GRIP, Internships Abroad Cultural Perspectives in the Workplace

Business in Sydney, Australia

Going into my internship as part of the Business in Sydney program, I didn’t know what to expect. Not only was I about to spend 2 months abroad in a city far away from home but I was also starting a professional role in an unfamiliar industry. As a Cognitive Science major, I was worried about the extent of my business knowledge and my capability to perform well as a business intern. This anxiety was also coupled with the mix of fear and excitement I felt for moving to a new country and stepping outside of my comfort zone. To my surprise, after the first couple of days, such worries were only replaced with excitement, fascination, and gratefulness.

Having been immersed in and taught about Japanese and American work culture growing up, I mindlessly assumed the work culture in Australia would be quite similar - proper work suits, formal language, and a clear organizational hierarchy, amongst other aspects. However, the rumors I heard about the relaxed Australian work culture proved to be true on my first day. My boss greeted me and another intern in a very friendly manner and took the time to learn about our backgrounds and skill sets, which I greatly appreciated. The company is currently located in a startup hub, so the atmosphere feels relaxed yet innovative and ambitious. There are 4 interns in total and we all work together at the hub with our boss. So far, I’ve observed that the attire is business casual, the hours are flexible, and the use of “Sir” or “Ma’am” is considered rude. Such an environment has allowed me to feel at ease from the get-go and erased the barriers I expected when it came to communicating my thoughts and concerns with my boss. I appreciate the agency to freely ask questions and state my opinions, and I believe this has allowed me to feel confident in the work I’m doing.

Despite the relaxed work culture, the work I’m doing is well structured and the tasks are very clear. As a product management intern at Livelo, a global bike rental startup, I am working with their partner in Japan to develop and expand their road bike tours in Tokyo. A timeline of the product’s development process makes clear the steps needed to bring the product to market and what specific skills I will be engaging in for each step. My boss placed me in this project knowing that my Japanese background and cultural knowledge would be a useful asset. I have enjoyed contributing my thoughts and ideas in planning the Japan tours and appreciate how I am able to make a legitimate influence as an intern. In doing so, I have found myself taking a new perspective on Japanese culture. That is, since I am marketing Japanese culture to foreign travelers, I have become more cognizant of cultural barriers and more appreciative of its history and religious traditions. As such, my internship has not only opened my eyes to Australian work culture but has also shifted my existing perspective on my own, Japanese culture. All in all, my internship has been a great combination of professional development and cultural immersion, and I am very excited for the weeks to come.