The Importance of Internationalizing Studies

Summer 2019 I had the opportunity to intern with Ernst & Young (EY) in Sydney, Australia. I was originally planning to work in Charlotte, NC in EY Financial Services as a Technology Advisor when I heard about the Global Student Experience through EY. I really value internationalizing studies and experiences as it provides a unique avenue for learning and diverse teamwork. I was fortunate enough to be accepted to work in both Charlotte and Sydney with EY.

I learned so much about the work culture of the United States compared with Australia specifically regarding financial services. I would recommend an experience like this to anyone. I really value learning about new cultures and having the ability to work in a new place is something very different from just traveling to a new location. You will make many friends through work and learn so much more about the culture and people through working on teams to solve problems. I also found myself befriending lots of other foreigners who had come to Australia to work permanently as we all had an obvious commonality. Since globalization is the new norm for most companies, having international experiences are not only fun but help build your resume.

Lastly, internationalizing studies/work/experiences is a great way to see a new place over an extended period of time. It is tiring to “travel” and always be on the move. If your only goal is to see a place, it can be overwhelming to try to see all of it and you may even feel like you are missing things. When working or studying in a place, you have your main goal of working/studying and then you get to travel around as well. You will have locals (classmates/workmates) as your tour guides and really get to know the people. Most importantly for me, you will be able to stay in the place for longer. The most expensive part of traveling is usually the plane ticket to *insert country here*. By working/studying in a place, you will probably have at least a month in the location which gives you plenty of time to explore at your own pace. Here are a few pictures of the exploring I was able to do in Australia.