Study Abroad as a Professional Advantage

Written by Sarah Angley

The professional world today is very global. Many companies have locations overseas or partners around the world. Because of this, there is an ever-growing desire from employers for people who speak multiple languages and who have been abroad. This means that study abroad gives you a great topic to talk to about when you go in for an interview.

Since going abroad to Greece my freshman year, I have not been to an interview where I have not been asked about my study abroad experiences. Personally, I have participated in several study abroad trips and so I have had a wide variety of experiences to recount. But even if you’ve only studied abroad once, this still gives you so much to tell employers.

If you are taking classes within your major abroad, and you are applying for a job within this field, most likely the classes that you took will be relevant to the job you are applying to. This means that you can talk about them with your interviewer. Interviewers love hearing about study abroad and they love when it applies to the position that you are a candidate for. This will make you stand out from other applicants and give you unique experiences to talk about when asked about your time at college.


Going abroad shows employers that you are a responsible young adult who can adapt to change and new environments, and who has had exposure to the world outside their dorm room. Living abroad is not easy. You are away from family and friends, sometimes for months at a time. You are in a place you are not familiar with, with social rules and structure you do not know. Being able to handle this while taking classes or an internship shows that you are someone who can handle new and stressful situations.

So remember this when you go in for interviews. You have something that employers want - so use that to your advantage. Cater your study abroad stories around experiences that show that you got something out of your trip that you can offer them. Focus on things their company looks for, and find those things in your experiences.