9 Career Benefits of Studying Abroad
How does study abroad help your career?
Studying abroad has been a rite of passage for students for many years, offering a host of benefits and life-changing experiences. It’s an opportunity to expand your understanding of different cultures, hone your foreign language skills, see the world, and share unforgettable moments. And in today’s globalized economy, study abroad can also help you gain an employment edge.
Even if you don’t intend to work for an international employer or you’re unsure of your career goals, studying abroad can help you develop skills that all employers value, such as resourcefulness, adaptability, resilience, and empathy.
Here are some of the benefits that study abroad can lend to your career.
1. Earn a higher salary.
According to a study done by the National Association of Colleges and Employers (NACE), about 49 percent of graduates find a job within 12 months of graduation. Compare that to an impressive 97 percent of study abroad alumni. Graduates who have studied abroad also tend to have higher salaries. The average starting salary for a 2014 graduate was $45,478, but graduates with international experience were approximately $7,000 per year more.
2. Stand out in a competitive job market.
With only a small percentage of the U.S. student population going abroad to study, it’s a plum on your resume that will help you gain a competitive edge. Prospective employers will be impressed by your interest in different cultures and international issues. Study abroad also signals that you’ve likely gained many traits that potential employers find valuable, such as open-mindedness, proactiveness, resourcefulness, ability to lead, maturity, independence, flexibility, curiosity, and self-reliance.
3. Gain proficiency in another language.
Students with strong language skills are highly desirable to employers, especially if you’re fluent in two or more languages. A study performed by WorldMetrics.org found that bilingual employees have a 25% higher chance of landing a job in a new country. That same study found that on average, bilingual employees earn five to 20% more per hour than monolingual employees.
The ability to communicate in more than one language also helps you become more sensitive to other cultures. Language opens doors to nuances that can be lost without the ability to communicate clearly, and enhances understanding of values, traditions, and customers that can be valuable to all sorts of businesses and organizations.
4. Strengthen critical thinking and problem-solving skills.
Moving to another country involves leaving familiar support systems and learning how to manage independently. The maturity you gain from studying abroad sets you up for success in the working world, bolstering your sense of initiative to independently accomplish tasks and giving your manager confidence in your abilities.
5. Cultivate cross-cultural communication skills.
Communication skills are a highly valued asset in any business. The experience of communicating in new settings among people with different backgrounds elevates communication skills. Your new ability to effectively interact and collaborate with people from different cultures has value in a global marketplace.
You’ll also learn how to communicate in various scenarios efficiently and become adept at deciphering facial expressions, body language, and gestures to successfully understand others and communicate your own opinions, needs, and questions.
Study abroad will also improve other aspects of your communication skills, including presenting and public speaking, negotiating, academic writing, and non-verbal communication. It’s an excellent way to gain more awareness and appreciation about diversity, a tremendous strength for your professional and personal life.
6. Boost confidence and resilience.
Studying abroad demonstrates to employers that you had the ambition and courage to go to a foreign country, learn a new language, and challenge yourself to explore a new culture and lifestyle.
Overcoming the challenges that studying abroad presents–from finding your way around to communicating in a different language to managing your time–build self-esteem and belief in your abilities. Each success, no matter how small, develops confidence and grit, skills that will take you far in everyday professional situations.
7. Broaden your world perspective.
Exposure to different cultures is another benefit to students who choose to enroll in a study abroad program. The ability to see things from alternative perspectives is essential to the many businesses with partners, customers, and employees across the globe. And that, makes those with study abroad on their resumes even more attractive as potential hires..
8. Build a global network and foster connections.
Students who study abroad are bound to meet a range of new people from different countries and backgrounds. Developing a global network of contacts is a resource you’ll turn to again and again, for advice and guidance in your career, information about new opportunities, and more. IFSA Career Accelerators provide an ideal gateway to explore career-focused study abroad opportunities
9. Achieve personal growth..
Experience with different cultures, ideas, and diverse ways of thinking can help you learn more about who you are as an individual. It also provides an exciting opportunity to incorporate different insights, values, and concepts as you approach life. (Curious to learn more about how study abroad impacts personal growth? See our guide, The Impact of Study Abroad on Personal Growth.
Study abroad brightens your professional future
There are myriad reasons to study abroad, including significant career advantages. To learn more about this life-changing experience, read first-hand accounts from IFSA alumni on Student Stories, or explore Six Benefits of Studying Abroad.