The job market is increasingly looking for a flexible, multicultural professional, capable of adapting to different environments and situations. In this article I share my experience of living in another country and how my learning about different cultures provided me with important experiences that today are characteristics required, in the vast majority, by the job market.

The first point is clearly the interest in seeking international professionalization opportunities, which is directly linked to the improvement of languages.

The second point is the exchange of experiences, behaviors and knowledge of work models. Personally, I call it professional maturity. The multicultural contact transmitted by these experiences guarantees relationship and communication advantages inside and outside the business environment. It is true that different points of view from different realities offer competitive advantages, opening new paths for interpersonal relationships.

In 2017 I had my first opportunity, which was to do Erasmus in Poland. The experience was very enriching as it allowed me to intern in my area of ​​training, Tourism, and get to know a country with great social coexistence.

For me, Poland was a place that marked me because of the friendliness of its people. Extremely welcoming and concerned about each other. Even with the language barrier, I never felt any difficulties in expressing myself as everyone speaks English and in the event of a lack of expressions, we use gestures or the famous “Google Translate”.

In Poland I gained guidance on efficiency and valuing customer support. All tasks follow a method and each person is responsible for ensuring maximum excellence.

The feeling can be overwhelming at first, but it was very important for my professional practice. Initially, I improved my attention to detail and then, it’s like everything in life: the more I practice, the more I improve. Today I am meticulous, I like details and I greatly value each experience or interaction with my client.

And even when an unusual or challenging case arises, the starting point is the same: offering the best of myself and being able to establish a connection with my client.

One of the most hilarious things I had in Poland was when I was responsible for receiving a group of family members, who wanted to celebrate the death of their loved one. To this day, I find that moment very surreal because it was one of the best celebrations I’ve experienced and at the same time, it was challenging to adapt and prepare for all the surroundings.

The following year, 2018, I went to Rome, Italy. I worked at a hotel in the city center as a front/back office and here I learned what it means to be multifaceted. Despite the wear and tear, this was without a doubt my best experience! Initially I had to get used to the cultural shock. Italians are more direct than the Portuguese, however they are very dedicated to their work and everything is resolved with a good meal. I integrated into the team quite well and I really miss the people at the hotel, especially Kasya who was my mentor.

Unlike the experience in Poland, I didn’t have much free time to get to know the city and I dedicated myself 100% to professional development and growth. It was in Rome that I learned how to establish a relationship between worker/client and it was during those months that I developed skills that I currently put into practice in my workplace. When I have to manage a complaint, I always start by understanding the context of the situation. I dedicate myself to understanding my client’s profile so that my response matches my client’s language and ability to understand.

The Italian market is a demanding market where emotional management is one of the main tools for resolving a situation. The relationship is the focal point and from there, we can develop the entire rational and analytical part of the situation.

In general, both experiences were very important and today I can easily adapt to different customer service markets in Europe. When I joined Ventask my goal was to gain financial stability. After 3 years I managed to find a company where I want to develop my professional career in an area that I am passionate about: Customer Management.

Like me, many young graduates may be insecure about their skills or without a defined future. My biggest advice is to look for experience in the job market abroad or choose to work in a company like Ventask that has several international clients that allow you to work in a multicultural environment.