up! Follow up! Follow up!
The nature of the expatriate community is to be extremely helpful. Approaching these groups with humility and enthusiasm for an international business internship will open more doors for you. Their time is valuable so be respectful and mindful of this. By following up on your conversations with them, you will demonstrate your business skills and your dedication.
The private sector offers an enormous amount of possibility for an international business student. Use the search not as a task for your internship but as a journey to achieve your international career. What is most exciting in the expatriate community is building that base of like-minded individuals who share a passion for culture, history and traveling. Start building that base today.
Joining the ranks of the international working community is something that can be started before leaving your home country. Luckily school just started and it’s the perfect time to begin preparing for an international internship. Being an expatriate quite often encompasses having a curiosity for international topics such as politics, culture or language. Bearing that in mind, this semester increase your chances of scoring an international internship by exploring those curiosities and adding them to your resume. Multi-national companies are always looking for people that have an affinity to an international life and working culture.
These 7 suggestions are the perfect ways to jump start your marketability on the international scene this semester.
1. Get a passport.
As basic as having a passport may sound, only 34% of Americans have a passport. If you are planning to do an international internship, begin preparing the most important document in order to travel abroad. Getting a passport can take anywhere between 4 to 6 weeks. Visit your local courthouse to get a hard copy of the paperwork or simply process online at the United States Immigration Support. Bonus: The earlier you do this, the less you have to worry about it. Plus if you need a special visa for your internship program, you will already be half-way there by having a passport.
2. Join an international club at school.
This is a great way to start exposing yourself to an international community while still at home. Because of the international membership of these clubs, it is the closest assimilation of being an expatriate. This will help to broaden your cultural perspective as well as to expose you to new ways of thinking. Bonus: Network with internationally minded individuals who may have connections abroad.
3. Seek out someone who has already done either an international internship or had an international career.
The best way to learn about an international internship or career is through the power of asking questions. Use your schools’ career office resources to identify which professors, alumni or outside professionals would be good to have an informational interview with. The benefit of doing an informational interview is the ability to have a one-on-one session with someone who may be a gatekeeper for an international internship opportunity. Bonus: Building your international network before leaving for your internship.
4. Determine which country and companies have the best suited internships for your area of study.
Choosing the right country and company for you international internship is integral for a good experience abroad. Start conducting your research now about where you would like to live and work. Remember to factor in the work and cultural differences in your assessment of an international internship. Depending on the company or program, the deadlines are dated 6 months ahead. It would be wise to start planning now in order to give yourself the best opportunity possible. Bonus: Knowing what you want earlier than later increases your chances of getting the internship you really want. Who wouldn’t want to work and surf in Sydney?
5. Start learning a new language or increasing your proficiency in a given language.
Your most powerful asset while living abroad is your ability to communicate in the language of the host country. While certainly not necessary, it is a great way to navigate the country as a more seasoned temporary resident. Bonus: Most multi-national companies look more favorably on individuals who speak more than one language. It adds to your international marketability.
6. Visit the international center for more information about programs offered through your school.
You know that building that you are not quite sure who goes in it but you always see people coming out of it and it says “International Center”? That’s where you need to go this semester. The staff is always willing to help point you in the right direction for an international internship. Bonus: The staff has hindsight over the programs and internship opportunities that would give you the best experience.
7. Connect with international professionals through sites like LinkedIn, InterNations.org or Expatica.
Your online network is just as valuable as your offline network. Use these social networking sites to build connections with professionals in multi-national companies that interest you. Not only are the connections valuable, but you can also start building your international professional credibility to a wider range of people. Bonus: By focusing on building your international marketability through your language skills, international clubs and other activities, you increase your likelihoodof being chosen as an international internship candidate.
Creating your international personal brand helps you get one step close to the international internship or career of your dreams. These are just some ways to begin that process. Experiencing working abroad is a truly enlightening adventure. Gaining momentum before your time abroad makes it that much more exciting. Get started today!
Going Global is the leading provider of country specific career and employment resources for individuals interested in working outside of their home country. More than 500 universities around the world currently subscribe to Going Global for use by their students, staff and alumni. We provide Country Career Guides, USA City Career Guides, corporate profiles for the world's leading employers and a job search database with over 500,000 worldwide job and internship listings. You can learn more about us at Goinglobal.com.
