Culture

I came over not knowing what to expect. I knew very little about life in Chile. I have now found out that Chileans are very formal, I was not aware of the custom of a cheek kiss was widely used over there. Everyone on the street is very friendly. Chileans greatly value family and love. Street art is also a very big part of the culture over there, and many of the locals value it. Chileans are also very proud of their music and local artists. I came to Chile unaware of any corruption, however after talking to some locals and the students who joined us I found out all about the corruption that happens over there and also their politics and how their history is quite recent.

Business

Business in Chile is very different relative to New Zealand. However, it could be a lucrative market to enter. In Chile, I learnt that there is a big business talent pool. Chileans also prefer face to face communication, and they may take weeks to reply to an email. They also prefer that everything is in Chilean Spanish. Business takes time in Chile so nothing will happen straight away. I also learnt that because Chileans are very family and love focused it means that when you are marketing for your business your ads and social media posts should incorporate family.

Myself

I found that going to another country to learn really helped me. First of all, I had to step out of my comfort zone and try speaking a different language in order to communicate. I found that after a while I became more confident with myself and speaking. I also found that I'm good at taking charge and getting things like plans for presentations started. I was scared to present in front of people and I have been my whole life but doing the business challenge gave me an opportunity to surprise myself. I did! I found myself way more confident after we had finished. This trip helped me discover my passion for business and gave me a lot more insight into where I could go in the future.