Edge-crafters, Gen Z, Global Talents, Millennials, Personal Strategy

by Tianyang Bao

August 29, 2024

Takeaways:

• Appreciate yourself: anecdotes are from facts and observations
• Take responsibilities and risks: establish your own brand
• Make bold moves: promote yourself for recognition

One of the most competitive advantages is rooted in my original culture. Coming from China, I am not only different by skin color but also by my logic and room for growth. Research has shown that various-ethnicity groups can bring corporations competitive advantages, including creativity (McLeod). With this possibility ahead of me, I am able to explore and establish more advantages and transform them to be competitive. 

Having flexibility and chances to explore has been helpful for me to discover my advantages. International residents have less liability than native Americans. For example, international residents don’t have to plan to purchase a house with heavy loans unless they want to. Therefore, with spared money and time, international residents can invest the money in online courses that can help elevate their knowledge, which is likely to be a stepping stone for future development. While working full-time for co-ops in Boston, I began to save and invest using my working salaries. Having this deposit on hand, I am more confident to explore my “question mark” and cultivate skills accordingly. 

Appreciate yourself

Many also suggest the young generation find their passion and follow it. I had been looking for it throughout my college study, but I realize it’s too vague to define a passion, and there are often too many constraints on following a passion. I began to accept that passion is not necessary. More importantly, international residents need to be brave enough to seize their desire and be willing to take risks and responsibilities. Instead of insisting on a passion, I learn to feel the boredom and pain and remember happy moments during the struggle. By identifying the sources of happiness, I evaluate and choose the directions of my long-term goal. 

As international residents, it is utterly vital to establish connections locally. It requires courage, openness, and trust in the process. Some people are afraid of shaping and defending personal choices with international accents. Taking the first step and speaking out with respect is always important. Being patient and open to accepting exotic phenomena in the environment is essential to form respect and trust. During the process, from internal perspectives, international residents often have more exotic anecdotes to share during conversations. 

Take responsibilities and risks

On the other hand, international students can establish a personal brand crafted by themselves and with barely any negative influence. International residents are leaving the shield from family and establishing your own brand by the first day you came here. It depends on the people you’re interacting with and the way you interact. As mentioned earlier, a personal anecdote with your unique splash is a perfect recipe to differentiate yourself. For example, as the world is closely connected, the home country often is the topic to start with. 

There is more than one way to build up connections. Take myself as an example, I’ve been actively involved in volunteering activities wherever I go. From Ithaca, Montreal, to Boston, I get to know many people who have similar interests. Along the way, my initiatives have changed from engaging in communities to support communities as much as I could. It is amazing to see that people with all kinds of cultural backgrounds gather by their common interests and intentions. Shawn Farshchi mentioned in Forbes that acquiring global mindsets is beneficial for companies to realize corporation innovation as well. 

Make bold moves

Recognizing your energy and capability is as important as being humble. Self-recognition requires a great amount of reflection and summarization of behaviors. While summarizing capabilities, realizing shortcomings and finding ways to compensate is essential as well. One step further is to acknowledge your skillsets and achievement to elevate competencies. No matter the job market or academic field, the competition is fierce. Seniors are often looking for competitive candidates who are accountable and responsible. I encourage international residents to promote themselves. It sends strong messages to people that they are willing to take responsibility for acknowledgment. As Mckinsey mentioned in an article, addressing the importance of dynamic labor force, a large number of companies are matching talents’ skillsets with work to create a hybrid and flexible team dynamic. Therefore, such proactive actions can help international residents achieve based on their fundamentally technical skills. 

Awareness of diversity and race equity has increased in recent decades, so international residents now have a higher chance to connect with individuals and join companies. At the moment of networking and expressing themselves, international candidates integrate all preparation works to achieve their goals. Specifically, the question mark they choose to invest in will be the source of your confidence and technical knowledge, while personal anecdotes will serve to smooth the conversation.

Becoming EDGE Club is a community where you can collaborate and network with culturally diverse individuals, stimulate exponential thinking, and establish a strong connection with like-minded individuals and potential employers.

Author Tianyang Bao, an international student studying Finance, Math, and Data Science, intends to explore investment in relation to market behavior and sentiment. Tianyang is an upcoming professional in Quant Finance area while completing master’s degree in Financial Mathematics at University of Chicago.

LinkedIn Access: https://www.linkedin.com/in/tianyang-bao/

Reference

McLeod, P. L., Lobel, S. A., & Cox, T. H. (1996). Ethnic Diversity and Creativity in Small Groups. Small Group Research, 27(2), 248–264. https://doi.org/10.1177/1046496496272003

Foote, E., Hancock, B., Jeffery, B., & Malan, R. (2021, September 30). The key role of dynamic talent allocation in shaping the future of work. McKinsey & Company. https://www.mckinsey.com/business-functions/people-and-organizational-performance/our-insights/the-key-role-of-dynamic-talent-allocation-in-shaping-the-future-of-work

Farshchi, S. (2020, March 25). Why A Global Mindset Is Essential To Attracting And Retaining Top Talent. Forbes. https://www.forbes.com/sites/forbeshumanresourcescouncil/2020/03/24/why-a-global-mindset-is-essential-to-attracting-and-retaining-top-talent/?sh=128aaa557070

Link to article:

Ethnic Diversity and Creativity in Small Groups

The key role of dynamic talent allocation in shaping the future of work

Why A Global Mindset Is Essential To Attracting And Retaining Top Talent.