In our
increasingly interconnected world and global economy, the opportunity to study
abroad (not just backpack and party in another country) seems to me like a particularly
valuable experience. A year or semester of study abroad can help you learn a
language, get immersed in a new culture, and broaden your understanding of the
world.
It may also help you get a job.
A decade ago, workers worried
about jobs being outsourced overseas. Today companies assemble virtual teams to
innovate, develop products, conduct sales, provide customer support, and many other
tasks. This increased global interconnectivity puts diversity—cultural understanding and
sensitivity— and adaptability at the center
of organizational operations.
The workforce of the future
will be increasingly multi-cultural, age diverse and global. To thrive in the
workplace of the future you will need to be adaptable to environments, working
styles and thinking.
workplace trends
In the near future, companies will not
just employ people in different locations around the world. Local people and
local business processes will be integrated into the infrastructure of global
organizations.
- Employers will have a commitment to global job rotations early in an employee’s career.
- In a truly globally connected world, your skill set could see you working in any number of locations and environments. Diversity will become a core competency for organizations.
- Successful employees within these diverse teams need to be able to identify and communicate in ways that transcend differences to build relationships and work together effectively.
- In a globally connected world, you will need to have the ability to adapt words tone and gestures accordingly to stimulate reactions and desired outcomes.
Cultural
differences are more than just differences in language, food, appearances, and
personal habits. A person's culture reflects very deep perceptions, beliefs,
and values that influence his or her way of life and the way that s/he views
the world. A study-abroad experience shows you can live and work
internationally, are open to people of all cultures, and that you can manage
cross-cultural situations.
In the workplace, this social intelligence (Social IQ) is an ability to:
- Manage change.
- Quickly assess the emotions of those around you.
- Perform in different settings.
- Identify and communicate in ways that transcend differences to build relationships and work together effectively.
- Engage and motivate a dispersed/virtual team.
- Share ideas and be productive despite a physical separation.
- Work productively, drive engagement and demonstrate presence as a member of a virtual team.
- Deal with ambiguity.
In
today’s global marketplace, you will find many employers that put a premium on
the ability of potential hires to succeed in unfamiliar situations with
co-workers from different backgrounds and cultures. If you have studied
abroad or are planning to, learn to talk about your time in a way that is meaningful to employers. The value isn't that you had the abroad
experience itself. It's what you learned that allows you to work in a
cross-cultural environment.
Everyone
who has studied abroad has their "wild and shocking" stories to share
with friends. These are fun to share, but not with potential employers. You
need to craft a set of cross-cultural career-related stories about your study
abroad experience. Talk about that experience in terms of transferrable skills,
how it relates to what an employer wants.
Using
the language of the future work:
- Describe situations and your role when working with student from across cultures.
- Describe your encounters when meeting professionals working in your career field.
- Speak about personal encounters that gave you insight into the local culture.
- Speak about the link between your country and the host country, especially in terms of the work place. Describe your problem-solving skills through a story about a cross-cultural encounter that went wrong.
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