Whoever has done an MBA abroad can probably say how much we learned new things. We will speak about how we do great interviews by highlighting our accomplishments, our international experience and how much we have grown since our last position. We will tell you about the “challenges” not as real obstacles but as another way of highlighting how good we are to solve problems. And we will tell you how many different things we lead.
But no one will tell you (or post to FB) about the long study nights, the stress of wanting to do everything with no time or the confusion with corporate finance, we will never speak about the re-distribution and re-budgeting of our original budget and the dreadful months of job hunting with great anxiety. We will never tell you how we felt when we discovered we were in school with 300 people who maybe were smarter, more experienced, more interesting and better people than us.
The good part about these and many more “secrets” we will never reveal is that there is also 300 people beside you living the same roller coaster of emotions. This is where the real lesson comes from. Your new abroad family.
I was lucky enough to have one best friend from 3 different continents, 4 if we say America is divided in 2 continents (its not). I thought I knew the world and how it worked, but until I met them, I was living in a bubble. These are the most important lessons I got from them after an amazing year:
Regarding Central Europe:
They are not the cold, angry people we think when we hear them speak. In any other language, they are funny and kind people, subconsciously just dying to change the stereotype. It takes time to know them, but its worth every extremely punctual second.
Their countries are full of history way beyond the horrors of WWII and communism. It’s also about interesting stories about country limits, pagan summer parties, religion heroes and amazing food.
Regarding America (the non Spanish speaking north):
It’s ok to call the US, “America”, they know they don’t own the continent, you know you are also American even if its not from the US. You don’t have to fight every battle; this one is not worth it.
There are a few geniuses in the US, but mostly… they have amazing marketing, for themselves as individuals, for their businesses, for their country. If you want to make a business work, hire a CMO from America (the continent), either they’ll be from the US and will have it naturally, or they will have grown admiring the US. Give them a US budget.
They are usually very nationalistic and closed up in their amazing countries, but give them French, Philippine, or any other country blood, and they will change the world. (#dontlistentotrump)
Regarding Latin America:
We are all very similar in personality. Some nationalities have the party side a little bit stronger, some have the laziness stronger, some have the warmth stronger, but we all are from developing countries and understand the struggle to succeed, if a Latin American wants to succeed, they will make it happen at any cost, if not, don’t bother them, they will not bother you.
If you are in need of family, a partner or a close friend, latam is always going to be the place go. It doesn’t matter if you are Asian or European or a US American, you’ll find your person there. What we lack in development we make up for in solidarity, friendship and family values. We are there for to celebrate your biggest success with a huge hug and some kind of hard liquor or with a shovel to bury the evidence for your biggest crime.
Regarding the Middle East:
You never really think about where the Middle Eastern countries are, but if you ever wonder, it’s Asia. Although they sometimes write in a non “normal” alphabet, they are not about pandas or raw fish. As latams, they are warm people from developing countries trying to succeed. Businessmen and women are open, accepting and hard working. They believe that their best bet on making money is by protecting their people (sometimes at any cost) after all... in the desert, you have to take care of each other to survive (except Lebanon... where they just an old country* with lots of experience in conflicts and basically life)
*Oldest in the world.
Not all the women (or countries for that matter) wear hijabs neither do all men belong to ISIS. They are kind and sweet, they don’t all wear and love designer brands, they don't despise US Americans and men are chivalrous. They are conservative but not closed-minded. I learned that these words are not synonyms.
This year, I met people from around 67 different nationalities, traveled to 4 continents, 11 countries, 40 cities. I took 45 courses, had 12 different work groups, I got some As, a few Bs and one C. I went to almost every club party, I cheered for every school team at MBAT, and I scored a couple of goals. I was club coordinator, class rep and a soccer addict. I did more than I have ever done in one year, and slept the least ever. But what I really learned was that 50% of the IMBA knowledge is made up from people we meet and it changed forever the way I looked at the world.
I will always remember my International Marketing professor talking about how the Silk Road transformed China and how the conquest of America shifted our personalities, he taught us about International Marketing by teaching us how to do International Business… In the end you have to know the culture and their history first before attempting to communicate and sell a product or service. You have to be open-minded, forget stereotypes and accept that you are not the only one right, that there are many versions of the truth and that this is the only way to international success.
Me and my friends: Costa Rica, US, Poland, Libanon, Peru
