Introducing Natalia’s valuable perspective on how it is to be a student abroad
I am from Khmelnitsky, Ukraine
How did you decide which country to study in and how long are you studying abroad?
First, year of my Master studies I spent in Vilnius, in ISM University of Management and Economics. My friend highly recommended this university because of its international orientation and high-quality education. I learned a lot of international exchange opportunities, and I decided to do a double degree program at BI Norwegian Business School to make my international experience even more diverse and memorable. ISM University is a branch of BI Business school, therefore BI had very positive exposure as an exchange option.
How has studying abroad challenged and developed you and how do you think this will affect how you work in your future job role?
Studying abroad proved once again that nothing is impossible. Every person that will ever consider studying abroad should dare to do the first step and apply. During the studies, I developed a mindset of “Learn as you go” or “Learn by doing” and realized that even if you don’t know something now you can figure it out in the future. After these two years of master studies, I feel more empowered, inspired and more confident in myself. I am convinced that international degree will positively influence my career prospects either in Ukraine or abroad. I significantly increased my marketing expertise and enhanced cultural intelligence.
How is your school’s global career platform helping you find your first graduate employment and what other things would you like to see on the career platform?
Landing a perfect job can be a challenging task for a foreign student. The career platform is helping by providing relevant positions and company profiles. At the same time, it provides such resources as CV and cover letter templates and interview tips. It also highlights the importance of personal branding and highly recommends students to connect their personal brand with the desired position. I like that at BI each student can get counseling regarding the recruitment process as well as CV and application advice. Regarding future Highered/BI Career Platform desired features, I would like to be able to store my CV in the system and apply directly to the companies. This would make the application process much smoother and even easier.
Any advice to students studying abroad?
In general, to be more open, social and take initiative. I believe that networking is a key to success in any new country, therefore my first advice is to try to network either in advance or immediately upon arrival. As an international student, you need to expose yourself to locals and try to embrace the cultural difference. Secondly, learning even a few phrases of the local language will help you to break the ice and connect with fellow students faster. It is crucial to show your effort in learning the local language as this will be seen in a positive light.
