Education and Career Attainment
The majority of graduates describe it as the best year of their degree course while abroad, you can take courses you would never have had the opportunity to take on your home county. In addition, study abroad gives your language skills such a boost that it is normally quite easy to add a minor in a language or even a second major without having to take many more additional courses after the return to your home campus. To an employer, a student who has studied abroad is self-motivated, independent and willing to embrace challenges. Your experience in a foreign country will all set you apart from the majority of other job applicants.
Importance of Internships
Internships can teach you more about what you do AND what you don’t want to do. No one’s career path is a straight line. Everyone starts off with a vision of their ideal job, but this vision is really just a guess based purely on hypothetical. A funny thing often happens when someone starts working at their ideal job, they realize it’s not so ideal for them after all. Internships are a unique opportunity that you will never again encounter throughout your career. This is your chance to test drive different positions to see which ride you enjoy most. Utilize it! Use your summers (and maybe even a fall or spring semester if your school allows it) to intern. Ideally an internship will provide you with work experience that is directly related to your major. If your internship falls short in this department, keep in mind that you are learning something else that may be even more valuable in the long run. ALL internships teach you soft skills, and every employer is looking for soft skills (which is why behavioral interviewing is so prevalent).
Lifetime Benefits
Did you know that less than 10-15% of people study abroad during their life? At the same time, the world continues to become more globalised. Companies from countries around the world continue to invest in other countries, building a need for people who are able to manage in different cultures. Through the employer\'s eyes, a person who has studied abroad is independent, self-motivated, willing to pick up challenges, and able to cope with diverse problems and situations. Your experience of living and studying in a foreign country, getting to know other cultures, and learning another language can give you advantages in acquiring your dream job.