Reflecting back on everything I’ve learned from this experience, the work life balance stood out to me the most. The work culture is much more relational than some of the business models I’ve observed in the United States. One of our guest speakers at the U.S. consulate explained that Americans tend to get straight to the point instead of getting to know the person they are working with first. While in Australia they take the time to catch up on life before jumping into work focused discussions and tasks. Another guest speaker talked to us about a new law that the Australian government recently introduced which states that employees have the right to disconnect. This law is encouraging a separation between work life and home life. It states that an employee doesn’t have to reply outside of work hours and can’t be punished for not accepting work outside of work hours. The intentionality behind the work life balance allows for a different and more attractive work culture. Understanding this difference in work culture allowed me to interact with the locals well. The majority of the locals I encountered, whether it was someone working at a restaurant or one of our guest speakers, seemed to be calm instead of stressed. America’s fast pace of life causes the majority of Americans to have higher stress levels. One of the most subtle ways I noticed this was observing people walking around the city. In New Zealand and Australia I saw very few people walking with haste while in America almost everywhere I turn I can find someone who seems to be in a hurry.
My initial impression of both countries had the bar set fairly high and as our time progressed I continued to be impressed by both cities and all they had to offer. I’ve learned that impressions and ideas of experiences, places and people cannot be concrete because everything is constantly changing. Once I had an impression in my head I decided that it is set, but each time I “finalized” my impressions something about it would change. This has taught me to not only approach opportunities and experiences with an open mind, but keep an open mind the entire time. This experience has expanded my perspective of approaching a career, prioritizing a healthy work life balance, and how to grow relationships with others. Words cannot express how thankful I am for this experience and all that it has taught me!
