Enter your email below to receive weekly updates from the Ashton College blog straight to your inbox.
By: Alex Nikotina
Published On: August 17, 2016Studying abroad is an opportunity to experience new things and improve language skills. For Gladys Hsu, coming to Canada was also a chance to change her career path and gain new knowledge.
“I like doing new and interesting things,” shares Gladys. “I came to Canada to learn more about the culture and get myself exposed to a fluent English environment. But I didn’t want to come to an ESL school: I wanted to study something that will be useful to me in my future career.”
Having an interest in marketing, Gladys applied to the Sales and Marketing Diploma last year, and is currently finishing up her internship. “I actually have two internships right now,” says Gladys. “One with an advertising and film company, and another one in a bubble tea shop. I am really enjoying both of them!”
Gladys has graduated with the Bachelor in Business Administration from Taiwan. “After graduation I worked for a technology company in Taiwan,” says Gladys. “But I wanted to experience working for a different industry here in Canada.”
Gladys’s goal of studying in Canada is to prepare herself for the future and learn new skills. “I wanted to stimulate my creativity,” she says, smiling. One of Gladys’s internships involves book cover layout and design and website maintenance, and another one allows her to improve her sales and customer service skills.
Gladys’s days this summer are pretty busy. “I work in the film company for the first half of the day, and spend the second half in the bubble tea place. It gets busy, but it was my choice to do that, and it feels very rewarding.”
“I was able to learn so much about how different businesses operate and what is involved in advertising, marketing and sales,” shares Gladys.
Now almost at the end of her program and internships, Gladys is looking forward to what the future will bring her. “I had a great time in Canada: I was able to learn a lot about the culture and the people here, and had a chance to talk to many professionals in business and marketing. It will definitely be beneficial for me once I go back to Taiwan.”
Gladys is planning to go back at the end of the year. Until then, she is hoping to travel and gain even more wonderful experiences. “I love traveling, and would really like to see more of Canada,” she says.
Looking at her future, Gladys is aiming high. “I would like to go back to my country and get a job in business or marketing,” she shares. “But for the next few years, I have a very ambitious goal: I would like to become a manager of a marketing department. Of course, I know that it would take a lot of effort, but I am willing to work hard.”
When asked to share a few words of advice with other students, Gladys says the following: “Don’t be afraid to express your opinion and ask questions, be it in class or at work! For people who come from Asian countries, it can sometimes be difficult to speak up because we are afraid to make mistakes. But asking questions and speaking up helps you become better and learn more.”
“There is no right or wrong in sharing your opinion, so don’t be afraid to talk to others!”
We wish Gladys all the best in her future endeavours!
View All Comments