Student Profile: Ally Rung, SHA ’17 – Dublin, Ireland
Where was your most recent international experience? Dublin, Ireland
What type of international program were you a part of?
Boston University Dublin Summer Internship Program
What area of study or work did you focus on?
I am a Sales and Marketing Intern at the Shelbourne hotel, which is right in the city center of Dublin. The Shelbourne hotel is the largest 5 star luxury hotel in Dublin, dating back to its opening in 1824. I’ve been helping the members of the Proactive Sales department prepare for the European Sales Blitz that is happening next week, which only happens twice a year. From creating schedules for sales calls and site inspections with potential clients in the area, to assisting with preparation for upcoming dining private events at the hotel, I’ve been keeping busy. I also just recently started helping out the marketing department by updating the social media calendar and researching / brainstorming creative new posts on the various social media outlets for the hotel, in order to bring the historic hotel up to modern times. Each project that I have worked on with one of the 18 members of the Sales and Marketing department has been focused on obtaining new business with new clients, or keeping current clients happy by making sure that their annual meetings and conventions are up to their standards. I was also invited to attend the Marketing departments weekly meetings as well as the Sales Strategy Meetings. The Sales Strategy Meetings gathers all the heads of each department of the hotel, as well as the GM, and they review which areas of the hotel are generating profits and which areas need more support.
As for classes, I am currently taking the History of Ireland course with 12 other students in the program. This course has really helped me by being able to study Ireland’s past events, such as the Revolution of 1916 that at some parts took place on the grounds of the Shelbourne hotel.
Before going abroad, what were you feeling?
Before I left for Dublin, I was very nervous. I went two weeks without sleeping through the night. I simply did not know what to expect, and how I would see myself adjust to life outside of the states. I would also worry about the smallest things, such as how I was going to figure out the Dublin bus system (which turned out to be pretty easy with the help of the Dublin bus app). Then again part of me was very excited. I was finally doing something that was out of my comfort zone. Every summer up until this one, I had an internship in my hometown on Buffalo, New York. Living at home and getting a break from Boston life was great, but I was ready for a different kind of summer. That was when I decided that I wanted live out a dream of mine to spend a summer in Europe.
What was your most memorable experience?
So far my most memorable experience while completing my international experience has been the people. The people that I have met are the ones that have made studying and living in Europe so amazing. The other students in my program are so nice and we always invite each other out on days exploring the city, out to find new restaurants, and weekend excursions. My coworkers at work have also been so nice and helpful in helping me adjust to life in Europe. Working in a 5 star property can stressful and at times it seems like the work load never ends, but they always seem to have smiles on their faces or are always around to answer my questions. At first it was so intimidating to work in one of the top hotels in Dublin, but after bonding with the others in the department over lunch, tea breaks, and projects, my perception of everyone and the work environment itself changed. They motivate me to work hard and to love the industry that I work in, and to always go above and beyond as it will always pay off.
What was the biggest cultural difference that you experienced?
Although Dublin is a mostly English-speaking city, the Gaelic language is still spoken in many rural areas of the island. Also, many of the locals have very heavy accents, which can make it very hard to understand simple questions such as, “Hey Ally how was your weekend?” They find it hilarious when I have to ask them to repeat themselves three times. A few other small cultural differences that I’ve found are that many local coffee shops do not carry Iced Coffee, and it’s the same throughout most of Europe. Also, Europe uses military time, which often leaves me converting the time in my head. I remember the first report that I had to type up for one of my supervisors required to typing up a schedule with meetings at certain times, and I had to convert every time into military time. I would double-check every time to make sure that I did not miscalculate any of the times. Also, dates here are written “backwards.” They put the day first and then the date and year, whereas in America we put the month then day and lastly the year. That took some getting used to as well.
How do you think this experience will affect your future career?
I think this experience will greatly help my future career by helping me get my feet wet in the international market, which is so important in todays world of Hospitality. Having the experience of working internationally and working in a different culture will help me be able to better adapt to working in different markets around the world. It is very important to understand how markets around the world work and how to properly prepare yourself to work in them. By having this work experience on my resume, I will have a competitive edge against other people when applying for jobs after I graduate next year.
Would you have done anything differently?
If I could do anything differently, I would ask even more questions then I did when I first got here. I have found that people like it when you ask a reasonable amount of questions as it shows that you are interested and want to learn more about your surroundings. It will also help you become more comfortable in your surroundings, as I know it took me a while to become comfortable here.
What advice would you offer to fellow students who are looking for, or, are completing an international experience?
For students who are interested in an international work experience, I would say 100% step outside your comfort zone and do it! It really opens your eyes to work with people from another culture and to see how businesses in other parts of the world operate. It defiantly can seem intimidating and scary at first, but it forces you to become independent and learn how to explore new environments, which will help you prepare for the “real world.”
For those students who are in the process of completing an international experience, you’re almost there! Think about how great it will feel to say that you’ve navigated your way through an unfamiliar city to an office where you knew no one, but was able to proudly say that you were an employee there. Accomplishing something this big is worth being proud of, and will help lead to may more new and exciting opportunities!