What do I need to be successful?
Key Learnings
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Prepare for living in a new country by researching language, climate, living accommodations, social norms, etc.
Minimise culture shock by investing time to experience your new cultural surroundings and understand local customs.
Know how to present yourself in any situation in order to make positive impressions that help you stand out and build stronger professional relationships.
To give an effective presentation, there are three elements that you need to keep in mind: have a presentation plan, know your audience, and engage your audience.
Effective visual aids can help the audience remember your messages.
Visuals should be an aid to the presentation – not the focal point.
Improving your professional skills in different areas (attitude, behaviour and presentation) will strengthen your level of professionalism and make more positive impressions.
Professionalism takes effort, commitment, and application.
Left unresolved, personal conflict can seriously affect your performance on the field.
Once you know your own natural response and understand the style of the other person with whom you are in conflict, you can adjust your response in such a way that leads to resolution more quickly and effectively.

Professional attitude

  • Be positive
    Attitude is everything! A positive attitude is the first step to professionalism. It begins at the simplest level – you cannot let your personal life interfere with your professional attitude. Even when having a bad day, you still need to maintain a positive attitude and not take your bad mood out on others or let it affect your work.
  • Take calculated risks
    Part of a good attitude is being open to taking calculated risks and try new things. Do not settle for mediocrity or being average – continue to strive for bigger and better things! When it comes to taking risks, start small, understand your limitations, and find out what risks have the highest rewards. This will provide you with more confidence to take risks in the future.
  • Display confidence
    Confidence is gained through experience, and most importantly, by learning from your experiences. However, no matter how confident you feel, there are a number of ways to demonstrate confidence which can make your interactions more fruitful:
    • Join in conversations with your colleagues and engage with others
    • Make eye contact with your peers when they’re speaking
    • Smile when someone addresses you or speaks to you directly
    • When you introduce yourself to someone you have never met, always use your first and last name
  • Take initiative
    Professionals set goals for themselves and know what they want to achieve. Do not wait for others to introduce you, introduce yourself to persons of interest. Allow yourself to be included in conversations and groups that could be important to your professional career.