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Gaining an Edge with Education Abroad
Reflecting on the Experience and Identifying Transferrable Skills
Michelle McCormack, Babson College Heather York, Boston University Study Abroad
Agenda
Session Goals A Little Background
Holistic Experience - Reflect Transferable Skills - Connect Next Steps– Professionalize
Student Examples Questions
Connect these competencies to the qualifications desired in a workplace or graduate school
Identify skills developed abroad
Understand skills that employers value
Reflect on study abroad experience
Goals
What Students Learned Abroad
23.1%
71.1%
95.9%
98.5%
0% 25% 50% 75% 100%
Greater Understanding ofFamily's Heritage
Took Advantage of NewResources
Gained Knowledge of HostCountry
Explored New Places
N=3000
How Study Abroad Impacted Their Future
71.3%
71.8%
78.4%
81.5%
93.0%
0% 25% 50% 75% 100%
Interest in Working Abroad inFuture
Influenced My ProfessionalGoals
Greater Interest in WorldEvents
Positive Impact on Major
Will Advocate Study Abroad
N=3000
In 2011-2012, approximately 20 million American
students were enrolled in a U.S.
university
283,332 of these students studied abroad during
2011-2012
(1.4 percent!)
Only ~14 percent of American students receiving Bachelor’s
degrees will have studied abroad at some point by the time they graduate
Fewer than half of these
students will have spent a semester or
more abroad
Study Abroad: The Facts *Open Doors 2013
HOWEVER…
We cannot assume that employers recognize the inherent value of participating in a study abroad experience
It’s up to YOU to learn to articulate the value of your experience abroad in terms of a direct benefit to the company, institution, or organization
To do this, we must get beyond “It was great!”
HOWEVER…
We cannot assume that employers recognize the inherent value of participating in a study abroad experience
It’s up to YOU to learn to articulate the value of your experience abroad in terms of a direct benefit to the company, institution, or organization
To do this, we must get beyond “It was great!”
Job Outlook 2013, National Association of Colleges and Employers
REFLECT, CONNECT, PROFESSIONALIZE
REFLECT. Think about the different components of your study abroad experience, what you learned from each, and what skills you have gained or developed
CONNECT. Determine how the skills you developed are transferable to the workplace, and specifically to qualifications that your employer or grad school desires
PROFESSIONALIZE. Share your experience in ways that highlight the traits that prospective employers or graduate schools are looking for
Components of Education Abroad Programs
• Internships • Service –
Learning • Clubs / Orgs
• Rural / Urban • Developed /
Developing • Size of Institution
• Direct Enroll • Study Center • Hybrid
• Homestay • Residence Hall • Apartment
Housing Academics
Community Engagement
Environment
Holistic Experience Components:
• Housing • Academics • Community
Engagement • Travel • Student clubs/
organizations • Volunteering • Internships • Visa process
London School of Economics, London, UK
• Debate Skills • Original Thinking • Logical Thought
Processes • Emotional
Intelligence
Classroom Differences Urban Dorm Living
Environment Organizations
Ease of Travel Career Networking
• Engaging with students of different backgrounds
• City Immersion
• Maintaining U.S. identity
• Being outgoing instead of shy
• Staying active on campus
• Public transportation knowledge
• Geography • Cultural
curiosity
• How to travel safely and frequently via trains, planes, and buses
• International business skills
• Application styles
• Using culture to network
Chris Minor, Babson College class of 2014
Activity: Reflect on the Holistic Experience
Identify components of your experience
Write 1+ thing you learned from each component
Share the components and learned skills with a partner
Identify Transferrable Skills
Creatively solve problems by applying familiar concepts to unfamiliar situations
Contribute to an culturally diverse team
Be self-confident, yet able to listen and learn from people whose value systems are different
Take personal risks and act independently
Be flexible and adaptable to rapidly changing situations
Have a basic command of the local language, and able to use it in practical situations Imagine, forecast, analyze or address business situations from a different cultural frame of reference
Adapted from: Effective Marketing of International Experiences to Employers by Cheryl Matherly
Leadership Problem Solving Skills Communication Skills Ability to work in a
team Initiative Flexibility/Adaptability Creativity Entrepreneurial Skills/
Risk-Taker
Job Outlook 2013, National Association of Colleges and Employers
Attributes employers seek
Connecting Transferable Skills Improved Language
Skills 85.5% Communication
Skills
Global Perspective 90.7%
Ability to Understand Different
Points of View
Independence & Confidence 95.5% Self-Motivation;
Leader
Ability to Adapt to New
Situations 82.5% Problem Solver;
Flexible
Connecting Your Experiences
Identify skills you learned or developed abroad
Connect them to competencies that employers are seeking in job candidates
What can you do with this? 1. Develop a Rocket Pitch 2. Practice using these examples to answer
behavioral interview questions 3. Tell your story
Learn more in “Wowing your Employers” Professionalize
Chris Minor London School of Economics, Academic Year 2012-13
“The skills that I learned at the London School of Economics really have made me a more complete person in as many ways as I can think of. In the classroom, I learned how to think quickly and logically on my feet since the teachers use debate as a tool for communicating ideas clearly and powerfully. And after the classroom, I would make sure to hang out with the fulltime students, either on campus or somewhere off in the city. It really was through conversing with these students and the city that helped me understand different perspectives and develop the global mindset in a different way than I have here at Babson.”
http://youtu.be/Tzx0D4qWD78