By Alexis Alston
Communications Consultant
5 Growth-Defining Lessons from My Study Abroad in Macau: A Communications Professional’s Reflection
It’s been about 10 years since I ran (quite literally) to catch that life-changing flight to Macau, China, but the lessons from that experience continue to shape my career in communications.
Truth be told, Macau wasn’t my first choice. Like many of my friends at Susquehanna University (SU), I dreamed of spending my mandatory study abroad semester in the familiar European comforts of Barcelona or London. However, with financial burdens as the child of a single mother, my path led me to a different adventure – a fully funded program in Macau through SU at the University of Macau.
Sometimes the most transformative experiences come from embracing the unexpected. While my friends packed for European capitals, I found myself preparing for life in a former Portuguese colony turned Chinese Special Administrative Region. This intensive program, where I would earn 18 credits while immersing myself in a modified Chinese culture and academics, seemed daunting at first. Then, I was selected from 300 students to document this journey through vlogs and blogs, adding another layer of responsibility to what already felt like a leap into the unknown.
Needless to say, I took the leap and thrived – and I had no idea how profoundly this experience would impact my professional trajectory.
Below are five key lessons that I learned through this experience that transformed me from an eager student into a resilient communications professional.
Strategic Planning and Scoping:
My time in Macau required meticulous planning for each vlog and blog post, teaching me the importance of thorough preparation and scope definition. This foundation in content planning now drives how I approach every intranet project at Local Wisdom, where precise scoping can make or break a site update. When clients request changes to their intranet sites, I draw upon these planning skills to break down complex requirements into manageable components. The discipline of creating structured content calendars abroad translates perfectly to developing project timelines for site updates. Most importantly, I learned that successful execution starts with understanding the full scope of work – a lesson that helps me deliver more accurate time estimates and better results for our clients.
Adaptability Under Pressure:
My study abroad experience taught me to navigate unexpected challenges with composure and creativity – skills that prove invaluable in my current role. When technical issues arise during intranet updates or client requirements suddenly change, I can quickly pivot and develop alternative solutions. Managing content creation in a foreign environment showed me how to stay productive even when facing unfamiliar obstacles, much like tackling new technical challenges in website development. The resilience I built handling last-minute changes to my blog posts now helps me calmly address urgent site update requests. This adaptability has become particularly valuable when balancing multiple client projects with competing deadlines and priorities.
Virtual Client Communication:
Creating content for an international audience in Macau taught me the art of clear, purposeful communication across different mediums. Today, this translates into more effective MS Teams meetings, where I can explain technical concepts to clients in accessible terms. My experience crafting engaging blog posts helps me structure client presentations that are both informative and easy to follow. The practice of maintaining audience engagement through vlogs now influences how I keep virtual meetings focused and productive. These communication skills are particularly crucial when walking clients through complex intranet features or explaining the rationale behind proposed site changes.
The Power of Immersive Learning:
The intensive nature of my study abroad program taught me to fully immerse myself in new systems and environments. This approach now helps me quickly understand each client’s unique intranet needs and organizational structure. When tackling a new client project, I apply the same deep-dive mentality that helped me adapt to life in Macau. My experience learning to navigate a foreign environment translates to how I explore and master new technical tools and platforms. This immersive approach enables me to identify potential challenges and opportunities in clients’ existing intranet systems more effectively.
Independent Project Execution:
Documenting life in Macau required significant self-discipline and independent decision-making, skills that directly apply to my remote work environment. Managing my own content production schedule abroad prepared me for the autonomy of working from home while maintaining consistent productivity. The experience taught me how to structure my workday effectively and maintain focus on deliverables without direct supervision. These skills now help me manage multiple intranet projects simultaneously while ensuring each receives the attention it deserves. Most importantly, I learned to balance independence with accountability – knowing when to move forward independently and when to seek input.
Looking back, this journey proved that the best opportunities often come when we embrace the unexpected. My study abroad experience wasn’t just an academic requirement – it was professional preparation for my specialized role in digital communications.
At Local Wisdom, these lessons continue to influence how I approach intranet development, client relationships, and project management.
The resilience and adaptability I discovered in Macau remain core strengths in my professional toolkit, shaping how I deliver effective internal communication solutions for our clients.
