2015 – Page 10 – DU Abroad

Over the last two months students across the country have been completing their undergraduate and graduate degrees. As many students graduate and search for jobs, it is important to reflect on experiences in school and the skills acquired that are applicable to potential employment opportunities. Studying abroad is an experience that students acquire a wide range of skill that are useful to the job market. Here is a list of a few skills to consider that may be relevant to place on your resume:

Cultural Adaptability

Many employers today realize that they work and serve people with various mid-sets, beliefs, and expectations based on their cultural background. Students who go abroad and become aware of cultural differences and expectations, and learn to easily adjust their own cultural norms and expectations to be able to function with daily tasks in different settings. How people approach cultural differences affects how an organization operates within their policies, procedures, and how business is accomplished. Whether in an entry level or managerial position, this can be a helpful skill to avoid many misunderstandings, frustrations, or stress.

Intercultural Communication

A skill that goes hand in hand with cultural adaptability is intercultural communication, or sometimes called cross-cultural communication. This is an important skill to have, especially if you are looking for employment that involves communicating to people from different cultures and languages. Intercultural communication is awareness of how people communicate and interact and the role of culture in communication. Studying abroad exposes students to the nuances of communication in a specific culture or country and how people receive information.

Language Skills

Learning a language abroad is a common objective for students and can be a part of their degree studies. Knowing another language can be helpful as a diverse skillset that can be applicable to communicating to people who may not use English as their first language.

Independence/Self-reliance

Studying abroad exposes students to a degree of independence and the ability to navigate long processes and solve problems. This sense of self-reliance is a good source of confidence and can help in both professional and personal pursuits.

Global Consciousness

Today, the world is becoming more and more globalized, and students to spend more time abroad are able to gain a wider perspective of the world operates. The increase of global communication and technology exposes more organizations to people that vary in global perspectives. Global consciousness is applicable to your professional life and can help you and your organization develop a greater appreciation for global politics, economics, education, and societal issues.

Country/Regional Skills

Familiarity of a specific country or region is a useful skill to have for many employment opportunities. The knowledge acquired from study abroad exposes students to cultural and language skills that are unique to a region or country, whether or not that place is part of your academic focus.

Koreans, and many of Korea’s neighbors drink tea. I knew this before studying abroad, so I brought my mom’s favorite tea with as a gift to share with Koreans to provide a small comparison. Here is a list of teas I was introduced to while studying abroad.

생강차 Ginger Tea

Ginger tea is considered a medicinal, and believed to ease fatigue, warm the body, and neutralize toxicity in the body. Koreans will often drink this tea at the first signs of a cold to prevent it from getting worse.

If you are interested in trying ginger tea, I recommend going to a local store that sells Korean foods and look for a glass jar where the ginger is mixed with honey and sugar. All you need to do is drop a heaping spoonful into glass of hot water, stir, and viola!

유자차 Citron Tea

Yuja is a type of citrus fruit; in this tea slices of the yuja, including the rind, are cut and mixed with sugar or honey. It is a great drink for winter, and if you find the ginseng flavor too strong citron tea is a delicious tasting alternative for fighting off colds.

보리차 Barley Tea

When I stayed with a Korean family for a week I was surprised that they boiled all of the water they drank, even though the water from faucets was deemed safe for consumption by the government. Often, instead of drinking plain water, they made tea. One of the teas used to substitute plain water is barley tea. Unlike most Korean teas, barley has a nutty flavor. It is also good for digestion.

It can be purchased in single serving tea bags, or in larger pouches when used for larger quantities of water. You can also buy bottled barley tea and can find it in almost every convenience store.

현미녹차 Roasted Brown Rice Green Tea

Roasted brown rice green tea is also a popular in Japan, and goes by the name genmaicha. I love the nutty roasted flavor in this tea. If it is an option nine out of ten times I will choose roasted brown rice green tea over plain green tea.

Flowering Teas

If you have the opportunity, I recommend going to a tea cafe that is known for serving flowering teas. A small tightly bound ball of tea is dropped into a cup of hot water. Then watch as the ball blooms into a beautiful flower and creates a pleasant tea for you to drink.

Tag: 2015

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