Originally published February 21, 2017
As you probably already know, nowadays more and more students go abroad during their study career. Within the HZ University of Applied Sciences and especially the Delta Academy, going abroad for either one or two semesters is highly encouraged, because it fits to the international orientation of the courses.
During the third year of my Delta Management study career I had the opportunity to go to Vietnam for half a year. In this period I conducted a research about perception and awareness of people on how ecosystem services are changed, for example due to climate change, and how this could impact their lives. I cooperated within a research group of the An Giang University.
Obviously there are loads of reasons why going abroad is so awesome, however this blogpost will mention the 5 most important reasons to go to the Mekong Delta, Vietnam.
1. Develop your intercultural skill sets
Living and working abroad is the best way to develop greater awareness of the world and your place in it. Doing an international internship will give you experience in valuable skills such as cultural training, dealing with and adapting to the differences in culture.
In the case of following an internship in Vietnam you will encounter quite a lot of people who do not speak English. This requires a creative approach in order to deal with this language barrier and will therefore develop your language proficiency and communication skills. After graduation you’ll be grateful for the variety of hard and soft skills you gained from this international experience.
2. Extend your global network
Obviously in your home country you already developed a great network of friends, like-minded peers, co-workers, teachers etc., just by working and going to school. Now imagine you will work abroad and develop a similar network; in a completely different place. During your work you will cooperate with colleagues, partners or other stakeholders, outside of the internship you will develop a social network. This community of international colleagues, professionals and friends will be there to reach out to for the years to come.
3. Experience the Mekong Delta
In general, during your stay abroad there will be lots of opportunities to discover the places around you. The Mekong Delta in particular is an amazing place with high diversity of landscapes, cultural heritage and natural areas. Traveling in the Mekong Delta is easy, cheap and will boost your general personal development.
For students from the Delta Academy it is very valuable to experience and see this area with your own eyes, because of the relation between land, water and the growing population. Moreover, the Mekong Delta is threatened by Climate Change it is therefore a very interesting study and work area (Interested in the Mekong Delta and Climate Change? Read about it here.
4. Unique selling point on your CV
Going abroad for your internship is a powerful and transformative experience. Next to the previously mentioned benefits of working and staying in a new country, you will also learn about a foreign job market. The cultural immersion is an opportunity to gain global skillsets which you just can’t get by interning at home.
5. Learn about yourself
A semester or summer internship abroad will give you the opportunity to test a career path and give you interesting stories to share. It also offers you the space and time to think about your values and unique characteristics that shape who you are.
Need another reason to go? It’s an experience you will never forget!
Next to adding a new and valuable section to your resume, living and working abroad is filled with exciting new sights, people and experiences. You can discover a new way of life and make friends for a lifetime.
Interested in other international possibilities? Read about Marvin or Sonja who both took every oportunity to travel during their studies.