Posted on March 19, 2010
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.
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Comments:
Posted by: Olga at Going Global
Posted 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.
Comments:
Posted by: Olga at Going Global
Posted on September 24, 2009
Traditional Indian "Namaste" Greeting
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.
Comments:
Posted by: Olga at Going Global
Posted on September 1, 2009
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!
Comments:
Posted by: Olga at Going Global
