“As an international studies student who hopes to work abroad in the future, I felt that it was important to immerse myself in a new place and culture. I have always loved traveling, but it is entirely different to go somewhere by yourself where you must learn to make new friends and deal with different cultures/norms than your own,” said Riley Bubacz, who is currently abroad on the Arcadia in London program.
Bubacz is making the most of her semester-long opportunity, taking classes at both Arcadia and Queen Mary University. She also works as a marketing intern at SAE Media Group, where she is experiencing a different workplace culture and learning what work-life balance looks like abroad.
“My time here has shown me what a real 9-5 job and life looks like which will prepare me for my transition into the workforce after I graduate. All my different experiences here will help me move forward into graduate school and then into a career after that with real-world working experience,” said Bubacz
Along with getting the soft skills associated with working a typical job in a new workplace environment, Bubacz will also come away with tangible assets she can apply to a variety of careers. Additionally, she’ll be part of a research project that she can publish at the end of her time in London.
“This experience has been vital to my learning experience because of what I study and what I want my future to look like. The marketing skills that I have learned through my internship will translate to any career I go into in the future. I now have valuable experience with specific programs such as Canva, Unity and Excel. In addition, I now know how to use professional branding strategies and collect data to evaluate marketing strategies,” said Bubacz.
When she’s not working in the office or the classroom, Bubacz has used this opportunity to explore surrounding countries and further explore new places and cultures.
“My favorite moments have been traveling around Europe and experiencing all the different cultures and environments. The first trip that I took outside of London was to the Scottish Highlands and the scenery was amazing. The historical parts of London are also really exciting. In the United States you don’t get to go places that have been around since the 1300’s and every time I get to visit a historical site in London it is such a cool feeling to know how far back history and culture goes.”