Your Passport to a Better Career

Studying abroad is becoming increasingly important in a modern world connected by faster planes, the internet, and increasing trade between nations. Studying abroad gives college students a chance to experience the world and participate in a culture that is often very different from their own. At Universities such as St Olaf, Dickinson and Colby, nearly 80% of students study outside the US at least one semester.

What Employers Want

But how do employers feel about a candidate who spent a semester or year living and learning overseas. According to recent studies, employers had a lot to say about students with an international education. A report by Robert Domingo, a Penn State research associate, shows that employers prefer to hire people that are not judgmental of other cultures and who take risks. According to a study by HR Global News, fluency in a foreign language, independence and problem-solving were all mentioned as important implications of studying abroad.

On your Resume

A study abroad experience on your resume can change your candidacy from average to outstanding. It is another way to stand taller than other candidates. Remember, a resume is a list of experienced used by potential employers to compare you to other applicants. What you have that others don’t will always make you more impressive. A degree over a non-degree, an international education over a single-nation education, volunteer and internship experience over retail; this is how the HR manager will sort through resumes: the haves and have-nots.

In an Interview

Also, in an interview, it is a great talking-point/conversation starter to break the ice and build rapport with the interviewer (especially if they studied abroad in their academic career). You can use the study abroad experience to show situations in which you learned from mistakes, managed time/finances, and developed your sense of self-awareness. If it took a great deal of discipline and motivation to find funding or get into a study abroad program, you can capitalize on your struggle in an interview to show your perseverance and willfulness, two very strong characteristics.