Speaking Spanish in Chile. Studying Renaissance art in Italy. Learning about international business in Singapore.
Whatever and wherever you choose to study abroad, you’re bound to have an unforgettable experience.
Not only will you grow on a personal level, but you might even discover your professional calling. Even though they didn’t expect it, studying abroad helped these three graduates discover their dream careers. See what they learned below.
1. My international experience helped me land jobs and start a business
Before she was the founder and CEO of Mavens & Moguls, a global marketing and branding firm, Paige Arnof-Fenn was an economics student in Florence, Italy. It was her second time living in Europe, as she’d spent several months as a high schooler living with family in southeast France.
“These experiences were both incredibly special, and started my lifelong love affair with both France and Italy, and my desire to pursue a career in international business,” says Paige.
Once she started her job search, she impressed interviewers with her foreign language skills. “Speaking foreign languages is a way to differentiate yourself in interviews,” Paige says.
After getting hired, Paige continued to put her travel experiences to good use, especially during meetings with international clients. “My experience overseas made me more culturally sensitive and relevant,” she says. “I believe I got better assignments, faster promotions, and more interesting projects because of it.”
These days, Paige leads her own global firm, where she works with clients like Microsoft, Virgin, The New York Times, and Colgate, along with nonprofits and startups.
She attributes much of her success to the benefits of studying abroad and the people she met overseas. “My global contacts have been instrumental in my career with local intelligence, product launch support, [and] referrals,” she says.
She remains grateful for the study abroad benefits she enjoyed as a student and how they have impacted her today as a global entrepreneur. “Travel enriches your life by exposing you to new people, sights, sounds, smells, and flavors,” says Paige. “To travel is to learn, to grow, to appreciate.”
2. I learned I’m a born storyteller
Shelby Rogers wasn’t sure what her future career would look like when she packed her bags for England during the spring semester of 2013. Once the semester started though, she discovered her affinity for writing and research.
“I noticed that I would typically get major research papers and projects done well in advance of their deadlines,” says Shelby. “Because I was tired of waiting for my friends to hurry up and finish their essays, I would help with planning, writing, and editing their research papers.”
When the faculty learned about her informal role as a writing tutor, they started recommending her help to other students. Shelby couldn’t formally get paid for her work, but she did “amass a small fortune in free beer and pub meals.”
Perhaps even more valuable than the pub food was her realization that she could turn her passion for writing into a career. “I realized that I was not only an effective academic editor; I also had a knack for storytelling in places where one wouldn’t expect,” she says.
Shelby was skilled with sifting through ideas and using effective language to make her points. “Strangely enough, those exact skills are what I use as a content marketer,” Shelby says. “I look for the story, help my company determine the story we’re trying to tell our readership (aka potential clients), and then I help them tell that story with effective language.”
Her study abroad experience helped her in job interviews, too. “When I applied for marketing and copywriting jobs, I made sure to talk about my international travel experience,” she says.
Besides learning how to craft good stories, Shelby also developed valuable “soft skills” from traveling. “It taught me to be independent and intrinsically motivated,” she says. “I know how to put myself out there and appropriately communicate with people of different backgrounds.”
At the same time, she acknowledges that she was in a privileged financial position to enjoy her experience abroad. She earned a number of scholarships, and her university also helped offset the costs. When she was traveling, she also kept costs down by tracking her budget and staying in hostels.
She encourages anyone looking to study abroad to apply for scholarships and speak with your school’s financial aid office about funding opportunities.
3. Learning another language helped me get my dream job
Studying abroad isn’t just for undergraduates. When she was studying for her master’s in corporate communications at Seneca College, Melissa Andrade sought out a four-month internship in Italy.
“In order to successfully complete my post-grad program, I had to take part in a mandatory four-month internship,” says Melissa. “Studying abroad was always something I wanted to do but never had the chance to while completing my undergrad. I figured this was the perfect semester and opportunity to do just that.”
Melissa landed a gig at a public relations firm in Milan, Italy where she helped out on press days and during Milan Fashion Week. Not only did the internship give her hands-on experience in the industry, but it also helped her add a valuable skill to her resume: fluency in Italian.
“It made me extremely marketable upon my return home,” says Melissa. “I now had a third language to add to my resume and was able to boast about my international work experience — something that was extremely valued at some of the larger companies I interviewed with while job hunting.”
For Melissa, the professional benefits of studying abroad were not short-lived. “Little did I know this experience would also help me land my next big dream job a few years later,” says Melissa.
“I’ve recently secured a new journalist position in Lisbon, Portugal as a celebrity and entertainment news writer,” she adds. “My new employer liked the fact that I was already well traveled across Europe from my previous time abroad, had knowledge of several languages, and understood how to assimilate myself within different cultures while getting a job done.”
Melissa is excited to return to Europe, and she credits her study abroad experience with giving her the qualifications she needed to land her dream job.
Don’t underestimate the benefits of studying abroad
From learning a new language to making friends across cultures, studying abroad gives you invaluable skills for your future career.
Many colleges offer study abroad programs, plus independent organizations host students in other countries, too. Often, your financial aid will transfer, and you can apply for study abroad scholarships.
You might even find a part-time job in another country to support yourself during a semester abroad. If you go this route, you’ll have one more experience to impress hiring managers with in your future job interviews.
Need a student loan?
Here are our top student loan lenders of 2019!| Lender | Variable APR | Eligibility | |
|---|---|---|---|
| * The Sallie Mae partner referenced is not the creditor for these loans and is compensated by Sallie Mae for the referral of Smart Option Student Loan customers. 1 Important Disclosures for College Ave. CollegeAve DisclosuresCollege Ave Student Loans products are made available through either Firstrust Bank, member FDIC or M.Y. Safra Bank, FSB, member FDIC. All loans are subject to individual approval and adherence to underwriting guidelines. Program restrictions, other terms, and conditions apply. (1)All rates shown include the auto-pay discount. The 0.25% auto-pay interest rate reduction applies as long as a valid bank account is designated for required monthly payments. Variable rates may increase after consummation. (2)This informational repayment example uses typical loan terms for a freshman borrower who selects the Deferred Repayment Option with a 10-year repayment term, has a $10,000 loan that is disbursed in one disbursement and a 8.35% fixed Annual Percentage Rate (“APR”): 120 monthly payments of $179.18 while in the repayment period, for a total amount of payments of $21,501.54. Loans will never have a full principal and interest monthly payment of less than $50. Your actual rates and repayment terms may vary. (3)As certified by your school and less any other financial aid you might receive. Minimum $1,000. Information advertised valid as of 11/08/2019. Variable interest rates may increase after consummation. 2 Sallie Mae Disclaimer: Click here for important information. Terms, conditions and limitations apply. 3 Important Disclosures for Discover. Discover Disclosures
4 Important Disclosures for CommonBond. CommonBond DisclosuresOffered terms are subject to change and state law restrictions. Loans are offered through CommonBond Lending, LLC (NMLS #1175900).
5 Important Disclosures for Citizens. Citizens DisclosuresUndergraduate Rate Disclosure: Variable rate, based on the one-month London Interbank Offered Rate (“LIBOR”) published in The Wall Street Journal on the twenty-fifth day, or the next business day, of the preceding calendar month. As of November 1, 2019, the one-month LIBOR rate is 1.80%. Variable interest rates range from 2.90% – 11.16% (2.90% – 11.01% APR) and will fluctuate over the term of the loan with changes in the LIBOR rate, and will vary based on applicable terms, level of degree earned and presence of a co-signer. Fixed interest rates range from 4.72% – 12.19% (4.72% – 12.04% APR) based on applicable terms, level of degree earned and presence of a co-signer. Lowest rates shown requires application with a co-signer, are for eligible applicants, require a 5-year repayment term, borrower making scheduled payments while in school and include our Loyalty and Automatic Payment discounts of 0.25 percentage points each, as outlined in the Loyalty Discount and Automatic Payment Discount disclosures. Subject to additional terms and conditions, and rates are subject to change at any time without notice. Such changes will only apply to applications taken after the effective date of change. Please note: Due to federal regulations, Citizens Bank is required to provide every potential borrower with disclosure information before they apply for a private student loan. The borrower will be presented with an Application Disclosure and an Approval Disclosure within the application process before they accept the terms and conditions of the loan. Citizens Bank Student Loan Eligibility: Borrowers must be enrolled at least half-time in a degree-granting program at an eligible institution. Borrowers must be a U.S. citizen or permanent resident or an international borrower/eligible non-citizen with a creditworthy U.S. citizen or permanent resident co-signer. For borrowers who have not attained the age of majority in their state of residence, a co-signer is required. Citizens Bank reserves the right to modify eligibility criteria at anytime. Interest rate ranges subject to change. Citizens Bank private student loans are subject to credit qualification, completion of a loan application/consumer credit agreement, verification of application information, and if applicable, self-certification form, school certification of the loan amount, and student’s enrollment at a Citizens Bank- participating school. Please Note: International Students are not eligible for the multi-year approval feature. |
|||
 | 2.84% – 10.97%1 | Undergraduate, Graduate, and Parents | |
 | 3.12% – 10.54%*,2 | Undergraduate and Graduate | |
 | 3.37% – 11.87%3 | Undergraduate and Graduate | |
 | 3.52% – 9.50%4 | Undergraduate and Graduate | |
 | 2.90% – 11.16%5 | Undergraduate and Graduate | |
