It’s needless to say that studying abroad is beneficial for personal development, but what about professional? The career benefits of studying abroad are significant too, with overseas study experience sure to make an impression in many ways.
Foreign language ability
If your study abroad experience includes learning a foreign language – and ideally being fluent in it, then that’s highly attractive to employers, particularly in an increasingly globalised world.
Your job application will look more attractive than someone who only knows one language – especially to global companies. You could get more opportunities to travel and work in other countries, you might get to work with clients from all over the world and it’s good for negotiating a higher salary.
Better communication skills
Being able to communicate effectively with people of all positions and backgrounds is crucial to succeeding in the workplace. Poor communication can lead to misunderstandings, heightened stress and poor productivity at work.
If you have learnt a foreign language and also studied abroad, it means you have not only studied a new language, but you have used those language skills to understand and communicate ideas, thoughts and meanings – not all of which are necessarily spoken out loud.
As any language learner will know, words and phrases don’t simply translate directly from one language to another and studies have shown that those who are multilingual are better at understanding nonverbal communication. This can be extremely important in a work setting to fully understand the intentions and meanings of your colleagues and managers.
More adaptable and versatile
Think about the journey you go on when you study abroad: you’re thrust into an unfamiliar place where you probably don’t know anyone and you have to learn to adapt to what could be totally new customs and a way of life.
On top of that, you have all the stresses of starting a new school too, including navigating a new school system and making new friends. It’s almost guaranteed that you will come up against challenges and difficulties, which are made even harder if the country you’re in doesn’t speak your language.
Successfully completing that journey is an incredible career benefit of studying abroad. It means you have shown resilience, determination and versatility on top of your actual studies. All of these are things that employers look for in potential candidates and they are great qualities to build upon once you enter the workforce.
It’s a good confidence booster
Knowing that you can communicate in another language, that you can tackle challenges and that you can emerge from those challenges a better person – all of that boosts a person’s self-esteem and confidence. And confidence is important when it comes to job interviews and building your career!
These are the top career benefits of studying abroad. Studytrip.com is dedicated to helping you get as much out of your time abroad as you can through the combination of language study and fun cultural activities. Visit studytrip.com for more information.
