Our Community Leaders spend the school year recruiting students who are interested in coming abroad with us. Some of the ways we reach out to people are through speaking at on-campus organizations, following up with those who have reached out to us, and contacting those who have been personally recommended by our extended Go Global family. When working with prospective students, an important question that we have to ask ourselves is: What makes a good Go Global candidate? What kind of person would especially benefit from our program and have the best experience possible? We recruit the best college students for our trips thanks to the hard work of our team, and you, too can be one of those students. The dynamic groups of people on each of our trips are comprised of endless personality traits, which has always been fun and exciting; we love working with all different types of people. But here are 10 characteristics that we think make the ideal Go Global candidate, written for you by 2014 LEAD Cape Town student and Community Leader Anna Chaloux:
Recruiting the Best
Guest Post by: Anna Chaloux
As a Community Leader, I looked for people with these kinds of characteristics. These people will get the most benefit out of this program because of their ability to wholeheartedly enjoy the new and exciting experiences that Go Global has to offer:
1. Curious: Someone who has a thirst for knowledge and an innate desire to see the world, experiencing new people and places, would be a great fit for Go Global. This person is someone who is inquisitive and who wants to learn about things that are different from what they already know and see what is out there.
2. Soul-searching: This person wants to grow. He/she wants to take everything they’ve learned and put it to use to become a better person. They want to learn what they love, what they’re good at, and what they are capable of.
3. Open-minded: The open-minded student is more likely to try new things while studying abroad. Staying open-minded will also help this person be open to learning new cultures and accepting those cultures that might be different from our own.
4. Positive: This person will attract people towards him/her due to a friendly disposition. He/she tends to make others want to be more positive, as well.
5. Adventurous: This person is open to trying new activities. He/she is willing to do almost anything to achieve that rush of adrenaline or excitement.
6. Empathetic: This person can see things from others’ perspectives and is encouraging and kind. Working with a dynamic group of individuals requires an empathetic and patient person to better understand the surroundings one might face while studying abroad. This comes naturally to an empathetic student.
7. Flexible: This person is willing to relax and adjust to different environments and stays calm when things don’t go as planned. He/she understands how the ability to follow and adjust plans in order to enjoy life is very important and how the benefits of living life this way will translate from this trip into future endeavors.
8. Reflective: Enjoying the art of reflecting upon experiences, this student will certainly appreciate what Go Global stands for. This student understands that he/she will have years of reflecting on this trip of a lifetime and bring many experiences back home to share with others. This person loves to tell stories and track growth and progress.
9. Adaptive: If you are tolerant and quick to adjust to changing environments, you will truly enjoy Go Global. The ability to be quick in adapting to new and exciting circumstances will only enhance your journey.
10. Thrill-seeking: This student is intrigued by the unknown and is up for a good challenge. He/she has the ability to make any experience new and exciting. This student finds excitement in wandering around the city just to meet local people and turning any opportunity into an adventure.
Do any of these describe you? How about someone you know? Comment on this post and let us know! We think you’re/they’re the perfect match for our program. Let’s make it happen!
-Anna and the Go Global team