#7 Incorporating your Studying Abroad Experience into your Career
Brainstorm and jot down all the skills and knowledge that you are gaining
from being abroad. Your list might include working effectively on a team
with people from other cultures, considering multiple viewpoints when
dealing with challenges, the ability the synthesize new ideas, or the
ability to communicate in a second language.
Then imagine that you are interviewing for your dream job, and the search
committee asks you this question: “How did studying abroad while at WSU
prepare you to be a better [insert your dream job here – doctor, lawyer,
teacher, scientist, journalist, engineer, etc.]? Describe how you would
answer that question. (Don’t forget to tell us what the dream job is that
you’ve chosen!)
My ultimate dream job would be to start my own Dude Ranch (kind of a western themed resort), in which case I would be my own boss….but a more applicable dream job is an event coordinator of a hotel. If I’m really honest with myself, I don’t think studying abroad helped me very much when it comes to a future career. It was a great adventure and the experience gained definitely added some new philosophies and great stories to my personal life, but the values I appreciate most in a co-worker aren’t traits gained by travelling. I obviously couldn’t say that to an employer though so I would probably spit something out about how it helped me learn to make tough decisions in very stressful situations (using my travelling mishaps as evidence), increased my sensitivity to other cultures, made me more confident and of course I now have the added bonus of a second language on resumes.
Okay, after writing that I’ll admit it may have helped a little…
