Sunday, October 21, 2012

Study Abroad To Gain Job Experience

Study Abroad To Gain Job Experience


Studying abroad programs can be a very fulfilling and stimulating experience. While you may be bursting out with excitement to seep in as much as you can from studying abroad, it also offers you bright career prospects. The food, lifestyle, culture, history, weather, travel, language and people are no doubt a greater portion of what you are looking out for, yet you should also build international experience during your stay to make yourself appealing for future job prospects. When you move out to another country in a completely different part of the world to pursue a semester, a summer study abroad program, or your entire degree, you are embarking on a journey to grow both professionally and personally.

The World Is Shrinking

All thanks to globalization fuelled by advancements in communication systems, modern technology and competition, employers are looking for employees that have international experience. With increasing concerns for a diverse workforce, companies demand employees who know how to interact with people from different backgrounds and cultures. When you study abroad, you get a chance to develop transnational competence. This is a combination of cross-cultural communication skills, independence, flexibility and deeper understanding of various cultures.

Interpersonal Skills Taken To a New Level

When you live in an environment that is completely different than what you experienced back home, you learn to interact with people who have different cultural contexts as compared to you. Your study abroad programs experience makes you more appealing to employers as they consider such cross-cultural and interpersonal communication as a very important asset when working with a multicultural team. This shows that you are not only open to new learning experiences, but also able to adapt readily in such environments.

Wade In New Waters

When you move out of your home country to another for the purpose of study, you can make amazing discoveries. You might fuel a new passion that might alter your career path, or you might plan on working in another country after you are down with your degree. Thus, you can not only plan to study future degree but also explore your career options as a result of studying abroad in a new country with impressive learning experiences. Moreover, you can learn a new language by immersing yourself in the culture. Employers see this as a striking personality trait when you learn to adapt yourself to another culture that is completely new to you. While studying abroad, do not focus solely on your studies, but also make the most out of it.

Impress Others in an Interview

Challenges are aplenty when you move out of your comfort zone to study abroad. Real life situations test you and help you better assess your strengths and weaknesses. When applying for a job, your resume would better stand out among others. Make sure you make the most out of your study aboard trip; enhance cross-cultural skills, gain professional experience while studying, make valuable global contacts, organize an event, volunteer in your field or visit professionals in your areas of expertise.

After you have taken the bold step to study abroad, it's time to decide where you want to acquire life changing memorable experiences. Study abroad programs are amazing because they let you acquire rich experiences that will boost your career prospects in the future. When you study abroad, you are actually globalizing yourself, broadening your experience, and taking on challenges that otherwise you would not have enjoyed in your home country. Study abroad programs not only give you an international experience, but also the know how to leverage those experiences in your future workplace.



Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Maya_Barak




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