Posted by Olga at Going Global on March 3, 2010
Photo attribution to LivingOS on Flickr
Aspiring international professionals have the advantage of kicking off their international career even before moving abroad. The nature of the global marketplace opens an arena of opportunities for individuals who can communicate in more than one language. Language competency adds to your marketability and positions you as an internationally savvy professional.
Learning languages is often associated with formal classes at universities or language schools. What if I told you, that you could start today for free? We included 5 top ways that you can begin your language training by making small adjustments to your everyday life.
1. Join an International Club
Meetup is one of the easiest ways to start building your language skills. Find a club that brings together people who are interested in speaking your language of choice. The more you surround yourself with people speaking this language, the quicker you will learn to dominate it.
2. Relax and Listen to the Music
Find music in your target language that you like. It does not matter if at first you do not understand the lyrics. You may start singing along without even knowing what you are singing. You are not only learning the rhythm of the language, you are learning new vocabulary.
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Posted by Olga at Going Global on February 19, 2010
Photo attribution to TheAlieness GiselaGiardino²³
What do you get when you combine the elegance of European culture with the allure of South American lifestyle? None other than the sexy Argentina. Ranked as number 40 in The Economists Quality of Life index for 2009, Argentina is a top destination for anyone interested in improving their Spanish, dancing and love for the outdoors.
Famous for
Beef, Diego Maradona (soccer player), Evita Perón, tango, Tierra del Fuego, Patagonia, Che Guevara, the largest dinosaur ever discovered
Language
The main language spoken is Spanish. Head to the northwest Andean mountain region and experience the native tongue of Quechua.
Idioms native to Argentina
Even though there are over a dozen countries around the world that share Spanish as their native language, each country personalizes their language with distinctive expressions. These are a few examples of Argentinean expressions to help you in your everyday speech.
- Pibe/Piba: (Boy/Girl) “El Pibe” (The Boy) “La Piba” (The Girl).
- Che (This is pure Buenos Aires is similar to the Australian “Mate”)
- “Que haces Che ?” (how are you Mate?)
- La Vieja: (Old Lady) Very loving way to calling one’s mom.
- El Viejo: (Old Man) Very loving way to calling one’s dad.
Climate
Photo Attribution to Stuck in Customs
Neighboring land locked Bolivia and stretching to the tip of South America, Argentina encompasses a wide variety of climates. From beaches like Mar de Plata, to deserts like Monte Desert, to glacier carved landscapes in Patagonia, to a metropolitan soccer mecca in Buenos Aires, Argentina offers its natives and travelers a host of activities within a several hour drive.
Multinational Companies
Here is a list of multinational companies that have satellite offices in Argentina. To find a more comprehensive list to scope out potential employers, use the AMCham website (US Chamber of Commerce in Argentina). The website is written in Spanish however just type “translate web page” along with the url into Google and voila!
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Posted by Olga at Going Global on February 15, 2010
Photo attribution to Bernzilla
As your international coach, it’s important for us at Going Global to keep you on track towards your international adventure. The Must Do Monday series is designed to help you go abroad while building the foundation for your career. These tips are applicable for any type of international experience, regardless if it is directly related to working abroad.
Today’s Must Do Monday is focused on auditing your progress to building your international foundation. The advantage of these tips is that they are broken down in manageable chunks that can easily be added to your weekly activities. As you reflect on what you have accomplished, focus on how this is helping you get to the next step of going abroad. Even if there is an area that you haven’t completed yet, that’s ok! Remember that going abroad is something that is unique and takes planning. Focus on all the milestones that you have achieved.
Have you completed all these weekly steps and want to share your story? Do you have any that you would like to see in the next coming weeks? We would love to hear your feedback.
The Must Do Mondays are shown in the order of most recent posts first. It is up to you as to which one to start with. As with any goal, it is always wise to have a sequential order for your upcoming tasks. That way you have the ability to track your progress as you accomplish each milestone.
- Seek Out International Advice
(The best people that can help you get abroad are the ones that have already been there, done that. Learn how to find them and build a relationship with them.)
- Write Your Resume
(The most important document of your professional career. Learn how to approach writing it in a manageable yet effective way.)
- Building Your LinkedIn Profile
(LinkedIn is rapidly becoming the calling card of all professionals. Start your international career on the best foot by creating your LinkedIn profile. It looks great on a business card and demonstrates your skills and accomplishments to the whole world.)
- Start Building Your Network
(The say ‘Rome wasn’t built in a day’. It wasn’t built by one person either. Having a network of colleagues, mentors, friends and anyone who endorses you is your most powerful asset throughout your professional career. The best time to start building it is now.)
- Make a Timeline
(Knowing where you stand in your quest for an international experience is vital to getting there. Having a plan with due dates helps you to organize yourself and provides you with a road map for your trip. The added benefit is that you build up the anticipation for your trip!)
- Take the Plunge
(While most of the Must Do Mondays are tactical, it all starts with making an internalized choice to go abroad. Do your own self audit and assess ‘why you want to go abroad’ and ‘how this will fit into your long term plans’?)
- Make Friends with the International Programs Office
(As you plan for your trip abroad, start by reaching out to the professionals. Utilize the resources that you have available on campus through the International Programs Office. It never hurts to introduce yourself and your international mission.)
- Get a Passport
(Your passport is vital to going abroad. It is very easy to get and with these simple steps, you can finish the process in one week.)
Posted by Olga at Going Global on January 28, 2010
Photo courtesy of Lucas Franchi
One of the biggest lessons that we have learned from our guests, Erin Bream (Fulbright Scholar in Colombia), James Norris (Young Professional in Singapore), Michael Pearsun (Winner of a Study Abroad in Korea) and Alan Perlman (Cost-of-living surveyor) is that there is no such thing as a cookie-cutter international experience.
So what happens when you decide to take ‘the road less traveled’? You open yourself to a world of possibilities, literally. That is our lesson from our guest this week, Lucas Franchi. He decided rather than to follow the normal trajectory for a recent college grad, he was going to explore his ‘road less traveled’. He ventured out to combine his love for languages and culture as an ESL teacher in Asia. His one-year adventure has turned into a three-year career that he hopes to continue building in other countries as well. WAIT! There is more to read… read on »
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.
Posted by Olga at Going Global on January 12, 2010
Photo Attribution to rossjamesparker on Flickr
The excitement of going abroad is something that starts long before you leave. A huge part of that thrill is when you surround yourself with people who have already had that experience. Those people will be the ones that will keep you motivated before you leave, that may open other opportunities to you while abroad and that may serve as contacts in the countries that you may live or visit. Building your global network will serve your before, during and after your trip. The best time to start building it is now!
This week focus on finding where those future contacts meet so that you can connect with them. Think of building your network like picking players for a team. Each of your ‘players’ brings their own strengths and capabilities to make that team the best there is. The same thing goes for your network. Having a balanced global network with people from different industries and interests will help you as you build your international career or pursue an international experience. Dedicate 1 hour a day for the next 4 days to find at least 5 people that you want to add to your network. After you have identified those people, learn about their background and reach out to them for a meeting. Here are four places to start looking this week.
International Programs Office:
The advantage of being on campus is the availability of resources at your disposal. The people at the international programs office will be able to connect you with other students or professors that have had international experiences. If you do not have that option available to you, seek out the international development office of your local town. Larger cities will have resources of international businesses that have satellite offices where you can reach out to one of the professionals there.
Alumni Office:
Building a good relationship with the Alumni of your school is always a good thing to do for your future prospects. They may be the gatekeepers to international opportunities and have the advantage of foresight. By demonstrating your enthusiasm for an international experience, there is the potential to create a strong bond where they can help motivate you to achieve your dreams.
LinkedIn and Facebook:
There is a huge potential on both LinkedIn and Facebook to build a global network regardless of where you live. LinkedIn offers you resources like ‘Groups’ to find like-minded individuals on various subjects. Facebook offers a similar resource through ‘Fan Pages’. Goinglobal has both a LinkedIn Group and a Facebook Group page to bring together people that are interested in pusuing international opportunities. Here are some other great groups to join on LinkedIn and Facebook:
LinkedIn:
Expat Network
Expat Web
Facebook:
International Higher Education Consulting Blog
Aspire by API – High School and Gap Year Study Abroad
(Remember that in order to join these groups, you must already be a member of either network. Need help building your LinkedIn profile? Check this article out by Chris Brogan for some great pointers)
Meetup:
This is by far an amazing resource for anyone looking to meet people that share similar interests. Meetup is a worldwide directory of groups that meet based on spectrum of topics like traveling, working abroad, studying abroad, being an expat, etc. Check out different groups that you would like to join and start attending the events.
Do you have any suggestions for other ways to build your global network? Please let us know and we will add them to this post.
Posted by Olga at Going Global on January 7, 2010
Photo attribution to tim166 on Flickr
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.)
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