Global Goals
The start of this trip was one of nervous excitement. I didn’t know what to expect but when I learned about the IBS Summer China trip I was given the reassurance and confidence that I could go through the program and come out as a better person. One with a widened horizon on how I look at things and make decisions. I chose this program because I had confidence that my perspective on the world would be positively impacted. My mind is now much more culturally understanding, and the effects that it has had on the way I perceive things is something I will shape me throughout my life.
IBS has the talents of taking those with leader-like qualities in the business world and enhancing that into skills through the seminars presented to the students. During these meetings the students come face to face with top executives from each company, they talk about their start in the business world and how that led them to success. Many of them started out as interns which would give students like me hope that through hard work you can achieve the dreams that might have seemed impossible to reach before. We learned about marketing, finance, accounting, fraud, health, as well as imports/exports from professionals making the information received quite valuable.
On this trip, I was met with a group of strangers that all shared a similar goal as me. All of the students were there to learn about business from experienced business professionals. College students can’t get this kind of experience in a classroom! The ambition and passion of my peers set off an aura that we all fed off of. I met students that want to have careers in marketing, finance, accounting, law, etc. The way these students carried themselves made everyone want to become better, I definitely saw a future of success for many of the students, and know that in the future if I have any problems or questions they will be there to lend a helping hand. Marketing allows your business to compete by promoting your brand to the right people. It lets your business take advantage of social media, even if you aren’t familiar with it, and marketing research and analytics will increase sales through a deeper understanding of your customers. Corporate finance involves managing assets, liabilities, revenues, and debts for a business. Accounting is the systematic and comprehensive recording of financial transactions pertaining to a business. Accounting also refers to the process of summarizing, analyzing and reporting these transactions to oversight agencies, regulators and tax collection entities. A Lawyer will help with any legal troubles your company may run into. These jobs are all necessities when building your own business, which is why this trip can serve as a very important entity for networking.
This program not only offers business advice but provides connections for life as the friendships made will definitely carry you through the years with a smile on your face when you see the accomplishments they have made, as they grew from a small seed to a blooming flower with enough knowledge and power to not only help themselves but others.
I came back and started reading ‘The Economist’ because someone I highly respected from the program recommended it saying it was a non-biased magazine. I have started to read more books and stay more in tune with global news. I’m no longer blind to my surroundings, rather than that I embrace it now and couldn’t ask for anything that could soothe me more.
IBS takes you on a journey of knowledge, you not only learn about business but also about yourself. It shows you a reflection of your truest character as every day is an adventure, that comes with challenges as well as rewards, and how you deal with every step of the way will show you what qualities make you a leader. These are the reasons why one should choose IBS for their study abroad program, it is an opportunity that doesn’t come by very often, so make sure to take charge of this chance, otherwise, you may regret it.
