Are you birds of a feather that flock together?




Something that you say which means people who have similar characters or similar interests will often choose to spend time together 

This proverb has been in use since at least the mid 16th century. In 1545, William Turner used a version of it in his papist satire The Rescuing of Romish Fox:

"Byrdes of on kynde and color flok and flye allwayes together."

Yes, you do like to spend time with people of similar character or interests.

I feel there is nothing wrong with it till the time you are in your home country where you are surrounded by your people, your culture, your religion, rituals & your language. Finding people with similar character or interest is easy, advisable and is OK.

No harm in flocking together. Moreover, as humans this is our natural make-up. We are social animals. Aren’t we?

But now my friends, the situation is different, you are no more in your home country. You have ventured out to a new place, to a new city in pursuit of your higher studies and many of you are looking to settle down in this beautiful country and make it your home.

Quite expectedly, soon after your arrival in the foreign land your social instincts kick in and you run to develop your support system by finding people of similar interests or character.

You are keen on flocking together!!


Again nothing wrong with that but the problem arises when you fail to look beyond your nationality. You tend to hang on to your nationality people in a foreign land so tight that you fail to see the importance of understanding & mingling with the local environment. Also you fail to enjoy the multiculturalism Auckland has to offer

Times have changed; today the societies are multicultural. If you walk down on Queen Street, it is likely you will come across many people from different cultural backgrounds. Auckland is the most ethnically diverse region in New Zealand. There are more than 180 different ethnicities, and almost 40% of Aucklanders are not born in New Zealand.

International students’ community in New Zealand is missing on the basics of succeeding in an environment that they now call ‘home’ or are keen on making it their ‘home’. Most of them have come for their one year study and lack of effort to understand the local environment and other cultures make them unprepared / not-ready to get that very important job offer after finishing their studies.

Indians are hanging with Indians, Chinese are with Chinese, Koreans with Koreans, Filipinos with Filipinos and so on and so forth. Students are so engrossed in their own culture & nationality that they miss to understand what New Zealand wants from them or has to offer them. One year, which in any case is very less time, flies by!!! And by the time reality strikes for finding a full-time job, many of you fall short to what the employers expect from you.

No I am not asking the Indian student to dump all his Indian friends and go make Chinese or Kiwi friends or something similar from Students from other nationalities.

All I am asking you is

  • To be aware of your surroundings; keep a keen eye of what is required of you to be successful in this foreign land
  • Identify and fill the training & communication gaps if any,
  • Identify and utilise the resources available, ask for help, look for a mentor,
  • Be active on Social Media; network with people from your industry & beyond your nationality,
  • Learn more about New Zealand; after all it is going to be your new home!! Right?

Because we are human we will flock together. All I am suggesting here is open yourself, come out of your shell, reach out for new contacts, make new friends, ‘Be Smart’ and be successful.

Cheers
Raj Singh
Employment Consultant

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

New Zealand is Pathetic!!

Image
Ya, we all know John F. Kennedy once said " Ask not what your country can do for you; ask what you can do for your country ." I know as an international student coming to New Zealand, you might feel, “What’s there in it for me?” Or “I mean, why should I even consider what John said, I am not in the US…?” Or “John..??? Who is this John guy???” Or “Man… I have got so much to worry about in my life and here we are talking about John!!” Guys, I am not here to give you some lessons on patriotism using what John F. Kennedy said after winning his presidential elections in the US in the year 1961 but yes, I would like to use this famous quote from his speech as a backdrop to explain one common personality trait that has been observed in all those international students who struggle to get what they aspired for in their careers. They all know… and without doubt… they know what they WANT It’s a shame that none of them know wha...
Read more

NZ’s DIY VS India’s Jugaad – so close, yet so far!!

Image
Every Indian, when they hear the word “Jugaad” will have a smile on their face. Click on this link to see how jugaad is done but on a serious note click on this   link   to see how jugaad mentality can do wonders. Born and brought up in an environment where resources are limited with a cut-throat competition and socio-economic challenges at every step in our personal / professional life; we’ve unknowingly mastered the art of Jugaad!! We’ve grown knowing Jugaad is the trick of life. Let’s accept it guys… and let’s shout out loud; Indians are kings of Jugaad!!! As a consultant, I focus on migrants from various countries who are searching for jobs in New Zealand. However, if you asked a question, why jugaad? Why am I talking only India? The answer is simple…. Because, I am an Indian. That said, the idea called jugaad in India is known as “zizhu chuangxin” in China, “gambiarra” in Brazil and “jua kali” in Kenya. The English translation might be DIY o...
Read more

Just make some money and enjoy your life bro!!

Image
Students, when they arrive at the Auckland International Airport; what do they have? A big smile on their face, spark in their eyes, enthusiasm and determination to achieve their goals, butterflies in their stomach and a commitment to themselves that they will try to get a job as soon as possible and make sure they are not a burden to their parents back home and friends, if any, in New Zealand. Their attitude is nothing less than that of a total innocence and sincerity. Once here, they don’t take much time to make friends with the groups they stay with or with the guys they move around or the ones who are in their college. Soon they get introduced to this very special group of students/immigrants who are the ‘been-there-done-that’ kinds. They are a respected lot having solutions and or opinion on almost everything and are often addressed as ‘Seniors’. These so-called seniors always feel the uncontainable sense of responsibility in sharing their pearls of wisdom with the...
Read more