What is your favorite travel memory?
When exploring Angkor Wat in Cambodia, my two friends and I got separated wandering around old ruins. 20 minutes later when we converged, I had met a local man and his toddler who shared their breakfast with me despite not sharing any language, my friend the environmentalist had met a group of students looking at water conservation, and my other friend had a new painting from a local artist. The wide depth of our 20-minute organic experiences is precisely why I love travelling, anything can happen, and the world seems full of characters with more similarities than differences.
How have you changed/grown since working for your current company?
Working at my current company is not something I envisioned for myself at 20, nor even at 30, yet it has allowed me to truly understand the way that you can weave a professional career that takes sharp turns, leaps, and tumbles without losing yourself or passion. Career progression is non-linear, and the path so clear to you at 20, is sure to be different 5, or 10 years later. By learning to embrace the turns, rise to the challenge of change, and think innovatively, I have been able to grow rather than become stagnant during these ever-challenging times.
What is the best story you've heard from a return student?
Our 2020 participants had few other options than virtual opportunities due to the global pandemic. While the outcomes could have been dreary, by and large, they were uplifting, hopeful, and really embracing global remote work. One student, in particular, was really surprised by the opportunity to gain global fluency, and while based in the UK, he was hired as a contractor after his experience, and now works with a team in Vietnam and San Francisco.
If you could go on any program that your company offers, which one would you choose and why?
Our program offers remote internship opportunities within 18 career fields, if I could pick any program I would love to choose a Virtual Internship in Computer Science & Technology. While I have limited coding skills, the opportunity would let me work for a really dynamic tech start-up, and past interns have supported blockchain technology, robotics, and AI support.
What makes your company unique? When were you especially proud of your team?
In 2018 long before COVID my company started supporting virtual internships, to ensure that any student no matter the barriers could gain global work experience. That foresight allowed us to be well-placed and ready in 2020 when the world went fully remote temporarily, and the ability to think innovatively before it was necessary, makes me really proud of my team and company. Our company is unique due to its sole focus on remote work ensuring all programming supports and inclusions are specifically curated for the best support.
What do you believe to be the biggest factor in being a successful company?
Being a successful company requires really strong leaders who have a clear mission and 'why'. Moreover, that leadership needs to be able to trust their staff to embolden autonomy, creativity, and process-driven solutions. While it seems simple, it's not always easy to find a successful marriage of leadership and autonomy, but when a company can find it, success is sure to follow.
