business training Archives - Trade Ready https://tradeready.ca/tag/business-training/ Blog for International Trade Experts Mon, 19 Sep 2022 14:37:10 +0000 en-US hourly 1 Meet the winners of the CITP20 Mentorship Contest, Entrepreneur Edition https://tradeready.ca/2019/topics/researchdevelopment/meet-the-winners-of-the-citp20-mentorship-contest-entrepreneur-edition/ https://tradeready.ca/2019/topics/researchdevelopment/meet-the-winners-of-the-citp20-mentorship-contest-entrepreneur-edition/#respond Mon, 14 Jan 2019 18:06:16 +0000 http://test.tradeready.ca/?p=27833 Learn about FITT's CITP20 Mentorship Contest, Entrepreneur Edition and how the winners will benefit from getting mentored by CITP global business experts.

The post Meet the winners of the CITP20 Mentorship Contest, Entrepreneur Edition appeared first on Trade Ready.

]]> silhouette of 4 people walking in a group

In closing out the 2018 celebrations for the 20th anniversary of the CITP designation, FITT held a contest offering a chance to win 3 hours of free 1-on-1 mentorship from a CITP and global business expert/ entrepreneur.

We’re thrilled to announce the winners of the CITP20 Mentorship Contest, Entrepreneur Edition!

Congratulations to our lucky winners!

  • Emily Dalphy
  • David Kappele
  • Katie Findlay
  • Miguel Dos Santos
  • Pavan Kulkarni

Each of our winners will enjoy dedicated mentorship time with a global business expert. They will benefit from personalized guidance and expert help to solve key global business challenges, learn how to overcome barriers to trade, and to improve their global trade know-how!

Meet the mentors!

5 mentors images, names and titles

What’s a CITP?

The Certified International Trade Professional (CITP®|FIBP®) is the world’s leading professional designation in global business.

If you work in global business or aspire to do so, the CITP designation is the right choice for you. Whether you work in import/export, logistics and supply chain management, business development, marketing, or other fields, the CITP designation is proof that you have the competencies needed to compete with global players.

Enhance your knowledge and credibility with the leading global trade training and certification experts, and get the know-how and confidence you need to access new global markets.

Want to hear about any future mentorship opportunities? Subscribe to our mailing list to be among the first to hear about them.

The post Meet the winners of the CITP20 Mentorship Contest, Entrepreneur Edition appeared first on Trade Ready.

]]> https://tradeready.ca/2019/topics/researchdevelopment/meet-the-winners-of-the-citp20-mentorship-contest-entrepreneur-edition/feed/ 0 https://tradeready.ca/wp-content/uploads/2019/01/Mentorship-article-2.jpg How upskilling and certification can affect your global career and bottom line https://tradeready.ca/2018/tradeelite-recap/how-upskilling-and-certification-can-affect-your-global-career-and-bottom-line/ https://tradeready.ca/2018/tradeelite-recap/how-upskilling-and-certification-can-affect-your-global-career-and-bottom-line/#respond Mon, 18 Jun 2018 16:38:19 +0000 http://test.tradeready.ca/?p=26338 With so much out there, and so little time, how do you know which upskilling and certification options will make a tangible impact on your career and your business? The experts weigh in. 

The post How upskilling and certification can affect your global career and bottom line appeared first on Trade Ready.

]]> business man with globe for a head

International business is complex, competitive and full of opportunities. In order to fully capitalize on those opportunities you need to be able to handle the complicated nature of doing business in international markets and stand out from competitors coming from all over the world.

Sounds like a daunting task, but the good news is that there are a multitude of useful resources out there for international business people looking for information, targeted training and guidance.

But with so much out there, and so little time, how do you know which professional development efforts will make a tangible impact on your career and your business?

For this month’s #TradeElite Twitter chat, we asked the experts just that. Our panel consisted of those who have found success in international markets and helped other individuals and businesses go global successfully as well. Here’s what they had to say about the training and certification that added the biggest benefits to their careers.

Panelists:

John Treleaven, CITP (@jht4x4) Principal, Treleaven Consulting Group Ltd., based out of Sidney, British Columbia

Craig Atkinson, CITP (@CraigAAtkinson) Trade, Technology and Sustainable Development Specialist at the International Trade Centre and Founder/Director of Lexmerca International Trade, based in Switzerland, England and Canada

Laura Dalby, CITP (@Dalbinator) Canadian Trade Commissioner, Embassy of Canada in Guatemala, Belize

Adriana Carrillo, CITP (@acarrillo2016) Export Advisor, consultant with over 20 years experience in international markets, based in Toronto, Ontario

Emiliano Introcaso, CITP (@introcaso) Export Help Advisor, Trade Advisory Services, Export Development Canada, based in Toronto, Ontario

Marcela Mandeville, CITP (@MsBrightIdea) CEO, Alberta Women Entrepreneurs, based in Edmonton, Alberta

 Let’s get right into it! How important is it to have training and/or certification specific to international business when you expand from domestic to global markets?

When we talk about “upskilling”, what kind of opportunities for professional development exist for global business professionals?

From a business owner’s perspective, how can upskilling and certifying employees really affect revenue?

Based on your experience, what type of training or “upskilling” has been most beneficial to your work?

We know our panel is full of experts on this…Do you have any tips for balancing a busy work/travel schedule with doing professional development and training?

What are your tips for SME business owners who want to upskill their staff or themselves without taking away from productivity?

Are some credentials and training opportunities more valuable in certain international regions than others?

Networking and mentorship are a couple of great options for global business professionals looking to learn and open career doors. How have you made some of your best international business connections?

Read the rest of the chat and join future discussions by following the #TradeElite hashtag. And stay tuned for the next #TradeElite chat, coming up Thursday, July 12 at 2:30-3:30PM ET, and if you haven’t yet, join us on Twitter at @FITTNews.

 

The post How upskilling and certification can affect your global career and bottom line appeared first on Trade Ready.

]]> https://tradeready.ca/2018/tradeelite-recap/how-upskilling-and-certification-can-affect-your-global-career-and-bottom-line/feed/ 0 https://tradeready.ca/wp-content/uploads/2018/06/upskilling-and-certification.jpg Amit Ranjan, CITP|FIBP – Trade Commissioner, New Delhi https://tradeready.ca/2016/topics/citp_spotlight/amit-ranjan-citpfibp-trade-commissioner-new-delhi/ https://tradeready.ca/2016/topics/citp_spotlight/amit-ranjan-citpfibp-trade-commissioner-new-delhi/#respond Wed, 08 Jun 2016 14:24:38 +0000 http://test.tradeready.ca/?p=20367 Amit Ranjan, CITP|FIBP is a trade commissioner with Global Affairs Canada (GAC) based at the High Commission of Canada in New Delhi, India.

The post Amit Ranjan, CITP|FIBP – Trade Commissioner, New Delhi appeared first on Trade Ready.

]]> Amit Ranjan, CITP|FIBP

Earned his elite CITP®|FIBP® designation: April 2016

Amit Ranjan, CITP|FIBP is a trade commissioner with Global Affairs Canada (GAC) based at the High Commission of Canada in New Delhi, India.

At the High Commission, Amit is responsible for managing the day-to-day operations of the InfoCentre, a resource that provides a single-window system for clients and centralized information management services for GAC’s  International Business Development program.

The InfoCentre tracks and collects the receipts of all incoming enquiries and performs the research and development to provide the responses. Amit’s team is responsible for providing advice to trade commissioners and staff about effectively managing their data in their respective sectors. He also supports Canadian companies in the arts and culture, consumer products and tourism sectors to find qualified contacts and make market potential assessments.

Bringing a valuable skillset to the High Commission of Canada

Amit has always had a passion for using technology to improve efficiency and empower people to meet their goals. He started his career as a software developer for after graduating from Priyadarshini College of Computer Sciences in 1999.

He had the opportunity to work with some big companies over the next few years, including GE, Hewitt Associates and Franklin Templeton, gaining early experience in international business by providing technical support services and developing and delivering new products to clients in the U.S.

During his time with GE, Amit was given the opportunity to lead a team of three for a project from GE Healthcare, introducing new process improvement plans and quality measures for the team. Within a few months, his hard work began paying off when his team was able to deliver projects with zero defect results. This outcome was so successful that the project was beefed up with 10 additional associates, all of whom were put under Amit’s strong leadership.

Amit was honoured to join the High Commission of Canada in New Delhi as a trade commissioner in July 2009. Through his talents in info management and technology, he was perfectly suited for his role leading the InfoCentre and knowledge management staff for all of India.

Thriving in India’s complicated business world

As his experience grew, so did the scope of Amit’s responsibilities, and he was tasked with gathering information on potential new markets and creating qualified lead contacts for his clients. He has taken the initiative to automate as many applications as possible, allowing his team to be more efficient in delivering on their tasks. Amit found this work particularly interesting and he took to it enthusiastically, working hard to develop his experience in international business development and networking.

“It’s an area that has become one of my core strengths.”

As in any region, Amit says India has its own unique challenges when it comes to doing business. Indian businesses face many levels of approvals, registrations for properties, taxes, and sometimes lengthy processing times. The bureaucracy can be a complicated system to navigate, even for those who are familiar with it. And in a large nation like India, cross-cultural issues are always present, even within different regions of the country.

“As a society, India is very relationship focused. It is really many countries within a country,” Amit says.

As a trade commissioner, Amit was encouraged to expand his knowledge and practical skills in international trade through the FITTskills online international business program.

The training courses were very effective, helping me to enhance my skills in international business, exporting and importing. The FITTskills program also helped me to learn about international trade research, different types of international trade agreements, and how to develop and implement market entry strategies and distribution plans.

After successfully completing the program, Amit decided to apply for the elite CITP®|FIBP® designation in order to add the credibility and confidence he wished to portray to his clients and colleagues.

“Who would not like to have the world’s leading professional designation for global business practitioners? With this designation, I’ve gained valuable education and joined a community of knowledgeable professionals, which will undoubtedly help me to do business in international markets.”

Learning about different cultures at work, home and abroad

When thinking about the future of his career, Amit hopes to continue to grow his business development skills and build more experience in the two aspects of his career that he enjoys most: creating new, meaningful business relationships and successfully delivering challenging technical assignments.

For business or pleasure, Amit has been an avid traveller throughout his career, enjoying most of all the opportunity to get to know people from different cultures and unique environments. He has already been to Canada, Germany, Denmark, Austria, the UAE, Thailand, Malaysia, the Maldives, and Nepal. And he hopes to continue traveling with his family in the future.

“I love travelling, especially with my family. When I’m not working I am on road, driving with good music on. All of these travel experiences are very meaningful. It’s very helpful to me to get a sense of different cultures and environments and gain a stronger understanding of a place.”

Though he enjoys getting away, he has a strong love for his home city.

For me, Delhi means “people with big hearts”. For a foodie like me, Delhi is the best place. The city is very important to India, as it has a rich and diverse culture. People from all over country, with different religions and cultures are living here. There are monuments, fascinating museums and art galleries, architectural wonders, fabulous restaurants and bustling markets.

With his passion for relationship building and business development, and his unique technological skills, we know that Amit will continue to represent the Canadian Trade Commissioners Service well and be a welcome member of the CITP®|FIBP® community.

Learn more about the CITP®|FIBP® designation

International Business Certification—CITP®|FIBP®

Advance your career and build your professional credibility in the field of global business by earning the Certified International Trade Professional (CITP) designation.

Why Earn the Certified International Trade Professional (CITP) Designation?

The Certified International Trade Professional (CITP) designation is the world’s leading professional designation for the field of international business. So whether you’re new to global trade or have over a decade of direct experience, you’ll find the CITP designation can help advance your career and build your professional credibility.

The CITP designation sets you apart in the competitive international business industry because it’s proof you possess the competencies global business experts have identified as being essential for a successful career in international trade. It also recognizes your dedication to ethical business practices and ongoing professional development—both of which are desirable traits for today’s global business practitioners.

Click here to take the next steps to your CITP designation

The post Amit Ranjan, CITP|FIBP – Trade Commissioner, New Delhi appeared first on Trade Ready.

]]> https://tradeready.ca/2016/topics/citp_spotlight/amit-ranjan-citpfibp-trade-commissioner-new-delhi/feed/ 0 https://tradeready.ca/wp-content/uploads/2016/06/Amit-Ranjan2.jpg 3 ways you can overcome the challenges of international trade training across diverse cultures https://tradeready.ca/2015/inside-stories/three-ways-can-overcome-challenges-international-trade-training-across-diverse-cultures/ https://tradeready.ca/2015/inside-stories/three-ways-can-overcome-challenges-international-trade-training-across-diverse-cultures/#respond Tue, 12 May 2015 17:26:19 +0000 http://test.tradeready.ca/?p=13058 In March, FITT hosted an intensive training course for locally engaged Trade Commissioners (DFATD) from all around the world.
In the two separate training groups there were over 30 nationalities present, creating a unique challenge to instructors Ennio Vita-Finzi, CITP®|FIBP® and Ray Joyce, CITP®|FIBP®. How does one maintain consistency in training while getting the message across to such a diverse group of people?

The post 3 ways you can overcome the challenges of international trade training across diverse cultures appeared first on Trade Ready.

]]> DFATD International Trade Training
Ennio Vita-Finzi, CITP®|FIBP® and Ray Joyce, CITP®|FIBP®

In March, FITT hosted an intensive training course for locally engaged Trade Commissioners (DFATD) from all around the world.

In the two separate training groups there were over 30 nationalities present, creating a unique challenge to instructors Ennio Vita-Finzi, CITP®|FIBP® and Ray Joyce, CITP®|FIBP®. How does one maintain consistency in training while getting the message across to such a diverse group of people? We know the monumental differences in the way that cultures around the world communicate.

The use of specific words, body language, tone, and even the pitch of your message could be interpreted very differently, depending on the native culture and nationality of the individual you are speaking to.

In addition to the cultural differences, Ray and Ennio had to prepare their groups to pass exams in 4 of the FITTskills courses in only a week.

Here’s what they had to say about their approaches to these challenges, and their experiences working with these unique groups of people.

International Trade Research

1) The importance of starting on the right foot and finding common ground

Both instructors felt that with groups this diverse, the first item on the agenda should be finding some common ground to start from. Establishing mutual respect, though opinions and objectives may vary, was the first challenge.

Ennio:

My experience with the locally-engaged Trade Commissioners was very positive. I told the group that they were the “golden persons” for Canadian exporters. They have the personal insights, the language, certainly the cultural secrets of what makes their market “tick”, as well as the contacts and sector expertise.

Ray:

I started in my usual way by asking them to tell me who they were, where they were from, what they did and what their expectations for the week were. I tried to find something to use in what everybody told me, to make a connection with them and to try and figure out who the active people in the group would be.

It turned out I had about 15 different nationalities in the room, all with different cultural traits and styles of learning.

I had some participants who were used to the teacher being in charge. I had some who were very excitable and outspoken.

The rest were from a variety of cultures, and this meant that I had to think about all these things as I was deciding how to vary my presentation, in order to accommodate this.

 Add to this the range of ages in the room, the male/female ratio, and level of experience from almost beginner to 20 plus years of experience, and I began to appreciate the challenge facing me.

Having this many different cultures in the room at once was a new experience.

Ennio:

DFATD International Trade Training
Ennio Vita-Finzi, CITP®|FIBP® and part of his training group during an exercise

I also shared many of my own personal experiences in the field and they shared back (and I told them that I was learning from them!). I told them that I had also been a Trade Commissioner abroad, and had done the same “local” work they did (because I often did not have any locally-engaged staff to back me up). In short, I tried to show an understanding of their situation to build relationships with each of them.

I think that one of the most important things I was able to do with the group was to ensure that we were ALL TOGETHER in this program….there was no “teaching down” to them, and no “this is the way”.

In my experience/opinion, the only way to teach, instruct, learn, encourage, motivate or pass on information is to find some common ground to work with.

I was glad to see my group working together, particularly in the negotiating exercise we did on the last day.

2) Overcoming the first language obstacle

DFATD International Trade Training
Ray Joyce, CITP®|FIBP® and his group

Ray felt it was important for him to address the first possible language barrier that his group would encounter – his own accent.

Ray:

I told them about my background, experiences, goals and objectives for the week. I told them that I was from Liverpool, England and that if I spoke too fast, or my accent became too heavy then they should tell me and I would attempt to slow down.

This was necessary because if I become very excited about what I am talking about I tend to speak quicker. In an effort to encourage participation and to utilise the experience in the room, I told them that I did not presume to know everything, as that was impossible, and if they did not understand what I said or if they wanted to add anything, then they should stop me and interject. As a result, this became the liveliest group I have ever been involved with.

We frequently paused to engage in lively discussions about the subject at hand, even when guest speakers were talking to the group. So it was interesting to see how this encouragement affected the group dynamic.

3) Setting the students up for success

Ray and Ennio had tricks up their sleeve for ensuring their groups learned, understood, and retained the material they were covering.

Ray:

For Ray, his particular concern was making the material relevant and interesting to this diverse group.

“My teaching style is very interactive and I like to tell lots of stories based on real life experiences, both my own and my clients. I want to make the course as interesting as possible for the participants so I establish some criteria as to how I will present the material.

The selection criteria that I used were; is the material critical to understanding the topic covered by the chapter? Does it have some significance to their daily job?

“Can I make it interesting with appropriate examples to bring it to life and to provide them with a mnemonic by which to remember the topic under review?”

“I reviewed the list of participants and where they were from to make sure that I had stories in my arsenal relevant to all of them. I am glad I chose to focus on the practical application of the knowledge being shared as that is what makes FITT training stand out from other international trade training materials.”

Ennio:

Ennio wanted to ensure his group was prepared for the types of questions they would encounter on the exams. Test-taking can be difficult enough in your own native language. Imagine taking one in a second or third language.

“I told them that multiple-choice questions are even difficult for native English-speakers, and showed them a few tricks from my own experience. In short, I tried to give them some pointers that would take off the pressure that the word “exam” brings with it.”

Final thoughts

Ray:

The participants came from a variety of countries with very different cultures and business practices. There were many interesting moments, and I made a lot of friends.

I will end with one last anecdote. At the end of the week long training, as we were all saying our goodbyes, I got probably the nicest criticism of my performance I have ever had.

Two young ladies who had sat quietly through my presentation came up to me with beautiful smiles on their faces and with no malice said to me, “Mr. Joyce we love your accent but we don’t understand what you say.”

Would I do it again? In a heartbeat; it was exhilarating and I learned a lot from the experience that I can use in the future. I also made many new friends that I look forward to seeing again.

Ennio:

“On my return home, I sent them all a personal email thanking them for their participation in the program and have had several emails in return, thanking me for the training and inviting me to see them at their posts if I ever go their way.”

FITT and DFATD have been working together on such sessions a couple of times each year since 2013. The feedback from Trade Commissioners has shown that the practical skills and knowledge acquired during these sessions are a valuable asset to the Trade Commissioners’ roles.

We look forward to bringing you more stories on the unique experiences we encounter during these sessions.

Do you have any experience in teaching culturally diverse groups of executives? What are your tips on overcoming the challenges faced in doing so?

The post 3 ways you can overcome the challenges of international trade training across diverse cultures appeared first on Trade Ready.

]]> https://tradeready.ca/2015/inside-stories/three-ways-can-overcome-challenges-international-trade-training-across-diverse-cultures/feed/ 0 https://tradeready.ca/wp-content/uploads/2015/05/Ray-Ennio-DFATD.jpg