How to Sell Your Study Abroad Experience to Employers

by Anna Jonas via “HP“

Studying abroad is the experience of a lifetime. Your view of the world expands, you become more independent, and you learn more than you ever thought possible. It also looks great on a resume. But it can be hard to put everything that you learned into words on paper. Here’s how to explain to employers the benefits of your time abroad and all that you gained from your experience.

Going through the study abroad application process requires you to be diligent and persistent. With so many interviews and forms, you need to be self-disciplined to get through all of it. This serves as evidence to employers that you are committed and will see projects through to the end. Plus, dealing with all that paperwork forces you to be organized, a necessary skill to do any job efficiently.

There are tons of details you need to carefully plan before you study abroad, from getting a visa to finding a place to live to buying health insurance. All of these things require careful preparation and time management skills in order to get them all done properly and in time, showing employers that you are efficient and detail oriented.

Living in another culture can be tough. Moving to a new city or country requires you to adapt to cultural differences and deal with change. It can also test your problem-solving abilities, forcing you to be resourceful and creative in your foreign surroundings. These are skills that many employers look for, since today’s society is constantly evolving and employees need to be able to quickly adjust to new situations in unfamiliar environments and tackle complex issues.

We live in a globalized world. By studying abroad and constantly being around people from other countries, you gain valuable intercultural communication skills, particularly if the place where you studied had a language barrier. These skills, whether in English or another language, are incredibly valuable to employers as today’s workforce is incredibly diverse. Doing business or interacting with people from other cultures is a fact of life and being able to communicate effectively makes doing business a lot easier. . . .

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Interview with Featured Study Abroadist ~ Genny Parshley!

(c) Moyan Brenn on Flickr
View his website at: http://earthincolors.wordpress.com

Hi everyone!  I’m so excited today because we have a really great post!  

I would like to introduce to you GENNY PARSHLEY, author of the blog “CHEERS” parshley.wordpress.com.

Have to admit, I’m pretty jealous of her right now; Scotland has always been a dream of mine. . . . purple heather,  dashing kilts, ivy-covered castles. . . Sorry, got carried away for a minute!  

Anyway, after reading the amazingly in-depth and inspirational posts she has shared about her trip on her blog, I asked if she would be willing to answer a few questions about her study abroad experience.  Because she is wonderful, awesome, and all things good, she agreed!  Not only that, she offered some really great insight into what goes on with the Study Abroad Process and the motives of those who make the decision to go for it.   So read on and see what you too can learn from her adventures!  

Also, please don’t forget to check out her blog “CHEERS” for more information about her trip abroad!  Definitely worth the read!

INTERVIEW

Where are you in Your Education? (Sophomore, Junior, Etc.–Highschool/College)

Genny: “I am a Junior or Third Year as they call it here!”

What have you decided to/are you interested in studying? 


Genny: “I am studying Public Relations—that’s my major—and Non-Profit Management is my minor! My major interest is studying Non-Profits and subjects related to social justice.”

Why did you decided to study abroad; what sort of things did you consider?


Genny: “I knew that I wanted to study abroad during college from the age of about 12. Traveling the world has always been a dream and a priority for me. I love the idea of going to a place where I know no one, where anything can happen. Though, I should say that that concept terrifies me as equally as it excites me! When considering when and where to study, a few things came to mind. I wanted to study in the spring so I didn’t have to miss my home university’s football season…nothing is better than college football season! Also, I didn’t particularly want to go abroad my senior year because I wanted to be able to spend my last year in the place I have to call home with my best friends. I also had to consider, of course, where I wanted to study but I’ll answer that question in #5 :)”