110405 curran international career consortium

Curran Consulting, April, 2011: www.curranoncareers.com

Enhancing the Career Value of Study AbroadSheila J Curran, Curran Consulting, April 5, 2011

The International Careers Consortium Annual Conference, 2011

Sheila J Curran

Career and organizational strategy consultant to colleges and universities

Former executive director, Duke Career Center, and director, Brown Career Services

Coauthor, Smart Moves for Liberal Arts Grads: Finding a Path to Your Perfect Career, Ten Speed Press, 2006

Website: curranoncareers.com


Why a career advantage is necessary


This is the worst year in recent memory for college grads to find work

College students need every advantage they can get to set themselves apart from their peers


Why students go abroad: what they say

Broaden horizons

Understand different culture

Explore

Gain language skills


Why students go abroad: what they think

Get away from college

Figure out who they are

Career boost


Parent Perspective

See a different part of the world—preferably somewhere they would like to visit

Build new friendships

Explore…in safe environment

AND….

Have something to put on the resume


Why a career advantage is necessary

Parents want a return on their tuition investment and they won’t get that if their kids are unemployed or underemployed!

Their worry: College is expensive College grad salaries haven’t kept up with inflation Even the best colleges don’t guarantee top jobs Unemployment rates continue to rise


The Real Deal for Young Graduates

Unemployment Rate for Bachelor’s graduates 20-24:

March, 2011: 8.5% March, 2010: 7.2% 150% increase over 3 years

March, 2009: 7.6% March, 2008: 3.4%

Source: Bureau of Labor Statistics, March, 2011: Unpublished Table 10 data


The truth about careers and study abroad

Career impact of study abroad can be:

Negative

Neutral

Positive


What employers need

Global perspective

Greater maturity

Cultural understanding

Linguistic proficiency

And maybe even…understanding of global business issues


Sad facts…

Those hiring for entry-level positions rarely check for these attributes

and if they did, they’d find…

Few of those who study abroad are able to demonstrate these attributes any more than students who remain on campus


The “Engaged” Experience

Live with local families; participate in local customs

Drink mint tea; go to the local hammam

Make efforts to communicate in language of country

Work, volunteer or intern as well as study and travel

Operate out of “comfort zone”

DON’T HAVE AN AMERICAN EXPERIENCE ABROAD


Study abroad isn’t what it used to be

Number of students going abroad increased every year until FY10

More students have “American” experience abroad Parents don’t want students to take risks Few students go abroad for a whole year


Skills Required for Employment1. Verbal communication skills

2. Strong work ethic

3. Teamwork

4. Analytical skills

5. Initiative

6. Problem-solving skills

7. Written communication skills

8. Interpersonal skills

9. Computer skills

10. Flexibility/adaptability


5 key skills from study abroad

Verbal communication skills

Initiative

Problem-solving skills

Interpersonal skills

Adaptability


Recent trends

Numbers of students going to Europe are down 4%, while numbers going to South America and Africa are up 13% and 16% respectively

Big increases in number of students going to South Korea and Peru


Importance of languages

Languages can provide a competitive advantage in the job search

Few students go to countries where difficult languages are spoken (Chinese, Russian, Arabic)


Keys to making study abroad a career advantage

Understand what employers value

Plan in advance, meeting with career advisor

Have an “engaged” experience

De-brief transferable skills upon return


Before leaving

Take advanced classes in the language of the host country

Take courses in history, political science, sociology, or other disciplines with a focus on the region of the world the student wants to study

Read newspapers from the foreign country

Identify an intellectual interest that can be developed in a particular program


While abroad

Get out of your comfort zone

Practice your language skills

Get to know the people; make local friends

Write a blog

Find opportunities to do internships or volunteer work


When you come back

De-brief your experience with a career advisor

Tell stories

Identify transferable skills

Find your hook!


Finding your hook

Did your study abroad experience help you develop a special skill or attribute?

Can you tell employers a relevant story that sets you apart from the competition?


Career/ Study Abroad collaboration

Identify common goals

Share information about employer and study abroad realities with students AND parents

Include career information in study abroad materials and orientations, and study abroad information in career orientations


The international career program

Educate all out-going students about the potential career value of study abroad

Enroll interested students in an “International Career Program” contract, with rights and responsibilities and a dedicated career advisor

The career advisor helps students identify foreign internship and volunteer opportunities, involving faculty where possible. He/she also helps student identify transferable skills

Study abroad and careers staff work together to sign up local alumni mentors for students


Challenge for study abroad offices

Students and their families demand interesting and enjoyable programs in safe locations and frequent contact

Faculty may favor formal education over experiential education

Only a small percentage may be prepared to do what it takes to get a career advantage


Challenge for careers offices

Students want to return to their Study Abroad location

Employers often required specialized skills before offering international assignments

Few careers offices have staff with specialized knowledge of international opportunities, or are familiar with strategies for success in the international job search


Resources

Going Global: http://www.goinglobal.com/en/college-services/

Transitions Abroad: http://www.transitionsabroad.com

Languages Work: http://www.languageswork.org.uk/careers_advisers1.aspx

Sheila Curran’s website: http://www.curranoncareers.com/advantages-of-study-abroad/

http://www.goinglobal.com/en/college-services/



http://www.transitionsabroad.com/

http://www.languageswork.org.uk/careers_advisers1.aspx




What next?

Write strategic plan for both career services and study abroad that discusses student outcomes relating to global education and experience

Identify, gather and analyze success metrics

Consider an International Career Program

GOOD NEWS: The student who has the best educational experience is the one most likely to also find a career benefit from study abroad


Discussion

Continue the conversation:

Sheila J. Curran401 861 [email protected]

mailto:[email protected]

110405 curran international career consortium

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