International Insights: Sarah Jung's CBYX Experience from Germany to Las Vegas

Today I am excited to have Sarah Jung on the show. Sarah is currently participating in an international exchange program from Germany to the US under the CBYX (Congress Bundestag Youth Exchange) program. She is placed in Las Vegas, attending UNLV part-time and gaining work experience in the hospitality industry. We'll be discussing her experiences, challenges, and key takeaways from her time in the US.
🔖Show Notes🔖
Sarah's Participation in CBYX Program:
Sarah is part of the CBYX program, aimed at fostering better relations between young professionals and providing students the opportunity to gain valuable experience abroad. She is placed in Las Vegas, attending UNLV part-time and working in the hospitality industry as part of the exchange program.
Cultural and Personal Experiences:
Sarah shares her initial challenge of improving her English and her journey towards gaining confidence in the language over time. She reflects on the cultural differences between Germany and the US, including educational, societal, and work-related aspects. The podcast delves into Sarah's internship in Congress and her work on trade shows, offering insights into her practical experiences during the exchange program.
Personal and Professional Growth:
Sarah's international experience has influenced her future career decisions, opening her eyes to the field of sales and its potential to align with her skills and interests. The conversation also touches upon workplace values, the importance of enjoying the company of colleagues, and the significance of a supportive work culture.
🌟Key Takeaways🌟
🗣️ Improved Language Skills
Sarah's experience highlights the value of immersion in a language to improve communication skills, offering a firsthand example of the benefits of engaging in an international exchange program.
🌍 Cultural Awareness and Adaptability
Through Sarah's experiences, listeners can understand and appreciate the significance of gaining cultural awareness, embracing diversity, and adapting to different societal norms and work environments.
💼 Career Exploration and Personal Development
Sarah's journey sheds light on the opportunities for personal and professional growth that can arise from international exchange programs, inspiring students to consider such experiences to broaden their horizons and discover their potential career paths.
🌟Listeners can gain valuable insights from Sarah's experiences, understanding the impact of international exchange programs on language skills, cultural adaptability, and personal and professional growth. Her story serves as a source of inspiration for students considering similar opportunities.🌟
Walk to class with this podcast!
Academic Survival: The Podcast That Gets Freshman to Graduation
Sarah Jung [00:00:06]:
So basically, 75 students of Germany came to the US but also 75 US students go to Germany for one year to get to know the other culture. And therefore, I also really want to encourage American students to apply for this program because it's just a safe environment to get to know another country.
Dr. Shandra McDonald [00:00:25]:
That's Sarah Young briefly describing cbyx. If you've ever wondered what it's like to participate in in an international exchange program, check out this episode. Sarah shares how her cross cultural experience not only enhanced her language skills and career aspirations, but also opened her eyes to the diverse and dynamic realities of both German and American lifestyles. This is the Academic Survival Podcast and I'm your host, Dr. Chandra McDonald. Statistics show that approximately 40% of students drop out of college every year. In fact, nearly 30% drop out their first year. Well, I am on a mission to improve these stats.
Dr. Shandra McDonald [00:01:18]:
Welcome to the Academic Survival Podcast. Today I have with me Sarah Young, and she is participating in an exchange program which allows her to be in the US So we are gonna dive into her story and hear all about what Sarah has been up to in the U.S. so welcome, Sarah, to the program. How are.
Sarah Jung [00:01:35]:
Hi. I'm fine. Thank you so much for having me today. I'm very excited to talk to you and yeah, I'm very excited to share my experiences with you.
Dr. Shandra McDonald [00:01:43]:
All right, so tell us where you're from. Let's start there and how you ended.
Sarah Jung [00:01:46]:
Up in the US of course. So, like you said, I'm from Germany. I grew up in a small town close to Munich. There I did my apprenticeship as event manager and then started working in the trade fair center in Munich. And after that, I really wanted to gain some experience abroad when my friend told me about this great exchange program, the CBYX program, and it allowed me to come here to go to unlv, take some hospitality classes, start working. And it's just great to see how the actual life in the US Happens and to meet new people to improve my English. And yeah, I'm just very thankful to be here.
Dr. Shandra McDonald [00:02:25]:
Wow. So improve your English. Tell me how that's been kind of a struggle.
Sarah Jung [00:02:30]:
In the beginning, I was very insecure talking in another language, especially when some words are missing. But I'm very thankful. I have a very nice host family. So they also helped me, especially in the beginning, to get along. And I mean, you can also use your hands and gesturing. But now I'm very proud that I'm kind of fluent in English and more confident in speaking another language.
Dr. Shandra McDonald [00:02:54]:
Yeah, you sound great. You're Doing a really good job.
Sarah Jung [00:02:57]:
Thank you so much.
Dr. Shandra McDonald [00:02:59]:
So you're here and you're in this cbyx. Can you tell me what the CBYX is and how you ended up in that program? And then like just the transition from there to the US of course.
Sarah Jung [00:03:13]:
So CBYX stands for Congress Bundestag Youth Exchange. So basically it's exchange program which is organized by the German and the American government. And they want to improve the relations, especially between young people, between young professionals. And they want to give students the chance to gain some experience abroad. So basically 75 students of Germany came to the US but also 75 US students go to Germany for one year to get to know the other culture. And therefore I also really want to encourage American students to apply for this program because it's just a safe environment to get to know another country.
Dr. Shandra McDonald [00:03:52]:
That's fantastic. Now then, as far as your host family, how do you get partnered or picked for where you're going to stay?
Sarah Jung [00:04:00]:
So in general, you don't know. So I knew that I would end up in Las Vegas two weeks before I left for the US So it's kind of a game, I'd say. So the whole application process is like you submit your application, you have an interview. Actually the congressman needs to pick you. So the congressman from your region will say, okay, this person from my district will go to the US to represent Germany at this point. And then you get a confirmation that you can go to the US for one year. And then regarding your studies, your job experience, your maybe also allergies and host family wishes, you are placed in a certain city, in a certain area. For me, it's great to be in Las Vegas because of hospitality.
Sarah Jung [00:04:47]:
So it's great, a great place to gain experience in this industry. But also UNLV has a great hospitality program. So there's. In general, there's a lot of reasons which are concerned of your placement and where you will end up and spend your year.
Dr. Shandra McDonald [00:05:04]:
So you ended up where?
Sarah Jung [00:05:06]:
I'm so excited to be in Las Vegas. I'm so happy to be here and yeah, I really enjoy it. It's so different in Germany and everything I ever imagined.
Dr. Shandra McDonald [00:05:18]:
Yeah. What about the university experience? Tell me a little bit about that.
Sarah Jung [00:05:22]:
Of course. So in general, I'm a part time student, so I attended classes part time during the whole year. I picked job related classes in my yield. So in hospitality, my favorite class was called Food and Beverage Essentials for Executives. It was very interesting because guest speakers from Strip and the hotels were coming in our classes and tell us about their experiences, so I could learn a lot. And also, it's so nice to meet other students to learn from their experiences, what they did, where they're from. So the whole cultural experience is a big part of it, too.
Dr. Shandra McDonald [00:05:58]:
Good. When you leave the US and go back to Germany, what do you think will be some of the key things that you'll take away from the program? And then also just from being in the US or even specifically Las Vegas, what will be your key takeaways?
Sarah Jung [00:06:14]:
That's a good question, because there are so many. Okay. I mean, like I already said, the English skills is one point, which will also help me a lot in a professional context. Then it's great to have met all these great people, and I'm so happy to stay in touch with them. And I'm also very excited that my host family is hopefully going to visit me in Germany. So all the personal relationships. Yeah. And also just.
Sarah Jung [00:06:41]:
I mean, the cultural differences I learned. I mean, for me, everything I grew up was normal. And then when you go to another country, you see these people are doing this and that different. Maybe I should do. Maybe I should adapt my way of doing things, or maybe I also appreciate things which are done in my hometown or the cultural. The country I grew up with. It's very interesting to compare all these different aspects. And I learned a lot.
Sarah Jung [00:07:08]:
So.
Dr. Shandra McDonald [00:07:08]:
Yeah. Can you think of anything really, really quick in terms of like, what. What cultural differences that you considered, like, normal, the norm from where you were, and then you got to the US and realized that it's a different. It's a different norm here, A different normal. Yeah, like what. What comes to mind?
Sarah Jung [00:07:25]:
So one aspect, I think, is just food and drinks and everything. It's very. Just very different than where I grew up from. Also, traffic. I feel like Las Vegas traffic can be crazy. And also people tend to have, like, huge trucks. Trucks and huge cars. And I just feel like everything is bigger.
Sarah Jung [00:07:43]:
I don't know. The cities, the streets, a lot of things.
Dr. Shandra McDonald [00:07:47]:
Do you know anybody who's also participating in the program?
Sarah Jung [00:07:50]:
Yes. So what I really appreciate about this whole program is that we had a preparation seminar in Germany, so we get to know a part of the other students. Like, there were three preparation seminars, 25 people each, and it was a great possibility to get to know each other. And also we have, like, a seminar in the beginning in Washington, D.C. before everyone goes to their actual placement. And then in January, we also came together to have the civic. It's called Civic Education Workshop, where we Learned more about D.C. the history, politics, just in general.
Sarah Jung [00:08:23]:
So all these events were great to get to know the other participants, to have a certain exchange, to find some new friends. Actually, another participant is just visiting me right now in Las Vegas, so it's great when, you know, oh, I want to fly to whatever, dc, Visit a friend. I can spend two nights with them and then fly back. Or just also when you have moments where you don't feel that comfortable in the new country, you can just call them and maybe also share your great experiences, but also your frustrations. It's kind of nice to have a backup and. Yeah. To be able to share the experience with people who know what you're going through.
Dr. Shandra McDonald [00:09:02]:
Yeah, that's good. All students go to school with the plan of graduating and then starting their career. And you have elected to be in the hospitality industry, is that correct?
Sarah Jung [00:09:17]:
Yes, that's right.
Dr. Shandra McDonald [00:09:18]:
With you being in the hospitality industry, you're not just taking classes, but you're also working. So can you tell us a little bit about the. The work that you're actually doing here?
Sarah Jung [00:09:28]:
Of course. So I started at Caesars Entertainment in the hotel industry, kind of to gain him experience in this field. It was great. But then in January, February, I actually did an internship in Congress in Washington, D.C. which was really exciting. Yeah, that's great. So after that, I kind of changed my job and was more focused on working on trade shows for Freeman, which is great because I also meet a lot of new people, and it's kind of an additional experience to the apprenticeship I did, because during the pandemic, some shows just got canceled. So now I can kind of catch up with that and get the chance to see a lot of different trade shows.
Dr. Shandra McDonald [00:10:12]:
Is that common? People would come and participate in the program, but then also have an opportunity to do work in Congress. Is that common, or was that a unique experience that just you or maybe a few others shared?
Sarah Jung [00:10:23]:
So it's part of the program because it's a governmentally organized program, but like I said, We're 75 students from Germany. And after applying for the program, you can Internally, within these, 75 people, apply for an internship in Congress, and five students get the possibility to do that. So we spend six weeks.
Dr. Shandra McDonald [00:10:45]:
Did you say five students?
Sarah Jung [00:10:47]:
Yes, five.
Dr. Shandra McDonald [00:10:47]:
So you were just one of five?
Sarah Jung [00:10:49]:
Yes, I was very lucky. Yeah, that's.
Dr. Shandra McDonald [00:10:52]:
You were really fortunate. Okay, so then you go to Washington, D.C. and continue.
Sarah Jung [00:10:58]:
Exactly. So we go to Washington, D.C. there I also stayed with the host family, so they were hosting me for these six weeks. I was in the office of the representative, Juan Vargas from California. So they tried to match you with a congressman from your region. So I'm in Nevada, so it was California's kind of co. Close to that.
Dr. Shandra McDonald [00:11:18]:
Okay.
Sarah Jung [00:11:19]:
And yeah, I supported his team in his office. I got to know him. It was so excited. I was so excited to be on the Capitol Hill, to see the congressman voting on the floor, to get engaged in politics, to get to know D.C. it was. It was just great. And so many new impressions and experiences.
Dr. Shandra McDonald [00:11:36]:
That's awesome. So then, is there the counterparts that are in Germany from the US they get the same experience?
Sarah Jung [00:11:45]:
In general, yes. The program is constructed a bit different. So I want to encourage everyone to apply for this program because if you're an American student, you don't need to be able to speak German at all. Because when you go to Germany, you start with a language class. For us, for example, it's a bit different. We're expected to speak English. So there's a lot of tiny things which are different. But in general, it's the same thing.
Sarah Jung [00:12:10]:
Program. So also with the Bundestag Congress, I'm not sure about that. I don't think it's possible for American students to do an internship in the German Congress Bundestag, because there's another program for it.
Dr. Shandra McDonald [00:12:24]:
Oh, okay.
Sarah Jung [00:12:25]:
But they basically, they also go to Germany, do the language class, go to university, do an internship in a German company. So in general, the program is totally the same.
Dr. Shandra McDonald [00:12:37]:
Are there any interpersonal or networking or relational things that you were able to learn or grow or expand on for yourself while you were here?
Sarah Jung [00:12:47]:
There were a lot, I think, first. I mean, it's a whole personal development, being here, being in another country. You're not really alone, but I mean, you're far away kind of from your friends and your family. So you kind of start over. And what I really appreciate about the American culture is small talk and how friendly people are, how open minded. It's so easy to start a conversation. And it's so nice to talk to colleagues and to talk to other students, to talk to congressmen. There's this whole variety of people I was able to talk to, to learn from them, but also not to be afraid of talking to people in other hierarchies kind of job wise or age wise.
Sarah Jung [00:13:31]:
So that's a huge thing I learned. And also, I mean, it's very interesting. I have three host siblings, kind of. So Emma, she is my host sister. She's 23, Ethan and Greg, so they're all about kind of my age and it was just great to learn about their lives, like what are they doing, what they're struggling with. I mean, we're kind of the same age, but nevertheless we have different, I don't know, not careers, but we have different values. We grew up in a different culture. So also this exchange is very valuable, kind of.
Dr. Shandra McDonald [00:14:06]:
Do you feel that from one culture to the next that you're in a different stage of life, even though the age is the same?
Sarah Jung [00:14:15]:
Sometimes I feel like that I don't know if that's a religious thing or not, because I hear. I realized that a lot of people tend to get married earlier than in my friend's group back in Germany, because. So they're very straightforward. And a lot of my friends in Germany, they're still studying, trying to figure out what they want to do. And I feel like here some people have really straightforward plan, which I really appreciate, but it's kind of different. And also like living in apartments, living together with friends. At a certain point it's the same. But in other points it's.
Sarah Jung [00:14:50]:
I don't know, it's kind of different here also, people live like in dorms or on the university. Big difference too. When people finish studying in the U.S. i mean, some of them have a lot of students loan to pay back and stuff. So. Also kind of different in Germany.
Dr. Shandra McDonald [00:15:07]:
How so?
Sarah Jung [00:15:08]:
Because in general, like, I mean, there's also private schools and stuff, but in general, going to university full time is for free for most parts. So that's big difference. So here, I mean, in Germany we also study and go to work to afford our living. But here it's kind of another level. Here I feel like people are way busier trying to do 1, 2, 3 jobs, however, to get along with all the costs and all this stuff.
Dr. Shandra McDonald [00:15:34]:
Oh, wow.
Sarah Jung [00:15:36]:
I feel like here universities are more fancy. They're kind of cooler, I think, because they actually want to attract people to come there. So it's other unions.
Dr. Shandra McDonald [00:15:47]:
I never, I never thought about that. So basically, if I understand you correctly, you're saying that like the university experience in Germany, although you do have private universities, if somebody wants to go for free, they can. And so perhaps there's less advertisement, less marketing, less things to attract people to a specific university. Whereas in the US you said they're fancier, they're trying to encourage people to come because that's their. That's their operating budget to some extent.
Sarah Jung [00:16:18]:
Right. So for me, it was also great. I mean, just the cultural parts of the university. Going to a football game, seeing cheerleaders, A marching band. For me, I've only seen all these things in movies, so I was so excited to see it in real life and I enjoyed it so much.
Dr. Shandra McDonald [00:16:35]:
Oh, wow. That's a really good experience. Just to experience the, the different cultures and, and to see to what extent things that you see on television. Is that really how it works in.
Sarah Jung [00:16:46]:
The U.S. yes, exactly.
Dr. Shandra McDonald [00:16:50]:
Have you experienced anything that didn't match up or like your expectation was one thing based upon what you saw on television in Germany and then you come to the US and it's not really the same. Like, was there any differences?
Sarah Jung [00:17:03]:
I feel like there were a lot. But what I think is a huge difference is in the movies you always have everyone just partying, going to college, not taking everything serious. That's not reality. I mean, in reality people put a lot of work and effort into their studies. They're, like I said, they're trying to get along between their two jobs and college at the same time. So it's not the partying, not caring culture, which is kind of the message in the movies.
Dr. Shandra McDonald [00:17:34]:
So with your lifetime experience in Germany and your one year experience in the US what would be some nuggets that you notice from both cultures that are just, that are just good, like rules to live by that you see present in both cultures?
Sarah Jung [00:17:54]:
That's a good question. In general, I'm trying to put together the best of both worlds, kind of. So I'm trying to adapt the habits, which I really like here. And I'm also trying to keep the habits I like in Germany. In general. I feel like tips is like, just be open minded, talk to any person because I'm sure you can learn something from it and get something out of it. Germany wise. I feel like we have a lot of traditions at one point which I appreciate.
Sarah Jung [00:18:23]:
For example, I don't know, going. I mean, like I said, Germany is kind of smaller and the distances are not that far. So a lot of people and families live closer to each other. So it's kind of a tradition for some people that they visit their grandparents on the weekend or something. So this is something I kind of appreciate in Germany that it's very close and families are in. Yeah. In a very regular touch with each other, contact with each other. So that's something I think, which maybe some people in the US could adapt a bit more.
Sarah Jung [00:18:58]:
Then another thing which I think is so cool about people in the US that they're so flexible. So it's very common that people move around from one state to the other. And I feel like, this is so valuable because then you're more flexible also in your mindset and you see other people, other cultures within the US And I wish that Germans would be a bit more flexible in that way and also job wise. So here people would move for a job. And I think that's. That's great because when you move, you learn so much. In Germany, some people have still the tendency to start a job and to do this until they retire. Even some of them are not lucky.
Sarah Jung [00:19:40]:
And I think that's something really you shouldn't do. You should try and also. Yeah. Try learn and start all over again.
Dr. Shandra McDonald [00:19:48]:
Ah, yeah. You know, it was considered, at least in the US Maybe about a generation or two ago, it was very common to start a job and stay there until you retire. And then it started to become more popular for people to, you know, move around and almost sometimes expected that, you know, that you would have on your resume experiences from different work opportunities. And so some of what you experienced in Germany is here in the US as well. But it's more generational, so you'll find that older. The older generation moved around a little bit less.
Sarah Jung [00:20:31]:
This is also something I think is really interesting. Like you said, the traditions, like the generational differences, which is probably in all the different countries, but also like religious wise, I feel like that's like, there's a lot variety in the whole US And I think that's also a big part of some people's life. And it's, for me, it's so interesting to learn about that. Like in Germany, I mean, I think most of us, most of them are like Christians and everyone, I mean, everyone has their different beliefs, but I feel like here the variety is way bigger. So that's also a very interesting thing I learned here, or I was more reflecting about here.
Dr. Shandra McDonald [00:21:09]:
Yeah, yeah, yeah, that's interesting. So what's next? What's next for Sarah Young? You're gonna finish up your program just a few weeks now, right?
Sarah Jung [00:21:18]:
Yeah, unfortunately, yes. So I'm gonna be here three more weeks in Las Vegas. Then the program is officially over. I decided to travel a little bit after that. So then I'm gonna be back in Germany July, which is kind of bittersweet because I learned to love a lot of things around here. I'm gonna miss my friends, my host family here for sure. But I'm also excited, of course, to see my family in Germany again. So, yeah, a lot of advantages and disadvantages at the same time.
Sarah Jung [00:21:47]:
And then in Germany, I'm gonna start my new job as A sales manager, which is kind of a new chapter. So I'm excited about that too. And it actually also helped me, like, this experience abroad also helped me a lot to get this job because companies really appreciate it when you have, like, international experience, you know how to speak English, you get along with other people, other cultures. That's a really good skill to have.
Dr. Shandra McDonald [00:22:13]:
So how did you find out about this job? Did you apply for it while you were in Germany, or did you find out about it through the program that you're. That you're doing here in the US how did you find out?
Sarah Jung [00:22:21]:
Kind of both. I mean, I already knew it before, but during this year, I had the chance to actually reflect. Reflect what I really want to do, what I enjoy doing, what I don't enjoy doing. Like, for example, like I said, in the hotel industry, it was an experience which I didn't expect to be like that. So kind of new insights, I'd say. And another thing which was great. So there's this show which is called imax, and my prior employer actually asked me to work for them as an exhibitor on this show because I'm in Las Vegas anyway. Oh, wow.
Sarah Jung [00:22:56]:
Yeah. So I had this great chance to represent my prior employer at this show. And it was funny because they. I mean, I'm from kind of from Munich, so they sent me the traditional Bavarian Munich outfit to wear for this show. So it was another chance for me to represent my culture in Las Vegas, which was a lot of fun. And it also helped me to figure out that I really enjoy doing something sales. So while I was working there, I was like, oh, maybe I should do this, like, within the future years and do it in a more professional way. So this year helped me a lot to figure out what I enjoy doing, what I don't enjoy doing, what I'm good at.
Sarah Jung [00:23:38]:
And also, yeah, that is so important.
Dr. Shandra McDonald [00:23:42]:
Figuring out what you enjoy and what you don't enjoy and figuring out what you're good at and what you're not good at. I find sometimes that sometimes we're really good at stuff that we don't really like. And so, but. But just being able to have those varying opportunities so that you can kind of, like, sample, right? It's. It's like a. Like a buffet. The buffet of life, sampling various things and then, like, really being able to focus on the things that you actually do like, so. So you found out that you liked sales, huh?
Sarah Jung [00:24:19]:
Yes, or better to say, I really found out that I enjoy talking to people, networking and traveling. So I really want to travel in my future job. I want to see more countries, but also come back to the US and like you said, what I think was so interesting, by trying to think of the things I like, it was kind of hard in the beginning. So what helped me a lot was thinking about the things I dislike. So I was like, oh my God. Regarding my future job, I don't want this and that. And then slowly you're kind of narrowing the path down to the things you actually enjoy doing.
Dr. Shandra McDonald [00:24:55]:
Yeah. So tell me a little bit about that. What is, what was it that you had to like, scratch off the list? Like, I do not like this. What were some of those things?
Sarah Jung [00:25:04]:
For me, it was horrible to clock in and clock out perfectly on time. Like, you need to work from 9 to 5. Because the job I was doing earlier was like, bit more remote at some points. I mean, some, some days I was in the office, some days I worked remote, but in general I was working my 40 hours in a time, in a given timeframe, but not from 9 to 5. So that's the thing I really needed to get used to, but also what I learned to appreciate when I'm more flexible. And then, yeah, I really like giving a value to people. So now it's only just being there and not. Not helping them.
Sarah Jung [00:25:47]:
I like helping them finding a solution. Especially like trade shows, when exhibitors have problems, I really enjoy helping them and seeing their happy faces when the issue has been solved.
Dr. Shandra McDonald [00:25:57]:
So, yeah, so the, the 9 to 5, the, the clocking in and the clocking out. I, I applied for a job at Target. So I worked at Target for a little bit. And that was the only job. Yeah, I think that was the only clock in and clock out kind of job that I had. And like you, that's not the type of job that I prefer. And so I need a little bit more flexibility as well. So I could totally relate to that.
Sarah Jung [00:26:24]:
Yeah, I mean, there's also like a lot of different people who enjoy different things. So I feel like if, for example, if you're a mom, you have kids at home for them, it's kind of nice to have a certain structure to know exactly when you will go to work and when you will work. But right now, in my 20s, I really want to be flexible. I mean, I don't really have a lot of obligations. So I'd be happy to also get the chance to work remotely some days. Maybe visit a friend in another city or just because the weather is nice. Sitting outside instead of sitting in the office.
Dr. Shandra McDonald [00:26:56]:
Yes, yes.
Sarah Jung [00:26:58]:
I think there has also been a lot of change during the last years. A change which I really support and appreciate.
Dr. Shandra McDonald [00:27:04]:
Yeah, Yeah. I ask any guests this question, but because you are here in the US and this is your first time and you're being immersed in this culture, do you have any questions for me?
Sarah Jung [00:27:19]:
So you and your, like, your working style. What are the things you appreciate in your daily work? Like, for example, working flexible. What else do you really value or appreciate?
Dr. Shandra McDonald [00:27:31]:
I. So, yes, I enjoy the flexibility, but I also enjoy getting to know the people that I work with. So I'm a supervisor, and so I like to. I like to check in on the people who I supervise. So it's very common for me to go to their cubicles and just like, chat for a little bit, like, how are you doing? Like, what are you working on? And just like, just to see. Just to see what's going on in their life and to see, like, what's going on in the work life. What are you working on? Is there anything that I can help you with? Or maybe they just want to. Maybe they just want to say a little bit about something that happened over the weekend, or maybe they want to talk about some regulations, because I work in.
Dr. Shandra McDonald [00:28:18]:
In regulatory compliance, and so maybe they want to talk about regulations. But, like, being able to connect and speak with people is. Is important to me. The other. My job allows me the flexibility to be in the office or to be in the field, and I also get to choose when I do that. So I like that flexibility of not having to be in the same environment all day. Every day can be a little bit different. And so I appreciate the variety of experiences.
Dr. Shandra McDonald [00:28:52]:
The downside of that is that sometimes it can be kind of hard to establish a workflow because things are just different. So. Yeah, I hope that answered your question.
Sarah Jung [00:29:02]:
Yes, it did. And like I said earlier, I think people really appreciate it if you check on them and if you also ask them about their private life, how they're doing. Like, for me, it was a big point. By deciding which job or which company I want to join next. It's just a team, the people I work with. So if they make a good impression on me and if I think I'm going to be comfortable in this environment, I'd be happy to work for them. If that was the case, I probably wouldn't pick that company because in the end, it's the people you probably are gonna spend the most time with during the week. So I think that's a good sign.
Dr. Shandra McDonald [00:29:38]:
Yes, it's so important to have a good like I call it like a work family, you know, it's so important to have that it really can make the day go by either really fast or drag out super slow.
Sarah Jung [00:29:52]:
Yeah. Yeah, that's true. Yeah.
Dr. Shandra McDonald [00:29:54]:
Okay. All right, Sarah, well, I'm so thankful that you were able to come on the podcast and talk about your experience and it sounds like you had a good time here in the U.S. from Las Vegas to Washington, D.C. yeah.
Sarah Jung [00:30:09]:
Thank you so much for having me again and I was so excited to share this with you and also learn from you. So, yeah, thank you.
Dr. Shandra McDonald [00:30:17]:
Alrighty. Bye. Bye.
Sarah Jung [00:30:19]:
Bye.

Sarah Jung
Junior Ambassador - Congress Bundestag Youth Exchange
Sarah Jung has lived in Las Vegas, NV singe August, where she attended the University of Nevada, Las Vegas. She comes from a small town near Munich, Germany. Sarah completed her apprenticeship as an Event Management Assistant after which she worked as a Sales Coordinator with Messe München GmbH. In the U.S., she continued her work with trade fairs through the Freeman Company. She is participating in the Congress-Bundestag Youth Exchange Program, which takes one year.