Advice to My Younger Self: On the Job Reflections for International Students

What an incredible opportunity I had this past week! The chance to reflect, return to my old university, and share my life and career experience with current international students at Lehigh University. What made this opportunity surreal was that I was one of those Lehigh international students seated there in crowd but 25 years earlier. An ambitious young student, I had left my home in Zimbabwe to continue my education as an international student at Lehigh University. A quarter century later, I am now working for Flywire, a company that solves complex cross border payment challenges faced by these very same international students but for over 2,000 educational institutions around the globe. I am deeply humbled to have an opportunity to serve international students like these every day.

Looking in the rear-view mirror, I shared some thoughts of what I’ve learned in the last 25 years.

Network and Leverage Your Alumni Network

One of my first career opportunities came through the alumni at Lehigh University. In addition to my role at Flywire, I’m also an innovation consultant for the World Bank in Zimbabwe. My first exposure and experience with the World Bank came through an internship 24 years ago through a Lehigh University graduate, Ira Lieberman '64 who was a senior manager for the World Bank in Washington D.C. It’s important to leverage powerful personal, professional and university networks.

Travel Often and Live Outside Your Home Country at Least Once

Travel opens your horizons to the world and its possibilities. It broadens your life experience and can trigger new ideas and perspectives that one might have never had. I have worked and lived in three countries in my career and this experience has provided meaningful context to deep insights and innovations happening around the globe. Opportunities are found by those who see things differently. Sometimes, that’s identifying a gap that someone else didn’t see. This is also exactly why diversity matters and why diversity is such as asset to an organization. Look closely at yourself and your network. Find and celebrate differences. Surround yourself with people who don’t necessarily always see the world through the same lens you do. According to Forbes, 55% of America's Billion-Dollar Start-ups were founded by immigrants. Flywire is an example of a company founded by an international student who identified a need for both educational institutions and its diverse international student population.

Follow Your Passion

It’s critical to find what you are really are passionate about early on in life. Life is just too short to do work you are not absolute crazy about! Did you choose your degree or attend law school because mom or dad wanted this for you? Following your passion and turning that into a career makes work that much less of a chore. It makes getting out of bed in the morning purposeful and meaningful. You are not a passive observer of your own life. You are the chief actor, architect, storyteller and designer of your narrative. Make it matter. Be invested in your life and your career. Take the reins.

Find Your Side Hustle

I’m a big believer in the side hustle. The world has changed. The gig economy is a reality. It is now estimated that the gig economy makes up 30-40% of the U.S. workforce. At Flywire, I have met some incredible Flymates (Flywire employees) who work hard and have successful side hustles from real estate in the UK to a good old fashion BBQ business in the USA. For international students, it’s important to realize that careers are being redefined all the time. Stay on top of that. Read, diversify, pay attention to data and trends and don’t be afraid of the side hustle. Research by Forrester states that millennials will change jobs between 12 – 15 times in their career. The days have come and gone in which a person works for one company their entire career.

It’s Okay to Pivot! Embrace Change

If you asked me when I graduated from Lehigh if I ever imagined I would be working for a global high growth fintech in Africa, I would have chuckled. It is important to plan your career, but it’s just as vital to be able to adapt when markets change, and the economy evolves. In the book “The CEO Next Door”, written by Elena Bothelo and Kim Powell, they studied over 2,600 leaders drawn from a data set of 17,000 CEOs, adaptability came out that one of the key four behaviours that transform ordinary people into world class leaders. In Yuval Noah Harari’s book “21 Lessons for the 21st Century” he says "But in the twenty-first century, you can't afford stability. If you try hold on to some stable identity, job or worldview, you risk being left behind as the world flies by you with a whoosh"

Work Hard and Play Hard

Dr. Stuart Brown, the founder of the National Institute for Play in California, interviewed thousands of people to determine their relationship with play, which led him to the discovery that play had a dramatic role in achieving success throughout life. His book Play describes the impact play can have on one's life.

“It energizes us and enlivens us. It eases our burdens. It renews our natural sense of optimism and opens us up to new possibilities.” – Dr. Stuart Brown

Life is not just about work. Find activities on campus outside of just university life. This is particularly important for international students who may feel they are under enormous pressure just to study. People who play hard return to work healthier both mentally and physically. They are refreshed and ready to tackle fresh challenges. You are your strongest advocate and ally. Take care to play hard and live a life that is not entirely defined by work.

Be Brave, Be Authentic and Find and Nurture Connections

So as my younger self, what are my parting words for aspiring ambitious international students ready to conquer the world? Be brave, moving forward, take calculated risks, be authentic and remember to include play in your life. Passion, adaptability, creativity and play are all tied to success in your personal and professional life. Are you ready?

#internationalstudents #future #education #internationaleducation #careers

Munya Chiura is a former international student from Zimbabwe who is extremely passionate about fintech, payments, innovation and tech in Africa.