Molly is from Clarion University of Pennsylvania and is completing her senior year in marketing and finance. She has gained an appreciation for other cultures and traveling through her time with International Business Seminars.
What are your goals after graduation and has your experience with IBS impacted your career goals in any way? If so, how?
I will be working for PNC Bank in their Corporate and Institutional Banking Division. During my interview with PNC, the IBS Seminars were brought up a lot and I truly believe having that on my resume set me apart from the other candidates.
What are your suggestions for students considering scholarships and financing planning options for their seminar?
Apply for as many scholarships as possible, it will go a long way! Fortunately, my school offered multiple study abroad scholarships. Also, if you are interested in financing options, I would recommend looking into that as early as possible.
Throughout your internship as an Alumni Ambassador, what is the one skill you’ve approved upon the most?
I believe my speaking and presentation skills improved significantly. I presented to over ten different classes and organizations this past Fall, so I was able to get a lot of practice.
Being able to travel to multiple cities and countries, what travel advice do you have for future students?
My advice I would give to future students is to do and see as many things as you can during the time you are traveling. I would also recommend being open-minded when you are abroad. Try as many foods and visit as many places as you can while in each city, as you come home from that seminar you should have no regrets!
What are the company visits like? Did you have a favorite visit and what did you learn?
My favorite company we visited would be PricewaterhouseCoopers in Amsterdam, Netherlands. Not only did PwC give a great presentation explaining what the company does, but more importantly they took the time to explain what they look for when hiring new employees and gave great advice about preparing for our future careers. After the presentation, we attended lunch with PwC employees and had the opportunity to converse with them one on one.
Any packing tips for future students? What did you pack and wish you would’ve had?
As far as tips for packing, I would highly recommend bringing a regular pillow or at least a neck pillow because when we’re traveling from country to country you spend a lot of time on that coach bus. It is definitely worth bringing some sort of pillow to make yourself more comfortable for those long rides.
What professional skill do you think you developed the most during your seminar?
I think my communication skills improved on this trip. Not only did we have to learn to interact with individuals abroad who spoke different languages, but I also met new students from all over the country who were in that program as well.
What do you miss most about being abroad?
The one thing I miss most about being abroad is the excitement of waking up every morning in a new city that I had never been to. Not only do I miss the places I visited, but I also really miss the people I could meet along the way. I was extremely fortunate to travel with such a great group of people, and I still keep in touch with a lot of them.
Molly is an incredible advocate for International Business Seminars and we wish her all the best in her future endeavors!
