VIDEO: Interview with Michelle Kern - Japanophile and International Internship Maven

Waaaay back in May 2011 I did a bunch of interviews with some ridiculously interesting international educators and other world travel superfans. And I'm finally (woot woot!) getting around to editing and posting them. Today I feature Michelle Kern, a Japanophile through and through with considerable experience studying abroad and learning the language in the land of the rising sun. At the time of this interview, Michelle was serving as the Program Manager for the MIT-Japan program which administers research, study, and internship opportunities in Japan for MIT students. Pretty cool. However, back in December, Michelle took on a new position back in her home town of Madison, Wisconsin. She's now Assistant Director of the International Internship Program at UW-Madison. (Go Badgers!)



Here's a quick run down of what Michelle and I chatted about:

Michelle graduate in May from Lesley University's master's degree in intercultural relations. What are the best and worst things about the program? Best: It's a great program for diversification as it doesn't pigeon hole you into higher education. You can also learn skills and theory related to intercultural training and development that can be used in the non-profit and corporate worlds. Sweet! Worst: All students are required to take a two semester cultural exploration course. Not a bad thing in and of itself, but...it requires students to study a local culture in depth and conduct considerable research. For Michelle, her topic had nothing to do with her own professional goals or personal research interests. (Regardless, she was able to parlay an independent study opportunity to do her own research on a topic she loved.)

One of the many interesting things about Michelle is that she didn't start her career working in study abroad. She actually worked in the corporate world before transitioning to a position in higher ed.

As a bonafide Japan expert, here are three tips she has for any student (or traveler) planning to journey to Japan:
1. Study and learn the language as much as you can before you go.
2. Budget time and money for traveling around Japan - lots to see even in such a small space.
3. Consider places/programs that aren't in the typical cities most people have heard of. Get off the beaten path.

Beyond Japanese language and culture, Michelle also knows her stuff when it comes to international internships. Her number one piece of advice for students ready to take the international internship leap: prepare to be shocked. Not only will there be technical business skills to learn and observe, but students will also have to navigate the cultural layer of the experience. The work experience in most countries is dramatically different from the US due to cultural differences in hierarchy, communication, and expectations. But, hey, that's what makes the experience! It's not SUPPOSED to be like the US!

Be sure to check out the MIT-Japan program (where Michelle previously worked) and Michelle's newest gig at UW-Madison in the International Internship Program. And connect with her on twitter @mlkern and on LinkedIn.

Great talking with you Michelle!

Anyone headed to (or already in) DC for the AIEA conference? Are you tweeting about it? Let us know in the comments right below. :) Happy President's Day everyone!

Study Abroad Advisors - You Think You Know But You Have No Idea

I receive emails every day from aspiring study abroad professionals asking me for advice on how to get into the international education field. These are people who have typically studied abroad before, loved it, went off and did some kind of work in (insert almost any country name here), and now want to "keep the experience alive" by working in study abroad. More often than not, I first have to do a lot of coaching and explaining on what it actually means to work in education abroad, because phrases like these pop up a lot when someone is explaining why they want a gig as a study abroad pro:

• "I've always thought it would be cool to travel for my job."
• "I'm really skilled at booking travel online and know all the secrets."
• "The chance to travel with students and show them how amazing the world is...well that would be awesome!"
• "It seems like a pretty laid-back job which would allow me to travel a lot."
• "I'll get paid to travel! Amazing!"
• "I country hopped during my entire semester abroad and could really provide MUCH BETTER advice on cheap travel to students than my advisor told me."
• "I just love travel."
• "I just love studying abroad."

You can sense a theme, right? Don't get me wrong. Not every person that writes to me says things like this and frankly, I don't fault the ones that do. Understanding study abroad as a professional is more complicated than most would believe and takes time and education to get to know it. Heck! I'm still working on it every day - currently reading a history of education abroad (because I'm basically a study abroad nerd).

Anyway, I digress. In response to the emails I get every day, I'm working on a post that's all about what it's really like working as a study abroad advisor (coming soon!), but for now, I thought I'd take a turn at one of those profession memes that have been circulating the web: Study Abroad Advisors. It's definitely a tongue-in-cheek look at what it means to be a study abroad advisor, but I'm guessing it will hit home for a lot of people. We'll see...There are a bunch of these, but here's one of my favorites for the IT peeps out there.

What do you think? Agree? Disagree? Funny? Shocking? Let me know!

Oh yeah! And happy Valentine's Day! 

VIDEO: Interview with Zac Macinnes of ISA-International Studies Abroad

Oh my goodness gracious. This post has been about eight months in the making. Waaaay back in May 2011 I interviewed Zac Macinnes and I'm only now getting around to editing and posting it. Shame on me! But surely, SURELY better than late than never. Right? I owe Zac a very large....coffee?....when I see him.

Regardless of my tardiness on posting this internview, the stories and advice Zac gives are timeless. 

And if you can't watch the video because you're at work (I won't tell if you don't!), here's a brief synopsis of what we chatted about. 

Zac is a the Northeast regional rep for ISA: International Studies Abroad, as well as their social media manager. Like me, Zac ventured from the Midwest (he grew up in Austin) to attend college in Boston (love that city!) at Emmanuel College. While at Emmanuel, he started his global journeys on a summer study abroad program in Mexico. From there he was hooked and spent another summer in Spain and an entire year in Peru (all during college!). What I found really interesting is that Zac did an internship with his study abroad office at Emmanuel where he was able to meet a lot of regional reps and people in the study abroad field. From there he was able to parlay that network and experience into a full-time job with ISA as a regional rep himself. (I know a lot of you are looking for ways to break into the professional world of study abroad. Take a cue from Zac. Get an internship first. You can find several other tips on getting a job in study abroad here.) 

Zac's key advice for people looking to start a career in international education? "Network like a fool!" Put yourself out there, be outgoing, start conversations with people you don't know...and eventually something will come along through someone you've made a connection with through your networking.

When it comes to social media, Zac's tips to anyone looking to get started in social media: 1) Start small with Facebook...and 2) make a plan and stick to it (oops! I'm clearly failing at this one!). Definitely follow Zac's advice (and don't blog like me...i.e. sporadically). 

You can connect with Zac on twitter at @zacmaccines and @zacISAabroad. You can also creep him on Facebook. Thanks Zac! You were totally worth the wait!

Psst...Interested in being interviewed on Inside Study Abroad? Sweet! Shoot me an email at brooke[at]insidestudyabroad.com. :) 

Study Abroad Job: India Resident Director, Alliance for Global Education

The sites. The smells. The tastes. The sounds. You can't go to India without all of your senses being overcome with most wonderful and terrible stimulation imaginable. It's a world of dichotomies of the beautiful, the grotesque, the rich, the poor, the ancient, and the modern. And now's your chance to help guide students through THE experience that is India!

The Alliance for Global Education (one of the coolest orgs in study abroad, if you ask me) is hiring a Resident Director for their India programs. Granted, you need to have at least two years previous experience working/living in India and additional years experience working in general, but for those who qualify, this will be a great opportunity to work in study abroad facilitating learning experiences on the ground. And did I mention that you get to live in India? Sign me up!

Click the link to learn more about the Resident Director position in India!

Competing Against the World: How to Successfully Study Abroad as a College Athlete

Today I bring you a guest post from a former study abroad student (and student athlete), Nate Schrader. 

Nate Schrader, Wabash College, Class of 2010

As a Division III college baseball player at Wabash College, Nate had the audacity to consider studying abroad, seemingly unheard of on most college campuses. However, with planning, a supportive coach/team, and some creativity, he was able to make his study abroad goals a reality...and make it to the playoffs too. Here's his story and advice for other college athletes ready to take on the world on and off the field.

--

“Well,” he said reluctantly, “I guess it is a great opportunity for you. You’ll have to earn your spot. We’ll see you when you get back.”

I couldn’t believe it - my baseball coach actually letting me go abroad! Thoughts of Rome and Italian food and architecture filled my thoughts until reality set in. Where will I work out? How will I stay motivated? How will I experience culture if I have to work out? Can I still be a leader on the team when I’m not with them? The doubts went on and on.

If you’re like me, you need a plan with some answers (somewhat). Hopefully the following tips will encourage you to study abroad and make your trip more worthwhile and encourage you to study abroad. My advice? A steady combo of discipline, culture, and a little creativity.

Find Others in the Same Boat
It’s much easier to find a place to work out and stick to it when you have other people to train with. Ask your program if there’s a discount gym membership, find some friends, and push each other!

Keep in Contact
Separation from the team hurts that team chemistry all coaches love. Make an effort to email and chat your teammates on their off-season progress. Stories of talented freshmen, improving players, and team success motivated me and can help you push through those last few weeks.

Make it Cultural!
Don’t seclude your athletic training from your abroad experience, celebrate it! There are a few great ways to do this. Find local athletes and play against them. With the help of my program, I managed to find some Italian friends and played softball in a park. Not only did I play, but I taught them about the game and learned how they approached baseball. That cultural bonding over the game I love was irreplaceable.

Playing catcher in the local park with some Italian friends.

Make Your Workouts Work for You
Dream up a way to use your workouts as something more. My anthropology class required a research paper, and what do you think I chose? Contrasting Italian & American gym culture, of course! Perhaps that’s another blog in itself, but overall it pushed me to chat with Italians and learn their culture more.

Weightroom and spinning/aerobics room at Center Line gym, on of three gyms  where I would sweat it out with Italians. 

Get Creative With Your Workouts
Treadmills? Boring. Gyms? Stuffy and cramped. Why not explore cities while you run? I count the nighttime mad dash from Piazzale Michelangelo with three friends as a top five European moment hands down. You see more places, get that workout in, and maybe escape a Motorini or two along the way!

The view atop Piazzale before our night time sprint to the bottom.

Return a Better Athlete
Returning with a positive attitude is crucial to your season’s success. Expect to shake off the rust, but know it comes quickly. Remember the experiences abroad are something untradeable in America. I ended up with a great junior season, and our team made the playoffs.

Would I do it again? Absolutely.

--

After studying in Rome and playing baseball at Wabash College, Nate Schrader uses his experiences to write for TravelProducts.com about anything to help you get the most out of your travels.


Big props to the Wabash College study abroad office for supporting Nate! Do you have a study abroad student athlete success story? Tell us about it in the comments!