LEARNING OUTCOME:

• Show appreciation of other points of view by being flexible, adaptable, and open to new ideas

EG 5 - My International Business education and the utilization of all my learned skills were paramount in the success of this internship. The most obvious way through which International Business helped me in my Deutsche Bank internship was my knowledge of German. Since a foreign language minor is a requirement of the International Business major, I was able to learn German on a fairly active level.

Although the internship was in Poland, Deutsche Bank is a German institution. My speaking German definitely helped me get hired in the first place. Within the job I was able to communicate with the German executives in their native language, a definite benefit to gaining repute in the firm. I also utilized the many skills I picked up in my various business classes. Finance and accounting were irrefutable boons in calculating the various sales figures and working with budgets and payroll. Management assisted me in dealing with various individuals throughout the corporate hierarchy and with the clients I was expected to contact directly. Even marketing came in useful when I helped out in the bank's marketing department.

But the two greatest assets from the International Business program were knowledge of the differences prevalent between countries and cultures and the ability to adapt to difference situations. Some of the classes in the International Business curriculum focus on the variety of cultures and peoples dispersed throughout the world and even within a single country. Being in a German bank in Poland I witnessed firsthand the differences in cultures and the occasional friction stemming from misunderstanding or stereotypes. I was very much aware that such situations could arise in mixed culture work environments and, thanks to the insights I gained in my classes, I was able to see things from both sides and fit in with both the Germans and Poles.

Overall I must say that the ability to adapt and tackle new challenges was the key to my success. I was faced with a new challenge on a daily basis. Between the culture shock and my new job responsibilities, I needed to be quick on my feet. The variety of classes, and the material presented me within, gave me the ability to cope with new situations. This translated into the adaptation skills that I used at Deutsche Bank. It was not always easy to face uncertainty on a daily basis, but thanks to my tenacity and confidence everything worked out quite well. Most of the skills learned within my major were useful, but the skills most useful stemmed not from a particular class, but from the whole learning experience one gains in a university environment.