As International Education Week continues at Cal State Long Beach, about 30 students attended a panel to learn about careers abroad in development, business or education.
Wednesday’s International Career Panel, held in Brotman Hall room 250, was open to students who were eager to know tips on how to get their international careers started.
The Career Development Center hosted the panel, with Associate Dean and Executive Director for CSULB’s International Programs Terrence Graham acting as moderator.
Panelists included Head of Operations at White Collar Boxing International Vanessa Narvios, who called in from Shanghai, Development Diplomat in Residence of the U.S. Agency for International Development Cheryl Jennings and Regional Recruiter for the Peace Corps Alben Phung.
The different career paths of each panelist provided students with diverse perspectives, from government to media.
“Living in China is definitely challenging, but rewarding,” Narvios said. “It’s a full life experience.”
For Graham, who lived in Moscow, the experience of living and working in another country put an emphasis on his American culture and the differences between his own and the one which surrounded him.
“You realize how little you know about your own culture when you’re overseas,” he said.
Moving to another country can undeniably be a stressful experience for a student, but Graham said he wanted to reassure students’ fears.
“There will always be reasons not to go,” he said. “But there are risks involved. If you want to live and work abroad, just go.”
Making a commitment to international service work is key in choosing certain careers abroad, according to Phung. He spent more than two years in Ethiopia as part of the Peace Corps, after feeling inspired from hearing the experience of a returning volunteer.
“It was difficult [at first] trying to do what I wanted to do,” Phung said. “There were a lot of unexpected and unpredictable factors, like cultural differences. It was not about what I could do, but what they needed from me.”
Phung returned to CSULB to guide students in choosing what vein of an international career is right for them, including the Peace Corps.
Senior journalism major and fashion merchandising minor Lei Phillips said the panel assured her in her career choices.
“These types of panels just give you confirmation of what you want to do,” said Phillips. “You don’t feel like you’re second guessing yourself.”
All panelists also mentioned that an international career does not necessarily mean living abroad. Graham assured students that there are many options for those who want a global experience without moving away, like working with international clients or travelling infrequently for a job.
Jennings shared with students how important it is to make a plan and stick to it when living and working in international settings.
“Having a plan and a role model are helpful in managing workloads,” Jennings said. “I felt confident with myself and my work once I knew what I needed to do and admired someone who accomplished something I wanted to do.”
Each panelist concluded with individual pieces of advice for students, such as doing volunteer work, tutoring, interning for organizations with relevant interests, studying abroad, and finding on-campus resources within the Career Development Center to facilitate with job searching.
International Education Week will continue through Friday with several scheduled activities throughout campus. To find out more about international careers, students can visit the Career Development Center in Brotman Hall.