Becoming Culturally Aware: The New Resume Booster

The more we learn about the people in the world, the more global we become. Public Relations has progressed to the point where being comfortable in only one culture is not enough. Many large companies are beginning to train their Public Relations employees to become more culturally aware. Many innovative training techniques, such as online simulations, have become an important and even necessary method used by companies who have employees on a global scale. Some of these cultural training techniques are mandatory for Public Relation employees who must travel to other countries.

Much of this training brings employees out of their “comfort zone” and allows the process of enculturation to be a smooth transition for employees going overseas. Since global communication is so important for many industries, it is important for these companies to “bridge-the-gap” and communicate across differences. Without these innovative techniques, employees going overseas can undergo psychological distress, which can then lead to a negative experience or even worse, a negative image for the entire company.

One way to gain awareness of a foreign culture before entering the Public Relations industry is to study abroad as a student. The Public Relations field continues to become prominent on a global scale as industries continue to bridge-the-gap between cultural barriers. Studying abroad at a university level gives students everything expensive cultural training techniques would, plus more. The student who studies abroad will add to their cultural intelligence and identity. This ensures a larger comfort zone in the modern day workplace and a more well-rounded approach for working with Public Relations on a global scale in the future. Plus, it looks good on a resume!

This guest blog was written by PRSSA External Communications Committee member Kyle Nolan.