Posted by Olga at Going Global on February 10, 2011
Guest blogger - Brooks Rosenquist
Brooks Rosenquist is a doctoral student in Education Policy at Vanderbilt University in Nashville, Tennesee. He has lived in Taiwan and Spain, and is looking forward to his next international adventure.
“Some of the houses in this neighborhood are FIFTY years old!” That’s how I remember a quote from Steve Martin’s character in LA Story. Growing up in California, my sense of history of place didn’t go back too far. I was surrounded by relatively new buildings and the car and commuter culture they were built around. Although on our fourth grade field trips, we did visit some of the few oldest local historic sites, such as those associated with the Gold Rush of 1849. When it came time to go to college, this young man headed east, to Washington DC, and my sense of history of place was forced back a few centuries. Then, junior year, I headed even further east, for a semester abroad in Salamanca, Spain. For me, this required a quantum leap in my sense of history of place: in Salamanca, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, they have two cathedrals, and the one they call “the new cathedral” dates back to the 1500s.
When I am lucky enough to travel abroad for any period of time, I’ve learned I have to try to do at least a little background on the place, the language, the customs, the cuisine, the geography, and the history. I remember living in Taipei, seeking out books on Chinese history in one of the few small bookstores that specialized in English language books, hoping to teach myself something about the sequence and characteristics of the more than twenty dynasties and five thousand years of history in order to put in context some of the ancient treasures I saw on display at the National Palace Museum,. Then again, instead of just reading about the raw facts of history from one era, country, or culture, you sometimes need a book that really puts it into perspective for you, providing the big picture and showing you how its patterns and lessons are applied in our world today.
A few years ago, I was lucky enough to read Parag Khanna’s book “The Second World”, where he describes his travels though the world while presenting the argument that, after the Cold War, there is substantial shift of power to the middle-income countries and emerging economies, as the powers of Europe, China, and the US court these countries for access to markets and natural resources. While others have expounded variations on this theme, Khanna does so particularly coherently and convincingly; the book reads like a travelogue, so that you can read it straight through or skip around to the sections on the countries that interest you most, enjoying the author’s mix of political analysis and entertaining details and observations. I was in college with Khanna, and after this book was published, he really started to get some of the acclaim that, when I met him, was just limited to the college campus. It was really cool to see my old classmate on TV doing interviews with Charlie Rose and on CNN with Farheed Zakaria.
Khanna is coming out with his second book later this month, and this time, he is really taking a broad, sweeping, historical approach to his analysis. With a decline of influence of the world’s superpowers, political, economic, and even military power is devolving not only to emerging market governments, but also to corporations, armed resistance groups, and non-profit, philanthropic, and other international organizations. In this book, called “How to Run the World: Charting a Course for the Next Renaissance,” Khanna draws upon history to construct a comparison with another time in global history when power was also widely dispersed in this way: the Middle Ages.
For example, while Europe struggled to find it’s way and even lost some of the technological know-how developed by the Romans, empires in China, India, and the Arab world flourished. The Byzantine Empire, based in modern day Turkey, served as a stable link between the East and West. Khanna sees a reflection of many elements of the Middle Ages in our own times, with the US playing the role this time of the multicultural Byzantine Empire, linking East and West. While those with a Euro-centric vision of history think of these centuries as a time of stagnation, it was in many ways a high point for much of the rest of the world. When the knowledge retained and developed in the East was reintroduced to a stabilized Europe, the continent experienced a cultural Renaissance.
From his title, it seems like that is a vision of the world which Khanna would like to encourage: a world with stable and widely distributed economic and political power, which is so interconnected on multiple levels that it avoids war and instead allows for the development of art, commerce, dialog, and travel. Hopefully, those that are in the position to make a difference on a global scale will read Khanna’s book and start to make this vision a reality. For those of us who intend to go or continue to “go global,” this dynamic and interconnected vision of the world is an enticing one, indeed.
Whether you are choosing a life-long international career or a one-time ordeal, starting a life as an expat can be a daunting experience. There are people in your life that will encourage you to pursue that opportunity and there will inevitably be people telling you that you are crazy. Sometimes the hardest part is paving your own road, albeit of others opinions.
At the same token, the opinions of people who believe in the long-term benefit of your international experience will undoubtedly help you achieve the dream of being an expat. There are two essential factors that contribute to making your decision easier: will it help your career and/or will it add to your overall life experience? The best source of wisdom is from people who have already achieved ‘the dream’. When I decided to do an ‘around the world trip’ after college, I sought the advice of people had had this experience. What I found was not only invaluable advice on the logistics of how to do it, but also a life long connection of friends who share my love for culture and worldwide adventure.
We asked our LinkedIn group to share their advice on the pros and cons of living and working abroad. These current and former expats have the perspective of someone who has ‘been there, done that’. Read their insights below and how going abroad has impacted their lives and careers.
Positives: It opens up your mind in a whole new way that is not possible unless you lived and worked in another culture. Everything becomes an adventure…especially grocery shopping!
Concerns: Everything becomes an adventure…some days you just want to be able to wake up, live your life, and go to sleep without every thing being a challenge. When your having a downer day this constant need to be alert can be difficult and challenging.
Leon Dawson (鲁旸)
Mandarin Fluent Marketing Professional with Legal Background
Positives: After college, I moved to China for about 5 years. It was the most amazing period of my life. As most people have mentioned, living/working/studying in a radically different environment has a profound effect on your perspective on many levels. I think it’s important to remember that the people of our host countries are also trying to figure us out. It is important to understand their cultural perspective and not allow ourselves to judge them according to the norms of our own cultures.
Concerns: I think the only con for me was being 8K miles from many of the people I knew and only being able to see them sporadically. But, all the new friends and adventures in my host country made the occasional homesickness more than tolerable.
David Elmo
Market & Product Development Specialist
Positives: You come to understand the world and issues from other perspectives, which has a profound impact upon your ability to analyze. You tend to have the opportunity to meet many people as others are interested in the opportunity of exposure to people outside of their norm. Concerns: If you are not open to new things, new perspectives, and different ways of doing things (even very basic things) then you will quickly become depressed. Living abroad requires the ability to be open to adventure. Don’t live abroad if you are not willing to explore.
Janet Jones
Senior Associate Director at Rutgers University
Positives: Becoming an expert problem solver, a more effective communicator, and a resourceful individual. Beyond things like adventure, risk taking and comfort with diversity, I think these additional soft skills are of great interest to employers.
Concerns: Not everyone back home “gets it” and may not value or appreciate what you bring to the table.
Positives: Your experiences and points of view do give you an edge. The soft skills you develop and your whole outlook on life is enhanced. Finally, you’ll always have great stories to share back at home.
Concerns: In my experience, there’s always the fact that you are “the foreigner.” Even though you may fit in and develop relationships with people abroad, not every country gives you the chance to feel completely assimilated. Conversely, there are some countries where you might be willing to “drag and drop” your own country’s life into!
Sarah Novak, CPCC
Global Career and Lifestyle Designer for Expatriates
Positives: I’ve only been living overseas for 8 months, but I feel as if I’ve already been exposed to a good variety of pros and cons. I find that it’s easier to get welcomed into social groups overseas. You can quickly create friends without the year-long “get to know you” period. I also like the constant sense of exploration and discovery. It’s very stimulating.
Concerns: We’re with the Embassy, so I think it’s going to be challenging to relocate my business every few years. That being said, social media has been a great way to create a global business network that won’t be as impacted when I physically move!
Neil Camacho
Career Services Director at INCAE Business School -
Positives: You come to understand the world and issues from REAL perspectives. In more detail, the perspectives the WORLD has and not only the ones our country, region or culture. Then this is very attractive for companies, especially multinationals or those trying to grow in different countries and cultures. So, if you have international experience you add more value to a company.
Positives: I think it’s such a great experience that opens your mind completely. It makes you grow up faster than your colleagues, more independent and ready to solve any difficult situation. I started studying abroad when I was 14 before England, than Scotland, Ireland and US. Nowadays everything it’s easier. You can find what you need to know on the Internet but, at that time, life in a foreign country was a total “discovery”. I currently live in Spain and I highly recommend young people to travel, study or live abroad for a while, after that you see the world under different eyes.
What have you experienced as an expat? What are your pros and cons? Share your experiences in the comments, on the Facebook page or on the LinkedIn group discussion.
Shannon Kelly - International volunteer extraordinaire
When we make the decision to go abroad, it is often for selfish reasons. We associate traveling and living internationally as a personal experience, one that is shared with our closest friends and family. What about when we decide that the international experience itself is more about the people we meet along the way?
That is the story of our guest this week Shannon Kelly, the Job & Internship Coordinator for the Career Services at University of Pennsylvania. Last year, Shannon traveled to the United Kingdom to volunteer with a holistic festival in the small town of Avon. She combined her love for traveling with her passion for volunteering. Her experience took her beyond the realms of traveling into a place of serving.
Learn about her adventures in international volunteering and how you can do it too. Shoot your questions about international volunteering to shakelly@upenn.edu. Keep up with her on LinkedIn or on Twitter: @shannonckelly.
Goinglobal: Would you tell us how you became an international volunteer?
Shannon Kelly: In August 2009 I traveled to the UK to volunteer at a holistic living festival in a small village in Avon, called Monkton Combe (15 minutes from Bath). I found the festival through an international volunteer exchange organization called Volunteers for Peace which I discovered through my work, Penn Career Services’ annual International Opportunities Fair. The festival lasted for 10 days – I planned my arrival so that I could tour Bath before I had to report to the festival and I added a day on to my trip to see London, which is where I flew in and out from.
The festival was the One World Festival which is an annual gathering of families, individuals and professionals who practice a macrobiotic lifestyle. It was hosted at a boarding school in the English countryside. The festival features workshops on yoga, healthy eating habits, different types of exercises and dance, arts and crafts, learning ways to deal with stress and other things of that nature. Now, I do not practice nor did I know of this lifestyle prior to the festival however when I selected this program I thought it looked like a beautiful setting and I knew I would be one of 50 volunteers. In addition, I felt I could learn about this lifestyle and perhaps it could improve my own.
During my stay, volunteers camped in tents alongside patrons. There were a total of 100 volunteers (50 international and 50 from the UK) and about 500 attendees at the festival; though the majority of patrons stayed in the boarding school’s dormitories. The volunteers were divided into groups for various functions that would run the festival. I was part of the Site crew. Our work involved keeping the camp grounds and school clean, moving furniture around for workshops, setting up and breaking down marquees and any other duties as needed. I ended up becoming the Site supervisor’s assistant, who was one of the 10 paid staff, because I was one of the international volunteers who spoke English and had a leadership quality about me. I helped the supervisor organize the other volunteers on the site crew, I did some administrative duties in the office such as typing up lists, making announcements and our biggest job was marshalling patrons the day they arrived and the day they left. Other work that volunteers did was work in the kitchen either preparing or serving food, watching children while their parents went to workshops, security for the event or running the bar/café where bands played and alcohol was served. All volunteers were required to work six hours a day, which depended on your specific task and when you had free time you could travel to Bath or participate in the workshops. Our agreement with the festival promoter was that you work your hours, participate in workshops during your free time and got free room and board. In addition, at night time there was a new band each night and staff got a discount at the bar, which was a lot of fun.
When I formed a group of friends among the volunteers, we went to different workshops together, like yoga or Brazilian Forro (a type of dance), and we also went to the café together and saw the bands. It was a lot of fun and it was all free. I now have friends in 10 different countries, I learned some techniques to cope with stress, learned a new style of dance and practice yoga too. In addition, I got international experience in event management which I will certainly list on my resume.
GG: Why did you choose to do an international volunteer program?
SK: I volunteered abroad for several personal and professional reasons. First of all, I turned 25 and I wanted to mark the occasion with an adventure overseas because I had never been and it was a goal of mine for as long as I could remember. I was also traveling by myself and have a passion for volunteering, so I decided to volunteering could provide me with a social life while overseas and give back simultaneously – a win-win. Professionally, I have been interested in pursuing a career overseas and realized that I could also gain experience through a volunteer program.
GG: What was the tipping point that helped to make the decision?
SK: I chose to volunteer through Volunteers for Peace primarily because their fee was extremely affordable – $300 at the time. In addition, they are a non-profit and had a broad range of program types and locations. I knew I could find something that fit my goal to travel to the UK in an area I was interested in.
GG: How did you find the opportunity to volunteer internationally?
SK: I work at the University of Pennsylvania Career Services office in Philadelphia and we host an annual international opportunities fair for our students. My first year of managing the event I researched each organization that registered and Volunteers for Peace was one of them.
Posted by Olga at Going Global on January 15, 2010
Photo Attribution to TheQuiltedLion on Flickr
The current global economic climate and work force instability has been no stranger to the US job market. Workforce dynamics are shifting as the Baby Boomers start retiring and Gen Y continues to join the ranks of corporate America. The nation’s unemployment rate has risen to a 26-year-high of 10.2%. Everyday there are more cases of people struggling to find jobs, cope with layoffs and find professional clarity in this brutal job market. How does one respond to this uncertainty? Here’s one way to cope: Leave the country.
Pursuing overseas work has a fresh appeal to Americans in this current job market. The pool of American globe-trotting professionals is still relatively small in comparison to previous years, however there are notable changes taking place.
Working abroad versus working within the US has largely impacted the younger generations that are still in college or about to graduate. “Charles Wang, an industrial engineering major at Georgia Institute of Technology, worked as a project manager for the United Parcel Service in Dubai after his junior year from July 2008 until last May.” “Because of … my inability to find good jobs in the U.S.,” says Wang, 22, he plans to return to Dubai for a permanent job after graduating next month and stay until the U.S. job market is “back to normal.” (More U.S. job hunters look for work in other countries, USA Today)
This global shift of the US graduating workforce offers this younger generation huge benefits for their long-term professional careers. Robbie Falconer, a junior at the University of California-Berkeley, interned with Morningstar Financial in Madrid, Spain. “The investment banking industry is ultra competitive,” explains Falconer. “There are more sharp people graduating from top schools that are looking for jobs than there are positions. International experience with the world’s leading provider of financial data gives me a demonstrable advantage over other job seekers” (Intrax Internships Abroad Secures Record Number of Prestigious International Internships, PR NewsWire).
These international work opportunities provide the growing number of young professionals the advantage of distinguishing themselves from the pool of equally qualified candidates. While the job market shift has hit this country hard, it also has opened the doors to a more global and mobile workforce.
Do you have experience as a young professional drive to work abroad because of the US economy?How do you think that this will affect the US economy in the long run? We would love to hear your insights.
As travelers and expatriates, we plan for all possibilities that could go wrong on a trip by taking a copy of our passport, having our medical insurance handy, advising our credit card companies of the countries that we are visiting to avoid any freezes and the list goes on and on. The experience itself is engulfing with coordinating the logistics of the trip, the excitement of a new culture and all other aspects of that new experience. But while we are busy planning to take care of our ‘stuff’, do we plan to take care of ourselves by following basic safety rules?
As both a seasoned traveler and a former expatriate, I have followed 7 golden rules of safe travel over the past 26 years of my international life. These 7 golden rules were explored further in a guest post at the Maiden Voyage blog. (Maiden Voyage is blog dedicated to exploring the adventures and experiences of travel for 20 somethings.)
Posted by Olga at Going Global on September 21, 2009
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.
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.
