Whether you have already locked in an internship, are still cranking out applications, or are hoping to get a peek into the places your Asian Studies degree can take you, you’ve come to the right place! In this year’s Alumni Features series, Beyond the Books, join us in exploring career possibilities and advice from folks who were once in your shoes!
In this installment, we’ll hear from Alice, who graduated with a major in Linguistics and a minor in Asian Languages and Culture in 2021. She currently works as a cabin crew member at a Canadian airline!
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- What did you study at UBC and what do you do now?
- What do you enjoy about your current position?
- Did you have any worries when initially job searching post-grad? How did you approach these concerns?
- How did your Asian Studies classes at UBC prepare you for your career?
- What is something you wish you knew or did during your undergrad that would have benefited you post-grad?
What did you study at UBC and what do you do now?
My name is Alice and I graduated with a major in Linguistics and a minor in Asian Languages and Culture in 2021. During my undergrad, I focused mostly on linguistics courses, but given the language course requirements, I decided to challenge myself and learn Korean. This led me to do an exchange in Korea for two semesters, and it was definitely the best decision I made in undergrad (highly recommend going on exchange if you can!).
I am currently a cabin crew member at a Canadian airline. As most people know, we provide drinks and meal services on the plane, but what is not talked about enough is the countless hours of safety training (and annual training) to prepare for emergencies on board or upon take-off and landing! I chose this career path due to my love for travelling as well as customer service; it made a lot of sense to combine both and become a flight attendant!
What do you enjoy about your current position?
Definitely the travel that comes along with the job! As cabin crew, I sometimes get to stay at certain cities I fly to for a day or two. The most memorable cities I have been to are Seoul, Amsterdam, Vienna, and Athens! However, it is not always glamourous as I also work extremely long days up to 12-13 hours.
Did you have any worries when initially job searching post-grad? How did you approach these concerns?
I graduated during the peak of COVID, when the job market was not doing so great. I was extremely worried about not being able to find a job, and definitely was a bit hard on myself when I kept on getting rejected. I approached these concerns by broadening my search for jobs that may not 100% fit my previous experiences or skills, and reaching out to alumni and recruiters for coffee chats.
How did your Asian Studies classes at UBC prepare you for your career?
I really enjoyed taking Korean courses at UBC and felt greatly supported by all of my Korean language professors. Knowing a second language gives me a great advantage as cabin crew. In the airline industry, certain routes require language speakers of that destination (e.g. Spanish for Mexico City, German for Frankfurt). Since I learned Korean at UBC, I get to work on the flights to Seoul more often than those who don’t speak Korean!
What is something you wish you knew or did during your undergrad that would have benefited you post-grad?
I wish I did an internship during my undergrad before graduating! While job searching post-grad, I realized that I did not have a lot of work experience I could put on my resume, so I tried to look for internships that could help me gain experience. However, most internship roles look for current students or fresh grads, and by the time I was applying to jobs, I was unfortunately not eligible anymore. I would also encourage students to look into internship opportunities abroad if working abroad interests you!
Enjoyed this article? Read our other Alumni Features!
