Studying abroad is more than just a fun opportunity that’s available to students. It’s a chance to build workplace skills outside of a normal classroom environment. According to employers and alumni alike, global education has a huge number of benefits for a variety of careers because the entire experience challenges students to think on their toes and utilize skills that had perhaps remained unexplored. Some of the helpful professional skills built throughout a global travel experience might include:
- The development of a broader world view that promotes diverse thinking
- Better communication across languages and cultures
- Building important international connections
- More thorough project management
These skills tend to be non-specific in nature, which means they can be used in nearly any career setting. Whether it’s a management position, editing or even marketing, a better understanding of the global market goes a long way in the workplace.
Learning in a new environment is more than just going to a new school for a few days. It’s an experience with an entirely different education system, and offers students the opportunity to obtain a different view of their subject as it’s seen in other countries. In this way, global education allows students of every discipline to gain a deeper, better-rounded understanding of their subject, which will help them when selecting a career path in that specified field.
Cultural sensitivity is also a value that’s becoming widely praised and expected in modern society, especially within businesses that work internationally and that hire a diverse group of employees. What better way to learn a bit of this skill than by experiencing other cultures and learning to put one’s self in someone else’s shoes? Meeting with other cultures and experiencing them to the fullest makes students more aware of these differences and promotes a healthy awareness of their own actions in regards to others’ values in the workplace.