“Fear not and take action!” Intercultural communication alumni sharing wisdoms on navigating career paths after graduation
At the beginning of February 2024, the Language, Globalization, and Intercultural Communication (LAGIC) programme had the opportunity of hosting two distinguished alumni, Lauwo George and Graham Burns, who generously shared their study journeys in Finland and their post-graduation journeys with current and graduated LAGIC students at a hybrid alumni event. Their insights shed light on navigating career landscapes in and out of Finland after graduation.
Unwaveringly pursue one’s passion in a Finnish workplace
Graham Burns is originally from the UK and he currently works as a project manager at JAMK (University of Applied Sciences). Burns generously shared with the students his career path after school: how he started his own business in English education, offering English training and consulting to companies, and successfully built his career as an entrepreneur in a Finnish environment.
According to Burns, English education has always been a big passion in life. He enjoys teaching English and understands the needs and importance of English education in companies and institutions. As a project manager at JAMK, he is dedicated to developing teacher education in English, training teacher educators in and outside Finland, such as Nepal and Ethiopia where he will go soon for business trips.
For Graham Burns, a Master’s Degree in Intercultural Communication is crucial for his career as it helped him understand better how to appreciate and interact with different cultures and peoples.
For Graham Burns, a Master’s Degree in Intercultural Communication is crucial for his career as it helped him understand better how to appreciate and interact with different cultures and peoples. It has greatly contributed to his intercultural competence and communication skills, both necessary in his work where he interacts daily with educators from all over the world.
At the end of his speech, Graham Burns encouraged students to go for their dreams and passions. Passionately he said, “Do not let anyone tell you what you can’t do!” He reminded students that the most effective learning takes place through doing, hence the importance of taking actions and doing what one wants to do. Be ready to learn, to be flexible and to take the first step. Burns’ inspiring speech was greeted by warm applause from the students.
Fearlessly explore possibilities in a global job market
Lauwo George now works as a programme facilitator for the Workplace Connections Mentoring programme at MOSAIC in Canada. George shared in great detail his path to Finland, and his diverse experiences in Finland including part-time jobs, English teaching, and DJ activities. Following his studies in Jyväskylä, Lauwo George became an English teacher in Tanzania before moving to Canada and becoming a successful programme facilitator in Vancouver, offering career guidance to new immigrants in Canada.
Lauwo George emphasized the importance of his studies in Intercultural Communication at the University of Jyväskylä in his career path. According to him, not only is the coursework deeply relevant in the current global job market (especially in the field of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion training), but also one learns real soft skills such as effective communication strategies, project management and intercultural interaction.
Not only is the coursework deeply relevant in the current global job market, but also one learns real soft skills such as effective communication strategies, project management and intercultural interaction.
In the Q&A session, Lauwo George advised students entering the workplace to focus on the skills and qualifications required for the job positions rather than the job titles. This is because there are transferable skills learned through studies or work experiences that can be applied to a seemingly different job. At the end of the event, he eagerly encouraged students not to be afraid of making a career pivot, once, or even several times.
Lauwo George’s presentation served as an inspiring reminder of how one can delve into multiple facets of interest, whether it be DJing, teaching, or program facilitation. One does not have to limit oneself to one career trajectory; instead, be open and be ready to explore more possibilities with the skills and experiences at hand.
Despite different career paths, both Graham Burns and Lauwo George shared a common message to students – do not be afraid to take actions, and be ready to learn and embrace new possibilities.
Alumni stories and their global impact continue to inspire
Students are eager to learn from alumni in the same programme; their stories inspire hopes and ideas where current students can build on for their future study and career paths. Both Graham’s and Lauwo’s presentations served as reminders of the dynamic career trajectories in and outside Finland with a degree in hand from the University of Jyväskylä.
As the second annual alumni event of the LAGIC programme, it exemplified again the enduring success and global impact of the LAGIC alumni community, reaffirming the programme’s commitment to empower individuals to excel in an increasingly interconnected world.
