As my time in Australia slowly trickles down (only a week and a half left!), I want to talk about some of the culture and phenomena I have experienced during my time here. Understanding a country’s culture and way of life is crucial to ensuring that you experience it to the fullest, rather than as a tourist.
I think one of the most interesting cultural aspects of Australia is something called the “Tall Poppy Syndrome.” I had never heard of this before coming here, but during our orientation, we were told it is a part of the work culture and lifestyle across Australia and New Zealand. The “Tall Poppy Syndrome” phenomenon explains how people believe they could be criticized or resented due to their success. Traditionally, poppies that grow taller than the rest are cut down to bring them back to the same height as the others. This is a story and phenomenon that Australians are told growing up. This phenomenon also stems from the mindset of egalitarianism- or that everyone is equal. Because of this, Australians may not always share their success or achievements immediately or may downplay their accomplishments. This does not mean that success is not celebrated– it’s quite the opposite. People are very excited for others and the opportunities in their lives. But people deeply dislike arrogance, bragging, and “show-offs”. This mindset fosters a culture of being humble.
Because of this phenomenon that is so deeply ingrained in Australian culture, it has been very refreshing to see people have this “relaxed” mindset, especially coming from a collegiate setting in the US. I feel that in recent years, collegiate and high school settings have experienced increased competition among students. In the US, there is a large mindset of trying to get ahead and not fall behind. This is proven through the LinkedIn culture in college, internship/full-time announcements, and the college application process in high school.
Additionally, through my internship, I have found a culture of increased trust and responsibility. During only my second week in my internship, my supervisor tasked me with creating the entire marketing strategy for a new company. This included making branding decisions, copywriting for email templates, researching local opportunities, creating social media content strategy, graphics, and more. It was very shocking to me that my supervisor would trust me (a 6-week intern from the US) to complete all these tasks with little guidance. But while speaking with other interns at companies across Sydney, I have found that supervisors trust that we can work through major tasks and that they don’t need to give us smaller tasks to “prove ourselves,” which can be common in the US. Additionally, my supervisor has been very hands-off and has allowed me to approach my tasks in any way I need to in order to do my job effectively and efficiently. This has been an adjustment as I am the only marketing intern. Because of this, I have had to learn how to work through any problems without other interns to bounce ideas off of. However, this model has allowed me to have a greater investment in my work and has shown me the real impact of the work I am doing here. And although there is an increased responsibility and less guidance in my role here, there is still a large “helping” culture. My supervisor is happy to answer any questions I have and is always ready to give me more guidance and support when needed. This culture is very different from my past experiences in the US, where interns are given smaller tasks with greater supervision.
Overall, I’ve come to respect and enjoy the work culture and lifestyle here in Sydney, and it may be an adjustment to go back to the US work culture. But I am very grateful for this opportunity, as it has exposed me to what life is like down under, and will allow me to bring a piece of Australian culture into my future roles with me.
P.S. The pictures are just a few of the adventures I have gotten up to over the past few weeks!
