Careers at global organizations provide many opportunities for international and cultural experiences even though travel may not be included. For example, when I was in college, I interned for a Japanese bank in New York City over two summers. As an intern, I tallied daily trade deals, researched corporations and performed general administrative tasks. While I learned a lot about the banking industry, I was more fulfilled by my cross-cultural experiences and learned a lot about the Japanese business culture.
The bank employed about 40% Japanese and 60% American and other nationalities. The bank’s layout consisted mainly of one large room and a small trade floor. In the large room there were rows of desks set up by seniority so each employee’s back faced his or her supervisor. During my first summer, I was lucky to assist the General Manager’s assistant so I sat up with the executive leadership. On my birthday, the GM’s assistant told me that the deputy general managers had a meeting to discuss if it was appropriate or not to give me a dozen red roses. They did, which I was told was not typical in a Japanese business setting. In addition to my internship responsibilities, I learned how to properly greet Japanese guests and even how to make Japanese tea. It was interesting to see how Americans and Japanese conducted themselves differently and how they interacted with one another. Even though business was mostly conducted in English, everyone used Japanese greetings such as “Ohayou” for good morning or “san” after a name (e.g. Rachel-san). During lunch, sushi carts floated around the office, which I thought was so cool at the time. To this day, I have never been to Japan; however, in some way, I feel like I’ve already been there.
While I never became a banker (sorry Dad!), all of my jobs after college included some international or cross-cultural aspect. I used Spanish as a college admissions officer, organized international exhibitor visits for tradeshows and managed international membership programs for associations. I am fortunate to have gone on some international business trips; however, the majority of my work has been in the United States. Through my work I’ve learned about different cultures and interacted with people from all over the world. Based on my background, I definitely consider myself a professional with international and cross-cultural experience.
