Posted on December 31, 2009
Sydney, Australia New Year's 2007 courtesy of Goinglobal on Flickr
We want to wish you the happiest of new year’s. Thank you for spending 2009 learning and growing with us. We hope that we have guided your towards achieving your international dreams. As we look forward, we challenge you to think of the opportunity to go abroad in 2010. Will you do an internship in London, a volunteer program in Colombia, study abroad in India, take a gap year around the world or simply travel around Africa? Whatever and wherever the future may be, we hope that you find yourself in a foreign country enjoying the wonders of their culture and traditions.
What is our resolution at Goinglobal for 2010? (We have to challenge ourselves too!) We commit to providing you with the best resources for finding your international opportunity this year. Look forward to learning more about living and working abroad by people who have done it and how you can do achieve it too. We commit to being your international coach for 2010, helping you go abroad now!
We would love to hear what international resolution you have for 2010.
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Posted by: Olga at Going Global
Posted on December 25, 2009
Wishing you peace and happiness in this holiday season, no matter wherever you are in the world. From someone who has spent the past four holidays seasons in different countries, remember that the most important part of this season are the people you love. Home is where the heart is, not necessarily where you are in the world.
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Posted by: Olga at Going Global
Posted on December 22, 2009
Photo courtesy of Goinglobal at Flickr
Over the past several weeks, we have helped to create your path for achieving your international dream. During Christmas week, we understand that doing anything outside of spending time with family and finishing last minute shopping is next to impossible. In this week of reflection, we encourage you to take the plunge towards your international dream.
What exactly does taking the plunge look like? Use this time to make the decision that you will pursue an international opportunity. Be it a study abroad program, an internship, a cultural exchange, a job or volunteer opportunity, a gap year. The world is your oyster and the international opportunities are endless.
A common practice for achieving one’s dream is to create a vision board. Find pictures that inspire your international dream and put them on a board for you to see everyday. If you are not a visual person, write down the date that you want to leave on your 2010 calendar. Another way to help fuel the fire, tell your friends that you are going international. Remember, you don’t have to know all the details yet. They will fall into the place. The important thing is to make the decision that you are going to pursue it. When you commit your mind to something and more importantly commit that idea to paper, miracles come true.
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Posted by: Olga at Going Global
Posted on December 16, 2009
Over the past several weeks, we have sat down with a Fulbright Scholar who researched micro-enterprises in Colombia, a young professional turned expat in Singapore, the adventures of a Cost-of-Living Surveyor and this week a student who studied abroad in South Korea while attending the University of Texas – McCombs School of Business. International experiences come in many different forms and can be pursued at any period in your life.
The driving factor for these three people and their experiences has been one thing – transforming that desire into action. The ‘want’ is only a tiny element of having an international experience. Turing that ‘want’ into a ‘reality’ is what will make the difference in having an international experience and not having one at all. During each of our interviews, we have made it a point to give you the tools to make your international dreams come true. The last question to all of our interviewees in this 10 part series is designed to give you 3-5 actionable steps to implement right away.
This week we sat down with Michael Pearson, a University of Texas International Business graduate, who studied abroad in South Korea from August 2005 – July 2006. He walks us through his whole study abroad experience and how he turned his idea into a reality. Read more…
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Posted by: Olga at Going Global
Posted on December 11, 2009
Alan Perlman
Part of our journey into various international experiences is learning about the opportunities available outside of our everyday scope of familiarities. When I read this post on the Maiden Voyage website, I thought it was perfect for anyone looking to have an international job experience that is less than traditional. Read below to learn how Alan Perlman combined his love for travel with his job as a cost-of-living surveyor. Read more…
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Posted by: Olga at Going Global
Posted on December 7, 2009
Photo attribution to Viqya on Flickr
Having dreams of studying or traveling abroad is great. Doing something about it and taking action is what separates dreamers from doers. This week while you are focused on studying for final exams, make an effort to go and visit the international programs office. Your mission this week is to become BF with the international programs office.
It is important to make sure that you know them and they know you and your dreams for an international experience. Consider them as the gatekeepers of all international programs. One of the great things about college is that it lends itself to building great relationships with your classmates, professors, career counselors and the international programs office staff. Gary Hoover, founder of Hoovers.com, a business research company that provides information on U.S. and foreign companies and industries, once said “College is not only about learning, but also about building relationships for later in life”.
Below is a day-by-day breakdown of how to build a relationship and connect with the people that can make your international dreams come true. By spending 50 minutes this week (that’s less than an hour for the week), you will start the ball rolling for an international experience.
Day 1 – Find out where the international programs office is located (Time – 10 min)
If you don’t know where the office is located, start by checking at the career service office.
Day 2 – Visit the international programs office (Time – 15 min)
Now that you know where the office is located, stop in. The focus of today is to make introductions. Introduce yourself to everyone there, even introduce yourself to one of the directors. First impressions are key when going towards your dream.
Day 3 – Set up an appointment with an advisor at the international programs office (Time – 5 min)
Visit the office again and set up an appointment to sit down with an advisor. Make sure to address everyone that you met the day before by his or her names. (By using everyone’s names, you establish a clear relationship with the people that can help you achieve your international dream. People tend to go above and beyond for those people that make an extra effort to be nice and polite.)
Day 4 – Visit the international programs office and research different study and exchange programs available (Time – 20 min)
Focus on just going to the international programs office to learn. There are dozens of programs to choose from. Pick up flyers, pamphlets or anything that peaks your interest. Ask the people working there for their opinions as well. Many times the students that work in the international programs office are from different countries. They can provide you with a deeper perspective of what it is like to live and study abroad.
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Posted by: Olga at Going Global
Posted on December 2, 2009
After our interview with James Norris, the young professional working in Singapore, we realized that having the right resources to find an international job is key. A great place to start your search is to utilize the international programs office at your university. If you don’t have access to that, use this starter list that we compiled from several career service offices for finding an international work opportunity. Remember to tell everyone that you are looking for an international job. Post it on your Facebook, your LinkedIn profile (if you don’t have one yet you should build a profile now) and any other social sites that you are part of. Everyone that you tell brings you one step close to that job. Do you know of any other websites that we should include in our list? Feel free to leave it in the comments. Sometimes, the best resources are the ones passed along through word of mouth.
• GoAbroad.com – Provides an international education database and internship opportunities connected to study abroad programs, as well as volunteer placements.
• British Universities North America Club (BUNAC) – Find temporary work and/or travel programs in the United Kingdom, Australia, Ireland, New Zealand and Canada.
• Council on International Educational Exchange (CIEE) – Provides the necessary documents and practical information on finding temporary work and housing in Australia, Canada, France, Ireland, Germany and New Zealand. Click on “Work Abroad”.
• Escape Artist – Find international job listings, links to embassies, and information about living abroad.
• Foreign Policy Association – Click “Job Board” to find jobs, internships, and volunteer opportunities worldwide.
• ResortJobs.com – Find job listings at worldwide resorts, ski areas, camps, parks, cruise ships and hotels.
• The Riley Guide – Resources for International Job Opportunities – Find job listings for many countries and regions of the world.
• GoinGlobal.com – The GoinGlobal.com team is comprised of individuals representing many different nationalities who all have one experience in common—they have all lived and worked outside of their home countries. (Yes – you can use us too!)
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Posted by: Olga at Going Global
