Lesson 6: Life Skills for a Global Career
Repacking everyday skills for an international career
Welcome to Lesson 6 of Cultural Intelligence 101: Life Skills for a Global Career —the final lesson in this series. Today, we will explore how to repackage the skills you already have into a global career, using my journey as a guide.
My Story: Turning Life Challenges into Global Skills
When I was born, my mom was just 15 years old, and because of that, I moved between different family members throughout my childhood. Each house had its own rules and expectations, and I learned early on how to adjust and adapt.
Eventually, I moved to the suburbs and suddenly became a minority for the first time. I had to figure out how to connect with people from different backgrounds. This experience taught me to understand and appreciate different perspectives—even when I didn't always agree.
By 34, I had earned my doctorate, traveled to 14 countries, lived in China and Japan, and built a career in international education. What helped me succeed wasn't just academic knowledge—it was the everyday skills I learned from navigating life.
What is a global career?
A global career is a career that works in diverse international environments—either by living abroad or collaborating with people from various cultures. This path is common in career fields like international education (my field!), diplomacy, tourism, and more. Global careers typically involve international exposure, frequent travel, and working with diverse teams.
4 Everyday Skills That Can Be Repacked for a Global Career
Resilience and Adaptability: The ability to bounce back from tough situations and quickly adjust to new environments.
My Story: Constantly adjusting to new family dynamics and being a minority taught me adaptability.
For You: Think about a time when you adapted to a new situation or connected with others. Share this in interviews to highlight your value in diverse environments.
Problem-Solving and Creativity: Finding innovative ways to overcome challenges when standard solutions don't work.
My Story: I had to be creative to build relationships and bridge cultural differences once I moved to the suburbs.
For You: View challenges as opportunities to develop new solutions. Share creative solutions to overcome a challenge in interviews.
Effective Communication and Empathy: Listening carefully and expressing ideas clearly.
My Story: Adjusting to different perspectives improved my listening and communication skills in a way that built bridges rather than barriers.
For You: Practice active listening. Highlight how effective communication resolved misunderstandings or built a strong relationship in an interview.
Self-Motivation and Continuous Learning: The drive to keep improving yourself and learning new things, even when it's hard.
My Story: My drive to never stop learning helped me earn my doctorate and succeed as an international educator.
For You: Set small learning goals and share your commitment to growth through self-improvement and overcoming obstacles in interviews.
Strategies to Strengthen Your Global Skills
If you need to strengthen your global skills, here are two strategies you can use:
Be Intentional in your Network: Join international professional associations and groups on Facebook or LinkedIn to open up opportunities and help you understand what's important to the industry today.
Develop Your Soft Skills: Focus on empathy, active listening, and conflict resolution skills. Soft skills are important in any job, so consider how each skill can be transferred to a global career.
Don't underestimate your ability to adapt, problem-solve, communicate, and keep pushing forward—you already have the skills needed! Your experiences, even the unexpected ones, are all powerful assets.
Think about how your unique experiences can set you apart in an international setting.
Thank you for being a part of the Cultural Intelligence 101 series. This is the final lesson in the series.