A priority at the Broad College is fostering a global mindset for students through many unique opportunities. Normally, each spring, the Russell Palmer Career Management Center provides students with the chance to travel to the greater China region and gain exposure to different global companies. This year, the Global Career Trek went online.
This year’s Global Virtual Career Trek provides international students the chance to attend 19 different sessions with employers and alumni in the Asia Pacific region.
“The Palmer Center’s Global Virtual Trek is an incredibly positive initiative that helps international undergraduate and master’s students connect with amazing organizations across the globe,” Marla McGraw, director of career management and employer relations at the Palmer Center, said. “This trek provides opportunities and connections with fantastic alumni and employers excited to hire students for global internships and full-time jobs.”
The trek, which runs from Feb. 15 to April 23, offers students the chance to attend 19 different virtual sessions with employers and alumni in the Asia Pacific region, such as mainland China, Taiwan, Hong Kong, India, South Kore, and Vietnam. Companies attending the trek include Amazon, Unilever and Bloomberg.
Not being able to physically travel abroad has left many Spartans feeling discouraged, but the Palmer Center team worked hard to make sure that students would still have a unique experience.
“With the trek being virtual, we are able to engage more companies from various geographic locations — we cover about 10 countries and regions,” Shinta Shintawati, associate director for global education and outreach at the Palmer Center, said. “We spent a significant amount of time in conducting employer outreach and identifying potential locations.”
The Palmer Center also offered services before the start of the trek to help students prepare to meet with top companies across the globe — one-on-one and group advising, resume revisions, elevator pitch practice and networking advice — which students took advantage of.
“My favorite part of the trek is the one-on-one biweekly advising with my mentor,” Haoyan Lin, a business-admitted and psychology senior who attended the mainland China trek, said. “Throughout that, I polished my Chinese and English resumes in a nearly perfect status. In addition to that, I practiced some common interview questions. My mentor also showed me how to use the school’s website market line to search for more details about the companies that we got interviews from.”
For Jenny Oh, a supply chain management senior who attended the Korea trek, the personal connections and networking components of the trek were her favorite part. “It gave me personal connections with executives and recruiters less accessible through social media or company websites,” she said.
Shifting the Global Career Trek to a virtual setting was no easy feat, but teamwork and dedication to students ensured that the transition would be seamless.
“Shinta has done an incredible job securing highly sought-after organizations to host our students. I can’t overstate the meaningful impact and job opportunities that come as a result of this trek,” McGraw said.
Opportunities like the Palmer Center’s Global Career Trek, whether virtual or in person, continue to help Broad Spartans gain a global mindset and achieve success after graduation.
