As a former student in a FITT-accredited program and a recipient of the FITT Diploma in International Trade, I know how important socio-cultural factors are in doing business internationally. There is much emphasis in the FITT courses on the cultural dimensions of international trade.

Reflecting on my own experiences, I would agree entirely that being prepared for cross-cultural differences will help with growing your international business more smoothly.

Taking the first step in building cross-cultural bridges

Growing up in China—a relatively homogenous society—I had little understanding of other cultures when I was young. Not having interacted with people from other cultures, my mental universe was largely influenced by China’s mainstream media. In my mind, I clearly divided people in the world into two groups: Chinese and “foreigners”.

As for “foreigners”, they were all the same to me no matter whether they were from Europe, North America or elsewhere in the world. I used to hold stereotypes about “foreigners” being individualistic, capitalistic and somewhat arrogant.

It was not until I graduated from college and got the opportunity to work with some non-Chinese colleagues from Canada, Australia and Japan that I realised “foreigners” were not all the same. I could tell that my Canadian colleagues were different from my colleagues from Australia in many aspects, despite the fact that they spoke the same language.

It was also around this time that I started to break away from my former stereotyped thinking and began to open up my mind.

Being open minded is the first step in breaking the ice of cross-cultural differences.

Every time I get an opportunity to interact with people from other cultures, I listen and observe carefully.

Adjusting  my cultural mindset to a new environment

In 2008, I moved to the United States. It was my first time in North America, and I was amazed by the diversity of American society—no wonder America is called a multi-cultural “melting pot.”

However, soon after I settled in the USA, I realized that within this “melting pot” there was one dominant culture with many sub-cultures, of which people in the dominant culture seemed to have little understanding. Just like myself when I was young, I met many people who tended to have stereotypes toward so-called “outsiders.”

When I lived in the USA, I had a short contract job helping a local American company prepare for a meeting with a group of Chinese prospects. This was a big deal because these were the very first customers from China for the American company, and the main purpose of the Chinese people’s visit was to do a quality inspection. As this was the first time for the American company to do business with China, the American managers were grappling with the cultural differences between America and China.

Cultural concepts and misconceptions can affect business

During the inspection, the American company served tea and donuts as refreshments for the Chinese visitors. Things went well in the morning, and it was time for lunch so they ordered pizza for a quick solution. Right after lunch, the Chinese inspectors returned to their inspection work.

Things became complicated in the afternoon as the Chinese inspectors questioned the specifications and seemed fussy. The American engineer answered their questions thoroughly, but not to the satisfaction of the Chinese inspectors. One of the inspectors said to me that they didn’t feel they were respected, as the company didn’t provide the original engineering drawing.

I soon realized that it was not because of the engineering drawing that made them feel neglected; rather it was the fact that the owner of the American company hadn’t spent much time entertaining them.

From the American company’s perspective, they didn’t want to interrupt the inspection with a lengthy meal, as the managers wanted to finish the inspection as quickly as possible. However, in Chinese culture, business is not just about business, it’s more about people and relationship building.

Especially as a customer visiting a supplier, the Chinese visitors wanted to feel valued and respected.

I explained this aspect of Chinese culture to the American factory owner, and he took my advice with understanding. At the end of the day, he invited the Chinese party for dinner. During the meal, he shook hands with every inspector and made a toast to thank them for their hard work. He even gave them a book written about the history of the factory to better acquaint them with the American company.

I could see that the Chinese visitors were happy that night, and that was the start of a good international business relationship!

Make an effort when it comes to culture, and build positive business relationships

Making efforts to build a good relationship will help establish trust. Business in America is often “just business”.

However, when doing business with high-context cultures such as China, companies should be more aware of the different cultural aspects. It is especially crucial when doing business for the first time.

As a co-founder of a small business importing consumer goods from overseas, I have dealt with many overseas suppliers over the years. Some of our partnerships with suppliers did not last long, while others have persisted from the very beginning until now.

At the end of the day, you can only continue doing business with people you trust.

Here are some rules of thumb we can bear in mind when it comes to doing business across cultures:

• Do not make assumptions or follow stereotypes
• Be open-minded and willing to learn about other cultures
• Do your homework on the target culture
• Respect not only cultural differences but also individuality
• Find appropriate ways to build trust

A trustworthy relationship is built on mutual understanding and, like any relationship, takes time and commitment to get right.

Don’t you think this is the right way to do business anyway? How has cultural understanding helped with growing your international business?

The post Growing your international business with cross-cultural awareness appeared first on Trade Ready.

The most important thing in the job hunting process is to identify your career goal or objectives first, and start to get ready early. Having my career goal set up long before I started the program, I knew I wanted to work for a company involved in international trade.

Getting ready for the job hunt

First, I worked to focus my resume around my career objectives. As we all know, a professional resume is key to attracting potential employers. I also fully utilized all the career services that Fanshawe College offered. Attending resume improvement and interview workshops, learning about major job searching websites and consulting career advisers got me in the right mindset and prepared me for the process.

Second, networking activities are also essential when we look for jobs. I treated every networking event as an opportunity to present myself in front of potential employers. I also made sure I was fully prepared before going to any networking event by researching about the companies that were present, dressing professionally and preparing well-written resumes and name cards. In this way, I decided on the potential employers that I wanted to meet, and when I talked to them, I could ask meaningful questions and showcase how my skills would be an asset to the company. That was how I made my first recruitment contact at StarTech.com, where I eventually landed a job and embarked on my new career.

Acing the interview

The most critical step is, of course, the interview.

Being well-prepared is the most important thing for a successful interview.

I received excellent advice from my professor and mentor, Professor Murray Morgan, who said that I should “treat the interview as a research project.” Fortunately, my interview happened during my Spring break, so I had enough time to prepare. I did thorough research on the company’s business and made sure I understood the skills and qualities they were looking for in a candidate. I also came up with a list of questions they might ask me during the interview, and I prepared my answers in advance. It was also helpful that I had prepared some questions about the position to ask toward the end of the interview. Afterwards, I followed up by immediately thanking them for the interview and expressing my continued interest in working for the company.

Finding a job is not easy. Like everything in life, we need to put a lot of effort into the process and treat it seriously. The truth is that finding a job is only the first step towards starting a successful career. There is much to learn on the job, and one must learn as quickly as possible in order to adapt successfully to the new role and work environment.

Adapting to being on the job

It’s been almost ten months since I started my job, and I have been able to apply what I have learned from the international business program to many areas of my work. For example, the Global Supply Chain Management course gave me the foundation that I needed for effective and efficient inventory planning. The Legal Aspects of International Trade course made me aware of different regulations and rules of importing and distributing products overseas, which is the core business activity of my employer.

I’m grateful to have started my career in international trade, but there have been many challenges along the way. Although I have lived and worked in four different countries over the past ten years—including China, Thailand, USA and Canada—I still needed to adapt to the workplace as a newcomer to Canada. Every company has its unique corporate culture and special operating systems. I had a lot to learn in the beginning, and I sometimes felt a little overwhelmed during my first month on the job. However, I kept a positive and open mentality, and as each day went by, I felt the job getting easier as I learned more and more about the company and its operations.

Apart from the new operating systems I needed to learn, I also recognized how good communication and interpersonal sensitivity are crucial when working in an environment as diverse as Startech.com. As a recent immigrant from China, I took it on myself to better understand and appreciate Canadian culture. Soon enough, I found that I could communicate effectively with my co-workers, and I never hesitate to ask questions when there is something that I don’t know or understand.

I believe that positive thinking, open-mindedness, and an eagerness to learn and work hard are essential to success for any student who wants to start a successful career in international business.

Are you ready to embrace the challenge and start your journey towards a successful career in international business?

The post How an international business program helped launch my supply chain career appeared first on Trade Ready.

Each year we like to take time to recognize a few of our students who’ve stood out to us and their instructors for their scholastic success. These students really shone in the classroom in terms of their hard work and dedication as well as for their great attitudes.

This year, we are proud to recognize six students from four of our academic institutions:

Maggie Zhaoxia Huang from Fanshawe College was selected for the FITT Achievement Award. She was chosen by the awards committee for her combination of academic success and classroom and community involvement.

“I’m tickled pink that Maggie has been selected,” said Albert Knab, Maggie’s teacher and nominator. “Aside from being one of the most pleasant people I’ve ever had in my classroom, she’s also brilliant.”

Maggie is the first and only student who has achieved academic perfection in Fanshawe’s business management program—an A+ in every course.

This year we have three winners for our International Business Plan Award. These students achieved the highest grade for their business plans for the FITTskills International Trade Management course in addition to having impressive GPAs: Bruce Nesbit from eConcordia/KnowledgeOne, and Elias Mansour and Patrick Barry, both from Algonquin College.

“To receive an award like this from such a credible organization, and to be picked from amongst numerous great students, is truly an honour,” said Mansour.

“The guidance and encouragement from my instructors and peers was invaluable throughout the development of my project, and helped lead me to my success,” said Barry. “The award is another step towards what I hope will be a long career in international trade.”

This year’s International Marketing Plan Award went to Ala Toghrol, Algonquin College’s third FITT Educational Award winner for 2012. Ala was selected because he received the highest grade of all FITTskills students in 2012 for his International Marketing plan combined with the highest GPA.

“Congratulations to Ala Toghrol, Elias Mansour and Patrick Barry for a job well done,” said Norman Lomow, CITP, Professor and Coordinator, Algonquin College. “Algonquin College is proud of your successes!”

“I am extremely excited and privileged to be the recipient of the International Marketing Plan award from FITT,” said Toghrol. “To be distinguished amongst the many strong entries is an absolute honour that I will cherish.”

And last but certainly not least, Claudia Peralta Olórtegui from Ashton College was selected for our Student of the Year Award, presented

by our strategic partner Export Development Canada (EDC). This means that Claudia scored the highest overall grade point average of all FITTskills students in 2012 after having completed all eight courses.

“She followed the course instructions and had 100 percent attendance, she was a great team participant and team leader, and she asked question after question until she understood,” said Darwin Fraser, Claudia’s instructor at Ashton. “She has the motivation to learn and the persistence to accomplish her goals.”

¨I am truly honoured to have been selected to receive the Student of the Year Award from FITT. The entire program was beyond my expectations and it really made me think globally. In addition, studying with great people from all over the world contributed to making it an amazing experience!¨

Congratulations again to all of our FITT Educational Awards winners. We hope you’ll all continue with your international trade training and remain on the path to achieving the CITP designation. And we’re excited to see how your talent and passion will benefit the international trade industry in the years to come!

The post Up and coming business achievers: Winners of the FITT Educational Awards 2012 appeared first on Trade Ready.