Abhinav Jana, Head Digital Marketing at WES, has revealed the biggest mistake Indian students make when applying abroad.
In a recent episode of Aleena Dissects, Abhinav utilized his wealth of experience to give viewers a reality check about students’ experience abroad, opening up about some harsh truths, little-known facts, and key advice on what to avoid.
“One of the biggest mistakes that I did was – I didn’t do as much research on where to live,” he explained. “I ended up picking Queens, and I was an hour away from my school. It was easier to take the train and everything. The reason I picked Queens is because most of the England students live there. I feel like I could have lived in a little different location. I would have gotten a little bit different exposure. [It] might have helped a little bit more in getting accustomed to the culture and the environment better.”
“My advice would be to do a little more research on where you want to stay, and don’t stress too much about the education side of it. Just remember you’re going there for learning but mostly fun. I went with a mindset that ‘I’m going to score this much, I’m going to be at the top of the class’, and things like that. But honestly, it was a more fun journey rather than being education focused.”
Several Indians also study abroad with the aim of eventually finding a job. Opening about its various opportunities and difficulties in recent years, Abhinav painted a realistic picture of what to expect, and what you need to do to in order to make your dream a reality.
“Getting a job is hard everywhere,” he said. “Getting a job is hard in India, too.”
In the United States in particular, he revealed that getting a job would often depend on the individual.
“A lot of people had a very smooth process and experience,” he revealed. “For me, it was really hard because I was shifting from mechanical engineering construction to digital marketing and website.”
“Getting that first step in is hard,” Abhinav admitted. “But once you start building your profile, as you start working through it, it gets easier.”
“You can develop your skills, you can do multiple things, you can engage with different communities, learn so much about it online.”
The key advice he gave Indian students looking for jobs was to network as much as possible. Using his own experience when studying in the United States, he revealed how students tended to band together and form groups depending on their nationality, and how such barriers needed to be broken to gain more exposure and experience.
“You should go outside of your group, you should go outside of your culture. […] Your perspective opens up, you see things differently.”
At the same time, it is vital to utilize the counseling and job search facilities provided by international universities.
“Your network is definitely your net worth there,” he said, and added, “Try connecting with as many people as you can.”
However, these were not Abhinav Jana’s only revelation in the episode. Sitting down with Aleena, founder and CEO of Social Media Dissect, he shared invaluable insights when it came to international studies, from the best consultants one can use to the uncertainty about returning to India or remaining abroad. He also opened up about WES (World Education Services) and how it helps students and immigrants navigate the complex and evolving landscape of international education.
For more details, watch the full Aleena Dissects podcast episode here:
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