What inspired you to travel abroad?
My program at Ivey Business School in Canada had an international internship (called Ivey Global Lab) component that was required to complete the program. Our internship options were broken down by country, which included: Vietnam, India, and Peru.
I chose Vietnam because I had done quite a bit of travelling prior to starting the program, excluding Asia, so I thought it would be a good opportunity to expand my horizons. Further, I had a background in HR consulting previous to starting my master’s program and one of the companies in Vietnam was an HR training company, so naturally I thought it would be a good fit.
The Ivey team with our client MCG and the Authentica team.
Why did you choose Authentica?
Authentica partnered with Ivey Business School to onboard and support all students participating in the Ivey Global Lab across all three countries. To my knowledge at the time, one of the founders of Authentica was an Ivey HBA alumnus, which added a solid amount of credibility to their service offerings.
As such, my introduction to Authentica was in the pre-trip phase, when Authentica prepped us comprehensively for our business projects and cultural experiences in each of our countries.
What was your favorite part about Vietnam?
I was stationed in Hanoi, Vietnam for the duration of my international internship. Hanoi is a very exciting city with great food, amazing nightlife, friendly people, and full of culture and history. What I enjoyed most were the people, due to their hospitable and friendly nature.
Further, the downtown core of Hanoi is full of expats from around the world, which fosters a truly international environment, while already being a greatly different cultural experience to North America.
What made your experience abroad extraordinary?
The business project itself was extremely rewarding in the sense that my team and I worked hard on our recommendations and genuinely cared about delivering solid solutions for our clients during the internship.
My team and I grew very close over the eight weeks, along with many of our co-workers at the company we consulted for. Congruently, I enjoyed being in a city and country that was so different from my home country. Having been able to spend a successful eight weeks abroad in a drastically different environment was very gratifying.
How did the local program staff support you throughout your program?
The local staff were very adamant about helping us adjust to Hanoi as a city and Vietnam culturally. They were passionate about their food and culture and wanted nothing more but to share that with us.
They organized several gatherings for us to tour the city, they accompanied us on weekend trips in Vietnam outside of Hanoi, and even organized one of the most amazing hikes I have ever been on. They were truly our go-to's throughout the trip whenever we had logistical questions about places to eat, entertainment, getting around the city, and even signing up for fitness centres.
What's one thing you wish you would have done differently during your time abroad?
I wish I would have travelled more on the weekends. Vietnam is such a beautiful country and I only ended up travelling two out of the eight weekends I spent there, and one of the weekends I went to Thailand.
Other than Hanoi and Da Nang, I really didn't take advantage of the incredible travel destinations Vietnam has to offer that are easily accessible over weekend trips. Consequently, I actually plan on going back to Vietnam in the near future in order to see more of the country, specifically the Northern parts of Vietnam.
The Ivey team presenting cultural integration strategies at a Vietnamese manufacturing company.
Describe what a typical day in your life abroad looked like.
If we start on Monday, I would wake up around 6:45 a.m. to eat breakfast and get ready. By 8:00 a.m. every student participating in the Ivey Global Lab would embark on our daily shuttle, which was parked outside of the hotel we were staying in and took us to our internships. We would typically get into our company by 8:20 a.m. and started work for 8:30 a.m.
Our team typically had a daily morning meeting to set goals for the day. At lunch our team of three would eat in the Old Quarter of Hanoi, which is the beautiful, French colonial, historic district of the city.
Following lunch we would work until 5:30 p.m., which typically included check up calls with Authentica representatives guiding our business project and meetings with our client. Following the end of the work day we would get into the shuttle to be brought back to our hotel.
From the hotel I would grab my gym clothes and walk over to the gym, just a block away from our hotel, with my roommate. Following the gym we would typically go out for dinner in the expat district within walking distance, then return to our hotel and get ready for the next day.
What did you enjoy doing in your free time abroad?
On weekends I participated in a soccer league hosted by co-workers at the company we were consulting for. Soccer typically happened twice a week, once during the week and once on weekends. This was an incredible experience as I built solid friendships with players on my team who I still keep in contact with to this day through social media.
Further, it was a great way to see first hand how people around my age were living in hanoi, what their occupations were, their different education levels, and their hobbies and interests.
What type of accommodation did you have? What did you like best about it?
We stayed in an apartment-style hotel that specialized in hosting temporary expats. Our apartment had two rooms, one bathroom, kitchen, living room, and balcony for three people. I split one of the rooms with my roommate and the other roommate had a room to herself.
All of the Ivey Global Lab participants stayed in the same hotel in Hanoi, which was a really fun experience. I enjoyed the location of our hotel as it was close to the gym and expat complex that had a lot of great food options and a movie theatre.
What is one thing every future participant should know about your program before their program begins?
The program isn't without adversity and it's truly what you make it. It was a huge adjustment for me to change environments so drastically from North America, and at times it was difficult to live in Hanoi due to the fast-paced life they endure.
However, sticking it out, forming the bonds I did, getting to deliver great solutions for our client, and getting to experience Asia for the first time made it completely worth it. Vietnam's a special place and it was truly a trip of a lifetime.
I also found it helpful to surround myself with others who were also being positive about the experience and doing their best to make the most out of their time there.
Would you recommend Authentica to others? Why?
One hundred percent! I've been asked multiple times for feedback on Authentica's services now, and each time I say that I have no negative feedback to give. The experience and their support was exceptional.
The eight weeks with Authentica completely transformed my outlook on how to identify and solve business problems and has guided how I approach business projects ever since. Authentica helped build my business education foundation which positively influenced the following semesters of my Masters in International Business.
Since then, I have brought the skills I developed during the Ivey Global Lab to both of my academic exchanges in Europe.
What do you feel the biggest benefit of traveling abroad is?
In one word, clarity. As cheesy as that sounds, each time I've travelled, I've come back more confident and highly motivated to accomplish goals I've set out for myself. After coming back from Vietnam I was eager to travel more, I was eager to meet new people from different countries, I found clarity in the type of work I want to do after I graduate, and I felt more confident than ever to take on challenges that have previously felt beyond my scope.
My semester abroad in Portugal following my Ivey Global Lab experience ended up being the best semester of my life. I largely have my experience in Vietnam to thank for that for helping me build the necessary foundation to embark on my exchange open-mindedly and enthusiastically.
Some of the Ivey Global Lab students eating street food in Hanoi with our co-workers
Now that you're home, how has your time abroad impacted your life?
Having travelled so much in such a short period of time and in light of the global pandemic, I feel like I have the time to really accomplish the numerous goals I set out for myself while travelling.
Now that I've realized I have a passion for marketing, I am completing the CPG (consumer packaged goods) bootcamp online while networking with employers that have strong brand management departments. Having gained that clarity while abroad has really set my direction while being home for now.
Further, I know that I want to work for an MNE that offers opportunities to travel abroad, which has strongly guided my networking strategy.
What does meaningful travel mean to you?
To have learned something new about myself, is how I would define meaningful travel. Throughout my experiences travelling I have learned that despite making mistakes and not always enjoying myself, I remain resilient and eager to make the most out of my experience.
This is something I've carried forward with me throughout my personal and professional life, and it's something I can always rely on when times are difficult. This is something I truly learned while travelling and that I am reminded of while travelling.
If someone could walk away from an international experience having learned something positive about themselves they can use as a resource going forward, then that's a meaningful experience.