Submitted by Andrew Saul on the 2015 summer session internship program in Sydney, Australia sponsored by the Alfred Lerner College of Business and Economics…
Now that all of my big trips outside of Sydney are complete, I’m going to write about my experiences interning abroad. I am working for Otis Elevator Company, which is a division of United Technologies. United Technologies is a very large multinational Fortune 500 company based in Connecticut. My office is located in a suburb of Sydney called Ashfield. It’s about a 15-minute train ride from my apartment and then a 10-minute bus ride from the Ashfield train station to the office. Initially, I was very nervous about using the Sydney public transport system by myself, but I adapted very quickly.
I am working in the sales & marketing department. Lately, my assignments have been more sales oriented. Most recently, I have been calling customers to enroll them in a free trial for a new service that Otis is offering for their elevators. One thing I learned very early on is that it can be difficult to get in contact with the right people you need to talk to. Everyone operates on different schedules so very often, I have to call back more than once to speak to the customer. Overall, I have been able to sign up a decent amount of people for the trial. However, I don’t plan on going into sales for a career because I don’t really enjoy being on the phone all day, but I am certainly gaining valuable experience.
Working abroad has been a fantastic experience. When I first signed up for the program, I was mainly thinking about how this was going to be a great resume booster with the added benefit of seeing another country. It’s so much more than that. Learning to adapt to living in a foreign culture has taught me many lessons that will follow me for a very long time. When I start looking for jobs in the fall to begin my post-college career, I will be searching for jobs that provide opportunities for travel so I can see the world.