Mar 08

Update: Amanda Knox/Meredith Kercher case

By Missy Gluckmann Uncategorized 3 Comments »

Rudy Guede, Amanda Knox, Raffaelo Sollecito

On Friday, News agencies reported that new evidence has surfaced that supports that Amanda Knox and Raffaelo Solecitto were not in her and Meredith Kercher’s Italian residence at the time of the murder of Ms. Kercher.

Rudy Guede, convicted of murdering Ms. Kercher, is said to have confided in his cellmate, Mario Alessi, allegedly stating that a second man was the murderer in this case and that neither Ms. Knox or Mr. Sollecito were in the home at the time.

While Ms. Knox’s case is under appeal and new evidence is not permissible in an appeal in Italy, this certainly adds a new twist to this already complicated case. The appeal will be based on a careful dissection of a recently released report that details the reasons for the guilty verdict.  Ms. Knox’s attorney claims there are gross inconsistencies that will serve as grounds for the appeal.  One example is that the court found that it was not a premeditated murder, but Ms. Knox’s father, Curt Knox, asks why his daughter would carry a kitchen knife with her from Ms. Sollecito’s house to her own?  The court document references a second knife that was not raised in court, suggesting that perhaps the first knife was not used in the murder. More details on the inconsistencies can be found in this Seattle news video.

It will take at least 9 months before a new judge and jury will hear her case.

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Feb 22

In Poor Taste? A Comedy Fundraiser for Amanda Knox’s Appeal.

By Missy Gluckmann Uncategorized No Comments »

Amanda Knox's family - sister, mother and father

Several months ago, I wrote about the Amanda Knox case.  You will recall that Ms. Knox, an American study abroad student in Perugia, Italy, was found guilty of murdering her British flatmate, Ms. Meredith Kercher.  Her family is appealing this decision and they are preparing, strategically and financially, in light of this.

On January 25, 2010, Examiner.com reported that a lifelong family friend of Mr. Knox, Ms. Renee Perrault, decided to hold a fundraiser at a comedy club. Ms. Perrault is an “amateur comedienne” and firmly believes that Ms. Knox is not guilty of such a crime.

When I started to read this article, I seriously thought I had gone to the wrong web page;  I thought that I must have accidentally visited www.theonion.com.  For those of you don’t know about this site, it is a comical “made up news” site of the most ridiculous fictional stories. For example, today’s humorous headlines include:

-  Ford Mustang Recalled for Being “Too Cool”

-   Bald Eagle Tired of Everyone Assuming it Supports War

-  and if you live in the US, you’ll find this one particularly timely: Tiger Woods Announces Return to Sex.

I was certainly confused.  After all, Amanda Knox was first convicted in the media and by the public long before she was convicted by a jury. There is no sequestering of jurors in Italy per their law and the media influenced this case directly. With this in mind, why on earth would her family and friends agree to a fundraiser that could be perceived as distasteful, even if jokes were not made about the case or its location?  After all, if one were more strategic in fundraising efforts, perhaps they could have done something else – ANYTHING else: Hosted a dinner at an Italian restaurant in Seattle? Asked local businesses to donate items or gift certificates for a raffle?  Held a car wash? ANYTHING but a comedy night!  Didn’t they imagine how the situation could be perceived by Italians and Brits who support the verdict?  Did they not think about the cultural perspectives of this “innocent” fundraiser?

I will state for the record, as I did in my previous posting:  I have no idea if Amanda Knox is guilty of not. I was not there, I do not know all of the facts from this case.  However, with that said, I have to ask the obvious question: What the hell was the Knox family thinking by agreeing to a comedy fundraiser? While I am certain that the intention behind this gesture was nothing but to support the Knox family, I am still floored by the lack of awareness of how it could be perceived and how it may, ultimately, harm her public perception abroad further.

Punchline Magazine’s interview with Ms. Perrault provides her explanation of why she wanted to organize a comedy show fundraiser.

I’d be interested in hearing opinions from around the world. Feel free to comment!

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Feb 21

Passport to Culture – An Educational Board Game

By Missy Gluckmann International Education Tools, Professional Development No Comments »

"Passport to Culture" Game

This past birthday, a dear friend bought me a really unique board game called “Passport to Culture.” Despite being in my 40s, I love board games and this one has been great fun!  Here’s a sample:

In Vietnam, which animal is associated with positive attributes and would be an appropriate gift?

A. Cow

B. Monkey

C. Turtle

If you answered “C. Turtle”, you’d be correct!  According to “Passport to Culture”, ‘items shaped like turtles are symbolic of longevity, strength and endurance and are positively received when given as gifts.  Cows are considered stupid and monkey are considered bad.’

A mix of Trivial Pursuit, Monopoly and Bingo, “Passport to Culture” is fun, easy to follow and educational. The objective is to fill your passport with stamps that are earned by answering multiple choice “passport questions.”  These questions are a mix of culture, geography, language, history and customs. What I found particularly useful about this game is that some questions challenged me and 2 other adults who played, but at the same time, I could see how this game is also appropriate for children over 10 years of age! The questions were educational, generated dialogue, offering ample time to consider the answer and to take the knowledge into the next question.

The game also includes “culture  cards” – when a player lands on this particular space, you get something like a “chance” card in Monopoly.  The card provides a scenario and either offers you a “free” passport stamp or takes one away, depending on how the character in the vignette responds to a cultural situation.  These provide for excellent learning opportunities, particularly for young people. An example of a culture card is:

“Depending upon the culture, the color (Vietnam), number (Russia), and type (France) of flowers given change meaning for different occasions. You consider this is the next time you give flowers.”  The card indicates that the player wins one passport stamp for your cultural awareness.

Players win by earning all the passport stamps – but one also wins by correctly answering the most passport questions.  Due to the culture card, there is an element of “luck” to win more passport stamps, so counting passport questions is another way to measure “success.”

This game is a superb learning tool for international educators. Its a game that you can pull out over coffee with friends or in the faculty dining room;  it is not a game that drags on for hours like Monopoly. It is also a game that you can give to your kids – it is entertaining and will feed their desire for discovery.

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Feb 17

Unexpected Lay Offs in International Education: Insights from Guest Blogger, Tom Millington

By Missy Gluckmann Career, Professional Development, Uncategorized No Comments »

Today’s post is written by guest blogger, Tom Millington. Tom and I recently had a discussion about the unique challenges of being an experienced professional who has been laid off. His contribution is very honestly written; I thank you, Tom, for sharing your insights and personal experience with Melibee Global readers.

Thank you, Missy, for inviting me to write a post for your blog. I will address my experience as a laid off international educator and what steps I have taken to protect my sanity, stave off frustration and direct my energies and talents in a positive direction. I will also include the names of a couple of books which I have found to be very helpful.

Before I begin, I would like to include a quote that I have been pondering for some time now and, or me, it especially speaks to my situation as an unemployed person.

‘I am an invisible man. No, I am not a spook like those who haunted Edgar Allan Poe; nor am I one of your Hollywood-movie ectoplasms. I am a man of substance, of flesh and bone, fiber and liquids – and I might even be said to possess a mind. I am invisible, understand, simply because people refuse to see me.’ (from The Invisible Man, prologue)

As some point during our lay off we feel invisible, almost ephemeral. This is only natural since the notion of having a job is so deeply rooted in our society’s psyche. The approach I have adopted is to occupy my ample free time with a structured schedule that will keep me active and will prevent my mind from dwelling too much on my situation. Here are some points that have worked for me and I hope will help those of you who have been affected by lay offs:

  • Develop a daily schedule and stick to it. Make a list of things to do daily. For example, I dedicate 2-3 hours every morning to my job search and then the rest of the day I dedicate to cleaning my apartment, going to the library or the gym, volunteering, or walking in the city. The key is to keep yourself busy. Don’t let your mind wander!
  • Go to the gym-I can’t stress this enough. Physical activity is the best remedy for the frustrations and stress of unemployment. I go to the gym every other day and I feel great afterwards.
  • Volunteer-find a place where you can devote a few hours a week, i.e., reading to children, helping out at a soup kitchen, etc. Not only will you be helping others, but you will feel you have accomplished something. This is important. Only YOU can really provide yourself with positive reinforcement!
  • Spend time with friends-during this difficult time of your life, you will rely on your friends and you will learn who are the ones you can really count on when the chips are down. It is important to have someone to talk to; someone who will be a sounding board for you. For your health, you must give voice to your frustration (venting).
  • Pursue projects that you never had time to do while employed. Is there something you always wanted to do but did not have the time to do? Well, now you have time to devote yourself to it. No excuses!
  • Improve yourself-turn a negative into a positive. Is there a part of your professional development you always wanted to improve? Now is the time! I have been reading up on how to improve my leadership skills. Two books I have been reading might be of interest: John Maxwell’s The 21 Irrefutable Laws of Leadership is very helpful in fine-tuning your leadership skills. The 100 Best Businesses to Start When You Don’t Want to Work Hard Anymore by Lisa Rogak, will provide ways to put your skills and interests to other productive and possibly employable use.
  • Avoid the 4 S’s. That is, do not become: 1) solemn; 2) somber; 3) sullen; 4) sardonic. Keeping a positive and cheery frame of mind is crucial to surviving your period of unemployment. Be upbeat! Being without work is a difficult enough situation without adding to it by being negative or pessimistic.

We all have our own techniques for staying positive during our period of unemployment. The bullets I listed above are things that have worked for me. Even if you decide not to use any of them, I hope that I was at least able to get you to think of how to remain positive during your (temporary!) period of unemployment.

I will end with several lines from a William Blake poem (Auguries of Innocence):

‘Man was made for Joy & Woe

And when this we rightly know

Thro the World we safely go

Joy & Woe are woven fine

A Clothing for the soul divine

Under every grief & pine

Runs a joy with silken twine.’

About the Author:

Tom Millington is an innovative and seasoned international educator, having held positions in Study Abroad at BCA and Emmanuel College. Tom has also taught Spanish to elementary through high school students. He holds a MA in History from Indiana State University and has been described by colleagues as “passionate, committed and devoted to work in international education.” You can read more about him at his linkedin.com profile.

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Feb 12

DAAD accepting applications for “Germany Today”

By Missy Gluckmann DAAD, Germany, International Education Tools, Professional Development No Comments »

I was fortunate to be a participant in DAAD’s Germany Today program in June 2009. It was an outstanding professional development opportunity. DAAD did an excellent job at balancing the lectures/presentations with venturing out into the historic cities; one of the highlights was a tour of the Aachen cathedral. If you are accepted, plan to spend extra time in Berlin – it was my favorite stop along the way and I needed weeks there, not days!

This year’s program will focus on The Bologna Reforms. Applications are due by March 5, 2010.  See details below:

Bologna Turns Ten:  Transatlantic Student Mobility in the German and European Higher Education Context
Bonn – Brussels – Berlin
June 12 – 19, 2010

Since 1979, the German Academic Exchange Service (DAAD) has sponsored an annual information visit on current developments in Germany and Europe for high-level North American policy experts and decision makers. This year’s program will focus on the latest efforts and developments in internationalizing higher education in Germany and Europe, and on how your students can benefit from it.

North American participants in this program are typically senior administrators at leading universities in the U.S. and Canada (such as vice-presidents for international affairs or heads of international offices), policy makers in federal and state/provincial governments or associations, and other experts in the higher education field.

The program will be in English. All program-related costs in Europe (accommodation, domestic travel, most meals) will be covered by DAAD. (The program will end on Friday, June 18, in Berlin but accommodation through Saturday morning will be covered by DAAD, as well). Intercontinental travel is at the participant’s expense.

Please visit www.daad.org/?p=germanytoday for further information.

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Feb 10

Reflections on Unemployment and Career Transitions in International Education

By Missy Gluckmann Career, ESL, ESL Conference 4 Comments »

Cartoon: Unemployment (large) by rodrigo tagged unemployment,work,society,economy,editorial,cartoon

There has been a lot of conversation about the state of our global economy.  Each of us knows someone who has been laid off or is underemployed.  Recent graduates continue to look for employment, whether or not in their field of study. The pressure is mounting with unemployment payments running out, school loan payments due, and the simple challenges of every day living expenses.  It is a tough market out there and for those who do have a full time position, we are particularly grateful for the relative security at this difficult time for so many others.

Several years ago, I went through a very difficult medical situation that resulted in my doctor recommending that I leave my full time position. (Click here to learn more about my experience getting ill from mold at Rockland Community College, where I was the Director of Study Abroad.) I was so incredibly ill at the time that I didn’t have the energy to think through what this meant financially;  I just wanted to feel better.  Once I did resign, I spent several weeks in bed focusing on healing. And when I came out of the fog, I had two choices:  1)  to panic about my lack of income and react from a place of disadvantage or 2) to use this as an opportunity to explore other “sides of me” – the interests that I have that I could never tap into fully. And like many of us, my excuse had always been that my inability to properly explore these areas was due to my full time work keeping me so ‘busy’.

It was not an easy time initially.  Actually, that is really an understatement;  it was one of the scariest experiences in my life.  However, ultimately, this dark time became one of the most profound learning experiences that I could ever have imagined possible.  Upon reflection, I am so very thankful for the gift of time to explore other interests and dormant talents.

I am a firm believer that we each have tremendous potential.  One of my favorite quotes is from Marianne Williamson: “Our deepest fear is not that we are inadequate. Our deepest fear is that we are powerful beyond measure. It is our light, not our darkness, that most frightens us. We ask ourselves, Who am I to be brilliant, gorgeous, talented, fabulous? Actually, who are you not to be?”

In the US, we take great pride in our work as a large part of our identity;  we often ask each other what we “do” vs who we are.  This is part of our culture and not surprisingly, we are firmly rooted in this identity. We often “reason” with ourselves that we are trained and experienced in one particular skill set as it relates to international education.  We are Designated School Officials (DSOs.) We are Study Abroad Directors. We are Academic Advisers.

Williamson’s quote serves as a reminder that if we do not take the time to explore other sides of ourselves, we will not have the chance to find our light, to be brilliant, gorgeous, talented and fabulous in other areas of who we are.

As international educators, we possess many skills that support our successes in our previous job descriptions. We are great DSOs because we are detail oriented and are strong communicators across cultures.  We are Study Abroad Directors because we understand how to administer programs that are academically challenging in a different cultural context, we understand safety requirements, we are creative researchers, etc.

After I left my job, I sat down a made a list of many other interests that I “had never had the time to explore fully”. (Or at least that is what I thought.) I also reflected upon the tangential skills that I possessed and what kind of  work I could do that would tap into these and highlight my talent. And frankly,  I realized that this list was something that I HAD kept in the dark, because perhaps I really was frightened to tap into the light and see my own range of capabilities and allow them to shine brightly.

This list included:

- teaching ESL

- dedicating time to consulting as a primary source of income, allowing me to craft my day as I chose and to work on projects that I valued

- training and instructional design.

I was able to create an action plan for each of these key interests.  I had taken graduate level coursework in ESL and quickly was able to interview for a position teaching 2 classes at a local ESL school. I had 2 classes and found out that I loved being in a classroom!  I also realized that I didn’t love the hours of lesson planning as much as I loved the students and their infectious energy.

While I had done some informal consulting, I used this opportunity to formalize Melibee Global Educational Consulting by creating a web page and determining its core services.

The path to training and instructional design came through a somewhat unexpected tool. I found a “gig” on Craigslist with an incredible local training company that needed assistance with a Fortune 500 client’s projects.

While these revenue sources did not add up to my previous salary and I was paying a hefty COBRA payment, I was able to pay my bills and live without daily fear that it wasn’t going to be “ok.” During this period I was able to shift to the “light”; For me, this meant making an income doing activities that I enjoyed, with people who were interesting and who challenged me to dig deeper.  What started out as feeling as if the floor had been taken out from under my feet ultimately became a meaningful and beautiful journey that allowed me to carve out an existence that simplified my life and created a true period of balance and joy that I had not experienced before.

I eventually met with a dear friend who is a life coach and with her guidance,  was able to fine tune my transformation.  One of the books that served as a guide during our conversations is Cheryl Richardson’s “Take Time for Your Life.” This book is an inexpensive resource for anyone who is employed, but wants to transition out of their current source of income AND for anyone who is currently unemployed and anxious to use this time to tap into the light, allowing us to explore other sources of income from a positive place instead of a reactionary one.

And for those of you who are interested in exploring ESL as a source of a income, the TESOL Annual Convention will take place in Boston from March 24 – 27, 2010.  Perhaps it will be the start of a new journey!

Whatever your path, do your best to reframe the experience. Instead of “looking for a job” you may be embracing the journey and seeking the light.

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Feb 08

Cross-Cultural Counseling

By Missy Gluckmann International Education Tools, Multicultural Lives, Uncategorized No Comments »

(Click on the book to preview/purchase.)

This past week has been a sharp reminder of the importance of learning and utilizing skills when counseling across cultures, particularly during a crisis. I worked with two students this past week who are both experiencing tremendous anxiety:  one because she is experiencing a challenging relationship with her parent here in the US, the second because she is too far from her family in Western Europe.

In each case I received a somewhat panicked email or phone call asking if I could meet on the same day, which is rather out of character for each of these young women.  Both were tearful, uncertain and confused.  Each was unsure of how much to share and how much I would or could, in turn, share with others.

These experiences reminded me of the value of a graduate class in Cross-Cultural Counseling that I took many years ago at the School for International Training.  The work of Dr. Paul Pedersen really stood out for me, as his readings were based on the simple idea that “since all behaviors are learned and displayed in a cultural context, accurate assessment, meaningful understanding and appropriate interventions are done from the perspective of the client’s cultural context.”  As an American counselor, I have to style switch to address each student’s concerns, sensitively ask questions to determine understanding, make sure that my listening skills are particularly fine tuned to “hear” what might not have been said directly, and be keenly aware of the non-verbals.

One of the potential challenges for an adviser is how to handle the hand off to formal counseling services. For many students, American or otherwise, confidentiality is of tremendous concern. Many international students (and their family members) are not aware that universities in the US are not able to disclose information about a student to family members and perhaps not even colleagues within the institution, due to a law called FERPA – The Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act. For the first student, who is not from Western Europe, this was of great concern. She was uncomfortable with the thought of her family finding out that she was seeking counseling due to her strained relationship with a parent. I spent a great deal of time explaining the law and thankfully, due to our two year history and time dedicated to trust building, she was willing to try the free counseling.

Pedersen’s work illustrates that “Competence is measured by your ability to know what your client is thinking but not saying.”  In this case, I knew that this student was thinking that people in the US talk about these things publicly, as they do in her own culture.  Because of this, I made sure to pull up the FERPA web page to show her, in writing, that this is a firm law in the US and to explain that laws are very seriously followed in this country.

This past week has reminded me that it is time again to revisit the important work of Dr. Paul Pedersen. If you are interested in learning more about cross-cultural counseling, Pedersen’s website offers valuable power point presentations and simple exercises that you can easily utilize for staff training.

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Jan 27

Today’s Top Ten Tips for Faculty Led Study Abroad

By Missy Gluckmann Uncategorized No Comments »

1)  Before you create a faculty led study abroad program, take the time to gauge potential student interest. Distributing a simply e-survey is the best investment in planning faculty led study abroad.  Let your customers (students) determine the path and price point.
2)  During these difficult economic times, be sure to confirm your college/university’s travel and purchasing policies. They may have changed unexpectedly. These difficult economic times are throwing all sorts of curve balls into our plans.
3)  Require emergency/medical evacuation insurance for all faculty, staff and participants. Whether it is a run to the hospital for a stomach bug, a mugging, or an earthquake in Haiti, you’ll be relieved that you did.
4)  Train your university police and weekend phone operator about your course abroad and provide them with a roster for each traveling program. A parent’s worst nightmare is turning on the news and seeing an “issue” in the host location on a weekend – and having the university’s first response employee answer their harried call, but not sound as if they have a clue about your child or program abroad.
5)  Inform your faculty and staff that are traveling abroad that they are eligible for Worker’s Compensation. This program covers any university employee who is injured while on the job.  The paperwork must be completed in a timely manner, so best to share the information prior to departure.
6)  The night before you return home, have students physically show you their passports. There is nothing worse than arriving at the airport and realizing that someone lost or misplaced his/her passport in the host country!  (I once had a student who dropped her passport in her hotel room, accidentally kicked it under the bed, got on the bus to the airport and then couldn’t get on the plane. Then, 2 hours later, she returned to the hotel, found the passport and paid a hefty fee for having to change her flight. Ugh!)
7)  Enthusiasm does not automatically translate into paper applications. Promote your program straight through to the application deadline.
8)  Tip your bus or van drivers. They are sitting on a not so comfortable bus/van while you are out in the field, learning and exploring.  They are loading your luggage, dealing with traffic, handling tricky road conditions. Make sure you put them in your budget, and if you have travel policies that restrict tipping, be sure to prepare students to have cash on hand toward tipping the driver.
9)  Invite senior administrators to the “send off” on your campus. There is nothing better for students and parents than to see your college or university President, Provost, Vice President and Dean showing their support for study abroad.  Send them off in style!
10)  Conduct a 360-degree program assessment upon your return Students/Faculty/Administrators/Providers. What was each group’s perspective? What went well? What providers would you want to hire again?  What did the students appreciate most?
What required flexibility? What are you going to do with this information to improve your program next year?

What tips would you add to this list?   Comment below….

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Jan 20

Thoughts on Travel Into/Out of the United States

By Missy Gluckmann Travel Tips, safety abroad 2 Comments »

I have been daydreaming recently about how easy it used to be to fly.  For those of us who traveled before 9/11, our biggest worry may have been ‘what movie is being offered on the plane?  Or should I ask for the pretzels or peanuts?’

Boy, travel sure has changed since then.

Thanks to the antics of the “Christmas Day bomber” over Detroit, the rules and processes for entering the US resulted in a bit of Transportation Security Administration lunacy.  First, we were told that airlines landing in the US would not be permitted to allow passengers to stand one hour before arrival.  Then we were told that no one could cover their lap with a blanket, jacket or anything else, including a magazine.

I had to ask myself the obvious questions: Couldn’t someone light their undergarments 1 hour into a flight (vs 1 hour prior to landing)?  Or couldn’t someone ignite something hiding in the sleeve of a shirt (vs on their actual lap)?  Wasn’t this getting a bit silly?  I mean really, if you’re willing to blow your private parts up for the sake of terrorism, I think you could get up an hour and ten minutes before landing and achieve the same outcome in the toilet vs. in your seat?

I don’t mean to minimize the importance of security.  I want to be safe at the airport and on the plane as much as the next person. Yet, when I really stop and think about the number of flights going into and out of any major airport in the States, I am humbly reminded that safety cannot ever be guaranteed.  That is, unless each person that attempts to get on a plane arrives 6 – 10 hours before a flight, is strip searched, has a body scan, has every item in their possession analyzed and tested for chemicals and after the trauma of all of that, likely will need some emotional comfort before proceeding to their seat! (After all, we do love our therapy in the US!)

But really now – who wants to live in a world that has to operate this way?

Considering the number of flights that depart/arrive in the US each day, we seem to have relatively few security issues.  Statistically, we are doing pretty well.  Yet when something does go wrong, the TSA’s response is to come up with knee-jerk, laughable rules that last a week until someone sits down and realizes how truly ridiculous they are.

Somehow, instead of laughing, I just feel rather sad about the whole thing. I feel such a deep loss that a young man could be convinced that setting off an explosion in his underwear would be a useful and productive way to communicate a message of anger and hatred.  I even feel sad about the loss of his future, one that once appeared so promising. I feel for his parents and imagine their confusion and horror. I feel for the people on that flight who could have lost their lives. I think of their families and friends, particularly since I went to high school with a remarkable young woman who died on Pan Am 103.  How does one go on when such a tragedy occurs to a loved one?

And at the same time, I cannot help but think -  Is  it more ridiculous to blow up your undies than to have to monitor how much water you drink on a flight because you can’t get up 60 minutes before you land?

And today I am asking myself – what went wrong in this world that I have to write such a horrific blog post?

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Jan 18

Defining Global Skills and How They Translate to the Workplace

By Missy Gluckmann Career, International Education Tools No Comments »

Guest blogger, Ms. Pamela Ruiz

I’m thrilled that today’s post is written by a dear colleague and friend, Ms. Pamela Ruiz.  Should you want to reach out to her directly, please find her bio below.

Thank you Pamela for an informative post and useful links!

Why study, work, or volunteer abroad? For a student, the answers to this are many: to learn another language; to confirm one’s identity; to see another part of the world. An ever increasing reason to go abroad is to give the student a leg up over his or her peers upon graduation and into a career. How can the global skills attained while abroad translate into career skills? What are “global skills” anyway?

Some define global skills specifically as having to do with international, cultural or linguistic knowledge. While that may be true, global skills can mean so much more than that. When an individual spends time abroad and immerses his or herself into another culture, that person is not only learning the language and culture, but also about his or herself. One learns to adapt and be flexible in new situations. One learns that the best results come from listening and trying to understand before acting. One learns that communication goes beyond the spoken word. Perhaps the most useful lesson is that the new way to do something may not be better or worse, just different.

“Global skills” are not just for those going into the international/intercultural fields anymore, on the contrary; global skills are a requirement for all job seekers. More often that not, an individual will work with someone with a different background, even if they are both from the same country. No two people are alike, therefore in the workplace those that have confidence, flexibility, adaptation skills and the ability to work with all types of people are the ones who prove to be most successful. All of the above could also be used to describe a leader.

Confidence is gained as a student is continuously put in new and unfamiliar situations. Don’t know the language? “No problem, as long as I give it my best shot. My peers study/work/function differently than I do, and I am learning to study and work with them.” Immersing oneself in a new culture allows a student to study or work with others within a team – others that may have grown up with different socio-economic, religious, familial, or educational values. The problem-solving and adaptation skills required to succeed overseas are just the skills that hiring manager and savvy corporations require of new graduates.

Acquisition of global skills are not limited to those that have the wherewithal to travel abroad. As universities around the globe grasp the importance of campus internationalization, students are given many opportunities to enhance their skills without ever leaving their home country. International exchange students or international interns introduce host students to the world beyond just by their presence in their classrooms, dorms, and study groups, and the different ways of doing things.

There are challenges to the translation of global skills to career skills. First, students must embrace available international and intercultural opportunities, whether abroad or on their own campuses. Next, students, guided by career centers, professors, and parents, must process and understand how they have changed and have the confidence and skills to communicate what they have learned and can accomplish in the future. Finally, more hiring managers must see the value in international experience and how it equals what they are seeking in new hires. Students can ensure that their resumes are on top of the pile not only by stating that they studied or worked abroad, but by giving specific examples in a well-written cover letter of flexibility, leadership and confidence to step outside of their comfort zones.

Additional resources and information:

ISEP Handbook

University of Michigan

IAESTE United States

New England Study Abroad Re-entry Conference

About the Author:

Pamela Ruiz is the Director of Membership and US Member Relations at ISEP: International Student Exchange Programs. Previously, Pamela has worked with an international internship company as the Director of Operations, and prior to that as the Director and National Secretary of IAESTE United States, a program of the Association for International Practical Training, where she oversaw the exchange of international internships for technical students. Her career has also included work in translation and international relocation. 

Ms. Ruiz has lived, studied and worked in Italy, and has traveled through Europe, the Caribbean, the Middle East and North Africa. Pamela is in the field of international education because she truly believes in the value of international experiences for the individual and for the world as a whole. She can be reached at : pamelaruiz8@hotmail.com or via her LinkedIn profile.

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