YPG International Career Night and Travel with a Purpose
Inspired, motivated, encouraged…These are just some of the words describing the impact this two-part series on travelling and careers had on over 200 attendees. As one attendee said, “I have travelled all over the world and yet I was still captivated by the stories and educated about the lessons the panelists offered.”
The series was co-organized by Asia Society’s Young Professional’s Group (ASYPG) and WAC’s International Forum (IF).
The first program, held on November 18, featured our own Bruce Pickering, Pablo Quintanilla of Salesforce.com, and Terry Vogt of Terra Global Capital, along with moderator Kristin Zibell of Take Your Big Trip. It offered a range of experiences, opinions, and advice by professionals who have extensive experience working abroad in government, non-profits, and the private sector. One highlight of the discussion was learning how panelists translated their experiences abroad into success back home. Pablo Quintanilla credits his experience working at the U.S. State Department in China, where he developed a deep understanding of Chinese culture and language, for his ability to help position Salesforce to grow in international markets.
The second program in the series, Travel with a Purpose: Changing Careers, Changing Lives, took place on January 14 and featured Brooke Bryant, Founder of Plateau Learning Projects; Carlos Pierre, Portfolio Manager of Kiva.org; Kristen Zibell, Yingzhao Liu, Design Lead at LinkedIn, and moderator Brian Reyes, Founder and Principal at BAR Sustainability. All took mid-career breaks from lucrative jobs because they sought more value and meaning in their work, wanted to give back to the community through volunteering, and saw travel in Asia as an opportunity to take stock and regroup for their next career moves. Some of these experiences were humbling, including living on $2 a day and sleeping on park benches. Others were daunting, like quitting work and moving to Asia without a plan. But all found such experiences instrumental in developing new and marketable skills that enriched their work lives.
As one more takeaway, Zibell offers these pointers and tips when travelling and volunteering abroad.
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