Irish Insights: How Internships Abroad Build Intercultural Skills
November 14, 2024
Ready to roar: intercultural knowledge
Demonstrate the awareness, attitude, knowledge and behavioral skills required to equitably engage and include people from different local and global cultures.
In early June,
I had the opportunity to travel to the Republic of Ireland on multiple site visits with Learn International, a company that facilitates internship opportunities for students at US-based colleges and universities. LSU is focused on building the necessary framework for students to gain work experience abroad, and a major goal of our trip was to evaluate the types of companies students would be working for in Ireland.
Unexpectedly, the trip provided valuable insights into the cultural differences surrounding the workplace and how many people in Ireland approach their jobs. While the internship sites were very interesting, the most exciting outcome of this trip will be providing the opportunity for students to immerse themselves in a professional culture different from their own.
Just under two decades ago,
I had the opportunity to visit Ireland on an LSU in Ireland study abroad experience.
The trip was focused on international politics and cultural immersion, rather than
internship or true professional development. Studying abroad provided the space to
not only experience how people from another part of the world lived, but it also allowed
me to learn a lot about the person I wanted to become. These are some of the reasons
why studying abroad during your college years can be so valuable. Not only does it
help you build your Self-Awareness but it gives you an immersive experience in building your Intercultural Knowledge.
As we build out the opportunity for students to intern in Ireland, the experience
adds a direct career component to its long list of benefits. From my brief time visiting
with multiple internship sites, I was quickly presented with a different vibe around
the world of work. Our host used the term “Irish-ish” when referring to what time we were scheduled to be at a given company. It was normal
to not be stressed about being exactly on time, something that felt foreign to what
I had been brought up to feel when I was going to be late to an appointment. This
more relaxed attitude around work continued throughout the visit. That is not to
say that the professionals we met were not committed to their companies and missions,
rather their approach to work-life balance leaned more into the “life happens” side
of the binary equation.
As students enter this different work environment, they will be challenged to question the values they hold and how they want to incorporate these new experiences and attitudes. They will have the opportunity to bring those new ideas back to the US as they prepare to become full-time professionals after graduation.
Ultimately, this is what defines the foundation of Intercultural Knowledge; being willing to entertain that your viewpoint on a certain topic may not be standard
and that is okay. Neither side is viewed as right or wrong, just different. Immersing
yourself in a culture, especially a work culture, that is different than yours, exposes
potential areas of growth and change. Can we as individuals use the information we
take in through a variety of experiences to better ourselves and those around us?
My trip to Ireland with Learn International was professionally inspiring because I
was building a framework that will give students the opportunity to learn about themselves
and the world around them through the lens of career; facilitating their growth in
Intercultural Knowledge. 
About the LSU Career Center
Our team is committed to ensuring every student has ample opportunities to gain experience, grow their network, and communicate their aptitude for a chosen career long before graduation. We believe LSU students are unparalleled in their potential to step into leadership, solve problems, and elevate the workforce for the benefit of all.