The on-the-job training portion of Holland College programs gives students an opportunity to apply the skills they've acquired in the classroom in a real-life working environment. For many, it's when the rubber hits the road and they discover whether this truly is the work for which they’re suited. It’s an exciting time, but two young women at the college added another dimension to the experience by arranging to go overseas for their work terms.

Danielle Carmody, a second year Business Administration and Retail Business Management student, spent her OJT traveling throughout India and Thailand for five weeks purchasing products to be exported back to Canada for How Bazaar, a string of funky fashion stores. It was a turn of events the Charlottetown native hadn’t anticipated, but when the opportunity arose, she seized it.

“I've worked for How Bazaar for about four years, and had hoped to do my OJT there; but the stores are closed this time of year, so I thought it wouldn’t happen,” she explained.

But as it turned out, How Bazaar’s owner had another plan in mind. He invited Danielle and two of her coworkers to accompany him on a buying trip.

“It was a tremendous experience,” Carmody recalled. “I learned so much about how and where the products are purchased, and about how to ship them back to Canada.”

She said the trip involved a lot of hard work. Dealing with vendors who spoke a different language and haggling with foreign currency are acquired skills, but the benefits far outweighed the challenges for this 20-year-old.

“It was such a valuable experience. I would recommend it to anyone. But I would strongly suggest that they travel with someone who has been there before, it made things a lot easier.”

In addition to working, Carmody managed to squeeze in a little sight seeing, including a visit to the Taj Mahal and a 22-hour train ride through India.

“One of the most enjoyable parts of the trip was the train ride,” she said. “The scenery was beautiful. And I also learned how to ride a camel!”

The merchandise is now on its way back to Canada. In the spring, as How Bazaar begins to prepare the stock for the tourist season, Carmody looks forward to opening the containers and being transported back to what was surely a unique and unforgettable on-the-job training experience.

Second year Journalism student Samara Meade also seized on the opportunity to work abroad for her on-the-job training. Right now, she is getting ready to fly to Japan, where she will intern at a magazine.

“Mom was already in Japan teaching so I had the idea of doing my OJT over there,” the 19-year-old from Morell explained. “I got in touch with a newspaper but it turned out that I had to know Japanese in order to work there. Mom said she'd look around for another place for me and she got in touch with one of the magazines she reads called Tokyo Families. It just so happened that at the same time she called they were putting up signs looking for interns!”

Meade contacted the editor, did an online interview, and received an e-mail a week later inviting her to intern with the magazine.

“The editor said she was excited to have a new, youthful outlook and ideas put into the magazine. It's a monthly family magazine and I will probably be writing feature stories and possibly some columns.

“I am looking forward to traveling and experiencing the culture. I've wanted to write for magazines for the past few years so I consider myself very lucky to be able to experience it and practice what I really love with the help of somebody in the business. I'll be living with my mom and sister so I will have somebody to show me around and I won't be alone, which will be a great help.”

Meade will return to Canada mid-May with the benefit of an exciting and unique on-the-job training experience under her belt.