Surfing in Australia, frequenting the pubs in Ireland and looking at the lights of the Eiffel Tower in France sound like a vacation, but they can also help students find a job after graduating college. Even getting hopelessly lost on the London Underground subway can show impressive problem solving skills during an interview.
Studying abroad gives students an edge when applying for jobs because employers look for students with self-reliance and communication skills that living in another country can teach.
"Employers like to see that job candidates have a wide range of experience," Joe Goodwin, assistant director of the Ball State University Career Center, said. "Study abroad shows someone that is able to adapt and function in other cultures. It shows adaptability, being able to deal with unfamiliar situations and, for some students, the ability to speak a foreign language."
Students must recognize this as well, because the Rinker Center for International Programs has seen a 12 percent increase in the number of students going abroad since the 2003-04 academic year, Jim Coffin, RCIP director, said. An all-time high of 624 Ball State students studied abroad last year, he said, and more are enrolled this year.
Experience abroad globalizes students and helps them understand other cultures, Coffin said.
"It gives them insights into how to partner with overseas corporations," he said. "It networks them with potential overseas colleagues, and it broadens their minds on the dynamics that lead to corporate strategies and decision-making."
Elisabeth Zimkowski, a college recruiter for Dell Inc. who interviewed Ball State students at the Career Center on Tuesday, said while students without international experience are considered for jobs, studying abroad will put applicants at a distinct advantage. The kinds of adaptive qualities and problem-solving skills students learn while abroad are valuable at any job, she said.
Zimkowski said when recruiting, most companies practice competency-based interviewing, such as asking students to describe a specific time and place where they worked through an unfamiliar or crisis situation.
"This is where students can cite their study abroad experience," she said. "[Some companies think] past experience is the best predictor of future experiences."
Senior Ashley Briggs, who planned to teach biology, said she spent three months at the Australia Center last spring because she had always wanted to visit the country and the center offered science courses such as marine biology and rainforest ecology. Her experience abroad will definitely enrich her r+â-¬sum+â-¬, she said.
"It makes you a more well-rounded person," Briggs said. "I'm definitely more financially aware; I went over there with 'x' amount of dollars, and I had to make a budget for the entire time."
Traveling around a foreign country by herself helped Briggs gain a sense of independence, she said.
"I wish I could do it again," she said. "I would love to go back. It's definitely on my list of things to do before I die."
Coffin said students also network through the classes they take and the places they visit.
"Exchange students have classmates from around the world," he said. "Field experiences offer students the opportunity to visit and learn about international workplaces and the issues that those workplaces are facing internationally. Study abroad students also informally meet individuals from around the world with like interests."
Students have made connections with overseas employers while studying abroad, he said.
Alumna Angie Manginelli, a former London Centre student, got a position at EUSA, a pan-European study abroad program that works with universities to provide students with internships in Europe, Coffin said.
"They experience the joy of life that comes with making new friends and new experiences," he said. "Most of us have an adventurous spirit in us; it's part of the human spirit. Every day is different."
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