We live in the era of ‘globalisation’ and our planet has become a ‘village’. But how can we evidence ‘global citizenship’ and stand out in competitive global job market?
Showcase your additional languages
You don’t need to add ‘English’ when you are already submitting a CV in English!
Tell us about any other languages you have learnt or tried to learn in the past. Your level of knowledge (beginner, conversational, comfortable user, advanced etc.), why you decided to learn them, how you learnt (self-taught, mother tongue, picked it up during your travels etc.).
If you do not speak any other languages, it is never too late.
There are free online resources where you can learn at your own pace, for example https://www.duolingo.com/
Travelling
- Where did you go?
- When did you visit?
- With whom did you take the trip?
- What was the purpose of the trip
- How did you pay for it?
Think of why this should it be of interest to the prospective employer / client?
Did you know you can also travel from the comfort of your home
Volunteering/ causes you care about
Show employers what brings meaning to your life and how you are trying to make the world a better place. For some virtual UK and international opportunities have a look here:
https://www.careeraddict.com/online-volunteering-opportunities.
Develop your commercial awareness
Read the news, keep up to date with what is going on in the world (international), education, economy, business, arts, technology, politics, health etc. Everything is connected. I remember a question in an application form: ‘In your opinion, what should Bank of England do in the next couple of years? Answer in 50 words.’ To answer well you need to make an educated guess.
Make friends with people outside of your locality and comfort zone
These interactions will broaden your horizons, help you see things from different angles, enhance your emotional intelligence and professionalism.
Attend international events for free
Attending different events outside of your own country or internationally can help demonstrate your commitment and enthusiasm for understanding global issues and develop your appreciation for different perspectives and ways of working.
Find out about professional industry societies in each country, conferences you can attend and different forums you could join online.
Try these sites to start:
Expand your interests
Expand your interests
- Listen to music from abroad,
- Watch international films,
- Read books from foreign authors
- Try different cuisines,
- Take up martial arts! (Doing Tae Kwon Do has not only taught me discipline but also how to count to ten and describe my kicks and punches in Korean and Korean histor
Study abroad
As you may already be an international student- we might be preaching to the converted!
- Further develop your confidence and sense of independence
- Gain further experience of new cultures
- Develop your resilience
- Add to the variety of teaching and assessment approaches within your degree programme.
- Enhance your job prospects.
Explore what programmes your university and if there is any funding support for this such as