The Career Value of Education Abroad

By Sheila J. Curran

In 2007 more than 200,000 students will study ab road . Spending academic
time away from the “home institution” increasingly represents a right of passage—so
much so that in some colleges like Colby, Dickinson, and St. Olaf, more than 80 percent
of students leave the United States for at least a semester. The question for many sophomores — particularly in predominantly liberal arts colleges and universities—is not whether they’ll be having an international experience, but where.

What’s behind the burgeoning interest? Student
essays tell of multiple aspirations: educational opportunity,
the ability to gain a different perspective,
cross-cultural understanding, foreign travel, desire to
learn a language, or interest in studying a particular
subject. The list goes on. But more often than not,
students also have in the back of their mind that education
abroad will give them a career advantage.

Many study abroad offices actively promote the
career benefits of an international education. Unfortunately,
these benefits do not happen simply by
getting on a plane and landing in a different country.
Students have to work for them.

Putting study abroad on a resume will usually attract
an employer’s attention. But only an interview
will determine whether the employer sees the student’s
experience as a career boost or a career bust. [ NAFSA.org ]

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